Kenosha, Wis - The Parkside Rangers will hit the buses and embark on their final road trip of the season. After winning two straight at home, Parkside is set to clash with Ferris State and Lake Superior State to complete the 2023-24 regular season campaign. They will play Ferris State on Thursday at 7:30 pm (ET) and Lake Superior State on Saturday at 3:00 pm (ET).
Scouting Parkside
The Rangers are 13-13 overall with an even, 8-8 GLIAC record. Currently, the team stands alone in fifth place in the conference. They remain just one game behind Grand Valley State for the fourth spot, and will need a perfect weekend, plus some help, in order to land in the top-four. The Rangers are riding a two-game win streak, with wins over Davenport and Purdue Northwest at home. The last time Parkside shared the floor with LSSU and FSU, they defeated the Lakers 66-50, and suffered an overtime loss to, at the time ranked, Ferris State.
Parkside has been the best defensive team in the GLIAC all season long. Right now, they lead the conference allowing just 67.4 points per game. And on the flip side, they turn the ball over less than any other teams in the GLIAC besides Northern Michigan. They have protected the ball all season and have allowed players such as Colin O'Rourke and Josiah Palmer to excel offensively. O'Rourke has been in double figures in 11 straight games and ranks eighth in the conference with 15.8 points per game. Palmer is coming off a 19-point performance against Purdue Northwest and ranks ninth in the conference with 14.6 points per contest.
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Scouting Ferris State
The Bulldogs of Ferris State enter the weekend as the three seed in the GLIAC standings. They have been one of the best teams in the conference all season long, with a 20-7 overall record and a 10-6 GLIAC record. The team enters the final weekend trailing LSSU by just a single game. What stands out about the Bulldogs is that they have been stellar at home. When playing in Big Rapids, they are 12-2 this season.
The Bulldogs have four players averaging double figures on the season, Ethan Erickson (14.0), Ben Davidson (13.6), Dolapo Olyainka (11.9), and DeSean Munson (10.4). Munson currently ranks second in the conference with an incredible 62.5% from the field, and Erickson is fourth with a 46.3% clip from beyond the arc. All of this individual success has translated for the Bulldogs. They are the best scoring team in the GLIAC, averaging 85.1 points per game.
Scouting Lake Superior State
The Lakers have been on a roll in this year's campaign. They are 19-7 overall and 11-5 in GLIAC play. The team finished in fourth place in the conference last season, and entering the final weekend of action, they are a game ahead of Ferris State for second place. When welcoming teams up to the most northern team in the conference, they are a brilliant 11-1.
Most recently, the team suffered a loss to Grand Valley State, snapping a seven-game losing streak. Tyson Edmondson has been the star all season long for LSSU, averaging 13.1 points per game on 47% shooting. Kingsley Perkins is right behind him, scoring 13.0 points per contest, and he ranks third in the GLIAC with 6.5 rebounds per game. As a team, the Lakers are the fourth best scoring team in the conference, dropping 76.0 points per game. However, what makes the team as good as they've been is their ability to hold opponents to just 68.1 points a game.
History
Against the Bulldogs, the Rangers are just 4-13 all-time against them. They have had Parkside's number since the program's first meeting in 2000. The Bulldogs took down the Rangers earlier this season in overtime. They have won five of their last six against Parkside. On the other hand, the Rangers have beat the Lakers in five straight games. They are 10-4 all-time against the program since 2008.
Up next
The Parkside Rangers have already clinched a spot in the GLIAC tournament. With two games to play, there are still plenty of questions that will be answered when the weekend is completed. The GLIAC Quarterfinals will be played on Wednesday, stay tuned to ParksideRangers.com to find out where Parkside will play and when.
