Kenosha, Wis. – With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, Parkside is set for its final road trip. Winners of four straight, the Rangers will head to Sault Ste. Marie to take on Lake Superior State on Thursday night before concluding the weekend with a matchup against Ferris State in Big Rapids on Saturday.
Last weekend for the Rangers:
Parkside put together a perfect 2-0 weekend with wins over Davenport and No. 1 Grand Valley State. The Rangers have now won four straight and five of their last six since January 30.
Parkside opened the weekend with its best offensive performance of the season, rolling past Davenport 87-57. Four players reached double figures, but Chloe Van Zeeland stole the show, tying a career-high with 25 points while recording her second double-double of the season with 11 rebounds. Cassidy Arni also had a strong performance, finishing with 16 points and nearly securing a double-double with eight rebounds.
After cruising past Davenport, Parkside faced its toughest test of the season against top-ranked Grand Valley State. In a thrilling battle, the Rangers handed GVSU its first loss of the season. Arni delivered her best performance of the year, scoring a career-high 26 points in GLIAC play. With the score tied at 77 in the final seconds, Parkside put the ball in Sheridan Flauger's hands. She drove into the lane, stopped in the mid-post, and knocked down the go-ahead floater with 1.8 seconds remaining. On GVSU's final possession, Arni sealed the victory with a massive block, sending De Simone Arena into a frenzy. Her clutch performance earned her GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Following the perfect weekend, Parkside now stands at 16-7 overall and 11-5 in conference play. The Rangers are currently tied for third place in the GLIAC and will look to remain in the top four to secure a home game in the conference quarterfinals.
FULL GAME NOTES HERE
Scouting Lake Superior State:
The Lakers have struggled this season but remain in contention for a GLIAC tournament spot. Sitting in ninth place, they are two games out of the final playoff spot. However, they enter the weekend on an 11-game losing streak.
Last weekend, Lake Superior State traveled to the Upper Peninsula, where they played a close game against Northern Michigan. Grace Bradford led the way with 16 points, continuing her strong season. Bradford has been the Lakers' key player, averaging 14.6 points per game (third in the GLIAC) and leading the conference in rebounds with 8.8 per game. Alongside her, sophomore Breah Golden has impressed, averaging 11.8 points per game, including a dominant 29-point performance against Parkside in their first meeting.
Scouting Ferris State:
Ferris State enters the weekend tied with Parkside in the GLIAC standings at 11-5 in conference play (17-8 overall). After facing Purdue Northwest on Thursday, the Bulldogs will host Parkside on Alumni/Senior Day.
Ferris State has dropped two of its last three games, with losses to Grand Valley State and Northern Michigan. However, they secured a narrow road win over Michigan Tech during that stretch. Despite losing their top scorer earlier this season, the Bulldogs remain a formidable opponent with strong depth across the roster.
In their first matchup with Parkside this season, Ferris State claimed a 75-69 victory at De Simone Arena. Mia Riley led the way with 21 points, while Mya Hiram dominated inside with 16 points. Parkside will need to find a way to contain both standout players this Saturday.
History:
Parkside has dominated the all-time series against Lake Superior State, boasting an 18-1 record. However, the Lakers' lone win came at home in 2008. Against Ferris State, Parkside holds an 8-13 record and has lost two straight matchups. Most notably, the Bulldogs defeated the Rangers in overtime in the final weekend of last year's regular season. Historically, Parkside has struggled in Big Rapids, winning just twice in 10 games on the road against Ferris State.
