Big Rapids, MI - In the final weekend of the regular season, the Parkside Rangers took on the Ferris State Bulldogs. Parkside made a late push in the second half and had a shot to tie the game, but came up empty in the final seconds. Ferris State locked up the victory over Parkside, 82-79.
Inside the box score:
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Colin O'Rourke dropped 21 points, going 3-5 from beyond the arc and he had 12 of his 21 in the second half.
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Josiah Palmer recorded his second double double of the season, tallying 14 points and 10 assists. Palmer drained four triples in six tries.
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Parkside shot 55% from the field in the second half, making six three-pointers as a team.
How it happened:
Throughout the beginning stages of the game, Ferris State gained full control. After three minutes, the Bulldogs had an 11-0 lead. It took a Josiah Palmer triple from the Ferris State logo at the end of the shot clock to get the Rangers on the board. Palmer hit clutch shots all night long and this was just the beginning of it.
The first half lead for Ferris State was as big as 14-points. They finished the first half with an outstanding 56% from the field, and 55% from three-point range. Jack Rose helped in the fight, playing a strong 30-minutes in the contest. He knocked down a triple in the first half and scored five of his seven in the first 20-minutes. Colin O'Rourke, consistent throughout the season, continued to put the ball in the basket no matter the challenge. O'Rourke finished with nine first half points and Parkside inched closer before the break, they trailed 42-35.
It appears to be a recurring theme that Parkside tightens games in the second half, and once again, they clawed back into this one. O'Rourke had a big second half, reaching the 20-point mark for the seventh time this season, and continued to battle in the interior. Although Ferris State came out firing in the second half, O'Rourke got Parkside rolling in the second half, bringing them within single digits early on.
It seemed as if every Parkside basket had an immediate Ferris State response. As a team, the Bulldogs shot 56% from the field and an outstanding 53% from three-point range. Nick Brown has been one of Parkside's best scorers over the last several games, and finished with 13-points in this contest. Brown fought for points all night long and sparked the teams comeback with a tough basket, plus the foul with under 10-minutes to play.
Parkside climbed back in the contest, pulling within two points with 6:36 to go after baskets from O'Rourke and Palmer. Palmer continued to come through with monumental shots. With four minutes to play, Palmer pulled a deep three-pointer off the dribble to cool down another Ferris State run.
Ferris State continued to hit shots down the stretch, but so did Parkside. With under a minute to play. Ethan Ivan connected on the biggest shot of his night. He cashed in a corner triple with 50-seconds to play. The shot pulled Parkside within three-points, 82-79.
Parkside had a look to tie the game in the final seconds, but could not convert and dropped the game. Ferris State led from the get-go, and carried the lead all the way home.
Up next:
Parkside will head up North to take on Lake Superior State for their final regular season game of the season. The game is slated to begin at 3:00pm (ET). For coverage of the event, visit ParksideRangers.com/coverage.
