KENOSHA, Wis. – Parkside men's basketball continues its season-opening seven-game homestand on Saturday, welcoming Division III Edgewood College to DeSimone Arena for the first-ever meeting between the programs. The Rangers have won three straight to move to 3-1, while the Eagles come in 0-4 after a challenging non-conference start.
Parkside is coming off a 77-70 win over Winona State on Nov. 22, a game that featured a breakout performance from senior wing Paxton Warden, who scored 20 points for the first time as a Ranger. Warden is averaging 18.7 points and 5.7 rebounds through his first three games, shooting 48.6% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. In the frontcourt, redshirt junior Luka Mateski has been a force inside, leading the team with 19.3 points per game on 50% shooting and an elite 97% (35-36) mark at the free-throw line, while adding 5.3 rebounds per contest. Senior forward Fawaz Surakat gives Parkside a strong interior presence as well, averaging 11.8 points, a team-high 8.0 rebounds and over three blocks per game.
As a team, the Rangers are averaging 84.0 points per game on 49.5% shooting from the floor and 36.3% from three, while holding opponents to 71.5 points and 42% shooting. Parkside owns a +5.5 rebounding margin (35.5-30.0) and has shown balance on both ends with 14.5 assists, 7.0 steals and 4.5 blocks per contest. During their current three-game win streak, the Rangers have scored at least 77 points in each outing and have received steady playmaking from redshirt sophomore guard Braden McGlothlin (10.8 points, 3.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds per game in that span) and graduate guard Josiah Palmer, who leads the team with 4.8 assists per game.
Saturday, November 29
Edgewood at Parkside
1 p.m. CT | DeSimone Arena | Kenosha, Wis.
SCOUTING EDGEWOOD:
Edgewood enters Saturday's matchup 0-4 after a difficult early slate that has included two contests against ranked opponents, falling to No. 11 Chicago 78-66 and No. 17 Wisconsin-Oshkosh 90-63. In its most recent game on Tuesday against the Titans, Edgewood shot nearly 40% from the field and got a strong performance from Matt Kirk, who went for 22 points, but the Eagles turned the ball over 23 times and the Titans scored 32 points off of those turnovers to open the game wid open. The Eagles were picked to finish 11th out of 13 teams in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) preseason poll and are looking to bounce back from a 5-20 campaign last year that ended short of the conference tournament.
Through four games, Edgewood is averaging 66.5 points per game while shooting 39% from the field, 37% from three-point range and 69% at the free-throw line. The Eagles are grabbing 34.3 rebounds per contest but have been outscored by 18.5 points per game, as opponents are averaging 85.0 points on 46.6% shooting and 27.2% from deep. Edgewood is averaging 11.5 assists, 16.5 turnovers, 3.0 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.
Junior forward Matt Kirk leads the Eagles in scoring at just over 17 points a night. Senior guard, and former Ranger, Trent Tousana has also been one of the Eagles' key offensive options, averaging 9.0 points per game while shooting 38% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc and adding 1.8 assists per contest. Edgewood has also received contributions from a balanced rotation on the perimeter and in the frontcourt, with several players averaging between 7 and 10 points per game as they continue to settle into their roles early in the season.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Parkside remains at home to close its extended homestand with the opening of GLIAC play next week, welcoming Northern Michigan on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m. CT before hosting Michigan Tech on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 3 p.m. CT inside DeSimone Arena. The Wildcats and Huskies were the only two teams picked ahead of the Rangers in the GLIAC preseason poll, setting up an early conference test as Parkside enters league play.
To keep up with the Rangers, be sure to visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
