Marquette, MI – The Parkside Rangers finished the weekend 1-1 after losing to the Northern Michigan Wildcats. Despite leading by as much as 12 points in the third quarter, the Rangers were unable to hold on, and a big Northern Michigan fourth quarter sealed the deal.
Quote from Coach Conely:
"Disappointing loss against Northern Michigan. I thought we came out and played really well, but needed to play 40 minutes of Parkside basketball. Really proud of our team's effort and rally at the end- need to play with that same fire and intensity throughout. I love our squad and the progress that we've made- we will definitely learn and get better."
Inside the Box Score:
- Lillie Petersen led the offensive effort for the Rangers, scoring a season-high 14 points (4-8 FG) and grabbing four rebounds.
- Three other Rangers notched 10-point performances, including Sheridan Flauger, Cassidy Arni, and Chloe Van Zeeland.
- Flauger filled up the stat sheet with five assists, tied for the most in the game, and four rebounds.
How It Happened:
The game between Northern Michigan and Parkside began as an ironically low-scoring battle between two of the higher scoring teams in the conference. Lillie Petersen kick-started her strong performance with five of the Rangers' first seven points, including an early three-pointer that tied the game at seven. Later in the first quarter, a quick 5-0 Rangers run, highlighted by a Jaelyn Derlein three-pointer and a Peighton Nelson transition bucket, gave Parkside a 12-7 lead. Northern Michigan responded with a 4-0 run to close the quarter, narrowing the gap to one point.
The scoring picked up for both teams in the second quarter. Sheridan Flauger knocked down her first three-pointer of the night to increase the Rangers' advantage. As both teams continued to find success on offense, Parkside fought to maintain its lead through much of the quarter. Cassidy Arni's strong drive and finish through traffic extended Parkside's lead to 25-20, their largest of the half. Northern Michigan chipped away at the deficit, ultimately cutting it to one as the Rangers led 31-30 at halftime.
Parkside, who trailed for just 17 seconds in the second quarter, came out strong in the second half. Buckets from Cassidy Arni and Kendal Zeiter pushed the Rangers' lead back up to five just two and a half minutes into the third quarter. Two minutes later, Jaelyn Derlein sank her second three-pointer of the night, extending the lead to 41-34. Alli Hampel joined in on the scoring action, hitting a three-pointer of her own. Moments later, Peighton Nelson capitalized on a Northern Michigan turnover, converting an easy transition layup. This flurry of scoring put Parkside ahead by 12 points, 46-34, their largest lead of the game. Northern Michigan wasted no time responding, closing the final four and a half minutes of the third quarter on a 13-2 run. The Wildcats' surge cut Parkside's lead to one point heading into the fourth quarter.
Northern Michigan took their first lead of the second half with a three-pointer to start the final period. Their momentum carried over as they opened the quarter on a 7-0 run, causing problems for the Rangers' defense. The Wildcats recorded their best shooting performance of the game in the fourth quarter, outscoring Parkside 25-19. This late surge propelled Northern Michigan to a 72-67 victory, preserving their perfect record.
The Rangers battled in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, refusing to fall without a fight. They cut the deficit close, but it wasn't enough at the end. This was Parkside's first road loss of the season, dropping their overall record to 5-3 and their GLIAC record to 1-1.
Next Up:
The Rangers' long road trip continues with a non-conference battle against Illinois-Springfield next weekend. The Rangers and Prairie Stars are set to square off on Saturday at 1:00 PM. For coverage of the event, visit ParksideRangers.com/coverage.
