Kenosha, Wis. – The Parkside Rangers return to De Simone Arena this weekend riding a five-game win streak. The Rangers are set to host Ferris State, fresh off a Final Four appearance last season, on Thursday night. The weekend concludes with a Saturday afternoon clash against Lake Superior State.
Last Weekend for Parkside
The Rangers are coming off another perfect weekend, earning two road victories against Wayne State and Saginaw Valley State. Known as the "Road Rangers," the team has improved to an impressive 9-1 record on the road, already matching their total road wins from the 2022-23 season.
In Parkside's 70-64 win over Wayne State, the Rangers trailed for the first 34 minutes of the contest. However, they rode a dominant fourth quarter to victory, outscoring the Warriors 23-11 in the final frame. Jaelyn Derlein delivered in the clutch, hitting the game-tying and go-ahead three-pointers with three minutes to play.
Parkside faced another slow start against Saginaw Valley State, trailing 18-9 after the first quarter. The Rangers bounced back with a 16-2 run to open the second quarter and entered halftime with the lead. The team's strongest showing came in the third quarter, where they netted 23 points and shot an impressive 62% from the field. Sheridan Flauger found her rhythm in the second half, scoring all 13 of her points in that span. Kendal Zeiter was the consistent force throughout the weekend, posting back-to-back season highs with 13 points against Wayne State and 14 against Saginaw Valley State.
Parkside is now 10-3 overall and 5-1 in conference play as they prepare to host Ferris State, who also holds a 5-1 GLIAC record. The Rangers will aim to make it two consecutive years of defeating the Bulldogs at home.
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Scouting Ferris State
The Bulldogs, who made a deep NCAA Tournament run last season, are off to an 11-4 start. They have won four of their last five games, with their only loss coming against No. 1 Grand Valley State last weekend. Ferris State and Parkside share several common opponents this season, including Roosevelt, Saginaw Valley State, and Wayne State. Both teams are 3-0 against those programs.
Ferris State's offense, ranked second-best in the GLIAC, relies on contributions from multiple players. Six Bulldogs average at least seven points per game, led by senior guard Kadyn Blanchard, who tops the GLIAC with 17.5 points per game. Blanchard has scored in double figures in all but one game this season, including four 20-point outings. Supporting her is Mia Riley, who contributes 12.9 points per game.
Scouting Lake Superior State
The Lakers enter the weekend with a 5-9 overall record and a 2-4 mark in GLIAC play. They have secured conference wins over Roosevelt and Davenport, already surpassing last year's GLIAC win total. Currently tied with Saginaw Valley State, Michigan Tech, and Roosevelt in the standings, Lake Superior State will first face Purdue Northwest on Thursday before traveling to Kenosha for Saturday's game.
Grace Bradford leads the Lakers with an elite offensive presence. The 2022-23 GLIAC Freshman of the Year has scored in double figures in 12 of 14 games this season. Bradford also dominates the boards, recording seven double-doubles so far.
History
Parkside and Ferris State have met 19 times, with the Bulldogs holding an 11-8 series advantage. The last matchup in Kenosha saw Parkside upset then-No. 5 Ferris State 79-70. Ferris State later evened the season series with an overtime win in the final weekend of the season. Against Lake Superior State, Parkside has historically dominated, winning 17 of 18 matchups since 2002. The Rangers are a perfect 10-0 at home against the Lakers.
