KENOSHA, Wis. – Parkside erased a 10-point halftime deficit and outlasted UIndy 83-81 in overtime Tuesday night at De Simone Arena, snapping a three-game losing streak in a tightly contested non-conference matchup.
UIndy led 46-36 at the break after shooting 52.8 percent in the first half and scoring 38 points in the paint for the game, but the Rangers steadily chipped away in the second half before forcing overtime and sealing the win at the free-throw line.
Paxton Warden powered the comeback with a season-high 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three-point range, while adding seven made free throws. Josiah Palmer recorded his first 20-point performance of the season with 22 points, knocking down 4-of-8 from deep and a perfect 4-for-4 at the line.
Parkside shot 39.7 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from three, but made the difference at the stripe, converting 22-of-34 free throws compared to UIndy's 10-of-18. The Rangers scored 10 points in overtime while holding the Greyhounds to eight.
After trailing by as many as 12 early in the second half, Parkside used a 18-6 stretch to take its first lead of the night at 54-52 with 15:49 remaining. The teams traded leads six times and were tied seven times overall, including at 73-73 at the end of regulation.
Palmer tied the game with a layup in the final 20 seconds of regulation, setting the stage for overtime. In the extra period, he scored five of Parkside's 10 points, including a go-ahead three-pointer at the 2:05 mark and a driving layup with 1:18 remaining to extend the lead to four.
Luka Mateski added 15 points and seven rebounds, going 8-for-10 at the free-throw line, while Fawaz Surakat finished with six points, six rebounds, three blocks and a team-best plus-16 in 26 minutes. Ethan Ivan chipped in eight points, and Logan Zahour provided five points and six rebounds off the bench.
UIndy was led by Carmelo Harris, who scored 21 points on 8-of-21 shooting and made four three-pointers. Shaun Arnold added 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Kelvin Amoako and Julian Norris each finished with 10 or more points. The Greyhounds outrebounded Parkside 49-36 and scored 15 second-chance points, but were outscored 22-10 at the free-throw line.
Parkside finished with 18 assists on 25 made field goals and committed just seven turnovers, helping offset UIndy's advantage in rebounding and points in the paint.
The Rangers will wrap up their non-conference schedule Saturday, traveling to Romeoville, Illinois, for a 3 p.m. CT matchup against Lewis.
To keep up with the Rangers this weekend, be sure to visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
