KENOSHA, Wis. — Parkside men's basketball opened its season with strong debut performances from two newcomers but could not overcome turnovers and second-chance points in a 78-69 loss to Upper Iowa on Friday night at DeSimone Arena. The Rangers fall to 0-1, while the Peacocks move to 1-0.
Parkside came out firing, racing to a 9-0 lead behind early threes from Ethan Ivan and Paxton Warden. The Rangers shot 52 percent from the field and 43 percent from three in the opening half (13-for-25, 6-for-14) and held the lead for stretches of a back-and-forth first 20 minutes. Upper Iowa answered with its own perimeter shooting and work on the glass to gradually close the gap, taking a 40-36 edge into halftime.
The story of the night turned at the rim and on extra possessions. Upper Iowa finished with a 37-30 rebounding edge, including 16 offensive boards that led directly to 23 second-chance points, while Parkside managed just seven second-chance points on seven offensive rebounds. The Peacocks also capitalized on Ranger mistakes, turning 19 Parkside turnovers into 22 points, compared with 17 points off 10 Upper Iowa giveaways.
Despite that, the Rangers stayed within striking distance for much of the second half. Warden and fellow debutant Luka Mateski kept Parkside afloat with efficient scoring from all levels. Warden finished with 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting and added six rebounds and two assists, while Mateski came off the bench to pour in a game-high 20 points on 6-for-13 shooting and a perfect 8-for-8 at the line, along with five rebounds and two assists. Together, they combined for 39 of Parkside's 69 points in their Ranger debuts.
Defensively, junior forward Fawaz Surakat was a force at the rim. He went 3-for-3 from the field for seven points, grabbed nine rebounds and shattered his career high with six blocks. His rim protection helped Parkside hold Upper Iowa to 41 percent shooting and just 24 percent from three (6-for-25), but the Peacocks repeatedly extended possessions with offensive rebounds and timely trips to the foul line, where they shot 20-for-26.
Josiah Palmer added nine points, three assists and three rebounds for Parkside, while Ivan finished with six points and four boards. Braden McGlothlin handed out three assists and collected two steals. As a team, the Rangers shot 45.1 percent from the floor (23-for-51) but cooled to 6-for-24 from beyond the arc after their hot start and went 17-for-25 at the stripe.
Upper Iowa countered with a balanced attack led by three players in double figures. Forward Kyle Hrncir posted a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double, guard Tate Petersen added 15 points—including 3-for-5 from deep—and Trey Lewis chipped in 12 points and two steals. Zach Erwin came off the bench to contribute eight points and seven rebounds, helping the Peacocks' reserves outscore Parkside's bench 36-26.
Upper Iowa maintained a two- or three-possession advantage for most of the final stretch, answering each Parkside push with either a putback, a drive or free throws to close out the nine-point win.
Parkside will conclude the conference crossover on Saturday, hosting Illinois Springfield at 6 p.m. CT at De Simone Arena. To keep up with the Rangers, visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
