KENOSHA, Wis. — Against her former team, Katie Hamill tied her career high with 23 points and helped ignite a massive second-half surge as Parkside women's basketball topped Missouri-St. Louis 82-73 on Saturday afternoon at De Simone Arena for its first home win of the season. The Rangers move to 3-2, while the Tritons drop to 1-1.
Parkside led for a majority of the contest, but it was the second half that broke the game open. After taking a 31-27 lead into the locker room, the Rangers exploded for 51 points after halftime, including 27 in the third quarter and 24 more in the fourth. Parkside shot 55 percent in the third period and a blistering 64 percent in the fourth, closing the game on 49 percent shooting from the field, 46 percent from 3-point range (11-for-24) and 81 percent at the free-throw line (13-for-16).
Hamill did a bit of everything against UMSL. The sophomore guard finished 8-for-10 from the floor, 3-for-4 from deep and 4-for-4 at the line for her 23 points, matching her career best, and added three rebounds and a steal in 33 minutes. She scored seven in the opening half, then repeatedly answered Triton runs after the break, including a driving layup and a corner three during the decisive third-quarter push.
Forward Lillie Petersen provided the perfect complement, setting a new career high for the second time this season. The sophomore poured in 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting, went 3-for-5 from beyond the arc and 3-for-3 at the stripe, while adding five rebounds and three assists. Petersen scored in every quarter, but her work in the second and fourth frames helped stabilize the Rangers when UMSL threatened to close the gap.
Parkside's balanced attack extended beyond its two headliners. Cassidy Arni finished with 14 points and six rebounds, going 5-for-12 from the floor and 2-for-3 from long range. Off the bench, center Alli Hampel delivered 13 points on 4-for-6 shooting, including 1-for-2 from deep and 4-for-5 at the line, to go with three rebounds and two blocks. Lexi Bugajski added six points on a pair of 3-pointers, while point guard Peighton Nelson controlled the game's tempo with eight assists, seven rebounds and four steals. The Rangers won the battle on the glass 33-31, matched UMSL with 13 second-chance points and got 15 points from their reserves.
The first half was a grind on both sides. Parkside led 15-13 after the first quarter behind early scoring from Hamill and Arni, then nudged the margin to four at the half by outscoring UMSL 16-14 in the second. The Tritons stayed close by shooting 48 percent overall and 39 percent from three for the game, including 64 percent from the field in both the third and fourth quarters, but Parkside's perimeter shooting and late-game execution kept UMSL chasing.
The turning point came in the third. Parkside outscored UMSL 27-19 in the period, using a mix of threes in transition and paint touches to build a 58-46 advantage heading into the fourth. Hamill and Petersen combined for multiple buckets in the lane and beyond the arc, Hampel provided interior scoring off the bench and the Rangers repeatedly turned rebounds into early offense. Even as UMSL poured in 27 points in the final quarter, the Rangers answered nearly every score on the other end, closing out the win with timely shooting and free throws.
Despite the loss, UMSL was led by a standout performance from forward Mara Rieder, who scored a game-high 28 points on 12-for-18 shooting and 4-for-4 at the line while adding eight rebounds, two assists and two steals. Jayden Kuper added 13 points and five rebounds, and Morgan Ramthun chipped in 10 points, seven boards and four assists. Anna Costa Riera ran the Triton offense with seven points and eight assists.
The Rangers now have ten days off before they turn their attention to a two-game non-conference road trip that begins Tuesday, Nov. 25, at Lewis. The Rangers will look to build on the momentum from Saturday's explosive second half and their first home win of the season.
To keep up with the Rangers all season long, visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
