Kenosha, Wis. - Fresh off a pair of victories on the road, the Parkside Rangers will play their first home game of the season this Saturday. The Rangers are slated to welcome the reigning National Champions, No. 1 Minnesota State-Mankato, to De Simone Arena for Women's In Sports Day. That game will be a part of a double header with the Parkside volleyball program. The weekend will continue with another road game against Minnesota-Duluth on Monday night.
Last Weekend for the Rangers
The Rangers opened their season with two hard-fought road victories against GLVC opponents. This marks their first 2-0 start since the 2021-22 season and the first time Parkside has won its first two road games since 2019-20. The weekend began with a 75-60 win over Maryville, a team projected to finish fourth in the GLVC. Preseason All-GLIAC honoree Sheridan Flauger led the way for the Rangers, scoring a game-high 21 points and nearly securing her first career triple-double. Flauger pulled down 10 rebounds and dished out seven assists. Cassidy Arni also posted a double-double, recording 18 points and 11 rebounds. The Rangers dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Saints 59-37.
On Saturday, the Rangers defeated Missouri-St. Louis, led by Peighton Nelson's 22 points. Despite a shaky third quarter, where they were outscored 24-18, the Rangers rallied with a 21-16 fourth quarter to secure a 71-62 victory. Kendal Zeiter, making her season debut, contributed nine points and seven rebounds, as the Rangers once again won the rebounding battle. Sheridan Flauger and Zeiter both hit clutch three-pointers late in the game, helping to seal the win over the Tritons.
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Scouting No. 1 Minnesota-Mankato
The Mavericks are coming off their second-ever NCAA Championship and first under long-term Head Coach Emily Thiesse. They finished 32-5 as a team, tying a program record for single-season wins. They won their last 11 games of the season, sweeping the NSIC Tournament, the NCAA Central Region Tournament, and ultimately the NCAA Elite Eight, where they defeated Texas Women's University 89-73 in the final.
The reigning Division II national champions opened their season in the Regional Crossover Challenge, going 1-1. They began with an impressive offensive showing, scoring 99 points in a dominant win over Emporia State, led by Destinee Bursch and Natalie Bremer, who combined for 43 points. Despite another 20-point performance from Bremer, the Mavericks fell to Northwest Missouri State the following day. Bremer has now scored 20+ points in her last four games, dating back to the Final Four and National Championship.
Scouting Minnesota-Duluth
Minnesota-Duluth enters the season after a strong 2023-24 campaign, reaching the NSIC semifinals. The Bulldogs finished 19-10 overall and 14-8 in conference play, highlighted by a 12-2 record at home. Parkside will be Minnesota-Duluth's first home opponent of the season. The Bulldogs' postseason run included a home victory over Sioux Falls in the NSIC Tournament opening round, followed by a 66-57 win over Concordia-St. Paul before their season ended with a loss to Mary.
In the first weekend of the season, the Bulldogs split their games in the GAC - NSIC Conference Challenge, narrowly falling to Southeastern Oklahoma State 87-85 before bouncing back with an 84-78 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State. Junior Myra Moorjani led the offense with 29 points in the victory, also contributing five assists and two steals. Claire Bjorge added to the scoring effort with 23 points in the first game and 14 in the second.
History
Parkside has never defeated Mankato, trailing 0-4 in their all-time series since their first meeting in 2019. The Mavericks handed the Rangers a decisive loss last year at home, winning 98-68 with four players scoring in double figures. The Mavericks were dominant defensively, forcing Parkside into 32 turnovers. Meanwhile, after defeating Minnesota-Duluth for the first time last season, the Rangers trail 4-1 in that series. The Rangers won big at home last season, downing the Bulldogs 77-49 and outscoring them 46-19 in the second half while shooting 51.8% from the field.
