SAULT ST. MARIE, Mich. – The Parkside men's basketball entered postseason play on Wednesday night. The No. 7 Rangers matched up against the No. 2 Lake Superior State Lakers in GLIAC Tournament action. Depsite a strong second half the Rangers could not overcome Lakers and would fall 70-61. With the loss the Rangers season comes to an end as they finish the 2024-25 campaign with a 14-15 overall record and 11-10 in GLIAC play.
Inside the Box Score
- Josiah Palmer would lead the Rangers offensively on the evening. Palmer would pour in 22 points on 9-18 shooting.
- Matas Castillo and Jack Rose also hit double figures in the scoring column in the loss. Castillo had a season high 12 points, while Jack Rose added 10.
- The Rangers offense found their groove in the second half, shooting 40.74% compared to 35.5% in the first half.
How it Happened
The Rangers started off trading baskets with the Lakers, with
Matas Castillo getting Parkside on the board early with a tip-in.
Jack Rose added to the effort with a layup, and
Ethan Ivan drilled a three-pointer to push Parkside ahead 9-7 at the 14:24 mark.
Josiah Palmer and
Fawaz Surakat kept the Rangers in the fight, as Palmer knocked down a mid-range jumper and Surakat scored in the paint. A three-pointer from
Cameron Mallory pulled Parkside ahead by one, 16-15, but Lake Superior State responded with a three of their own.
The Lakers' perimeter shooting and inside presence helped them build momentum, as the Lakers would hit from deep, and finish in the paint. Lake Superior State would distance themselves by as much as 11 points.
Rose, Palmer, and Mallory continued to pace Parkside's offense, with Palmer's three-pointer at the 56-second mark cutting the deficit to 37-29. However, a late free throw from Harakow sent the Rangers into the locker room trailing by nine.
Parkside would open the second half with
Matas Castillo making an early impact, converting an offensive rebound into a layup at 19:38, cutting the deficit to seven. However, LSSU responded quickly with a three-pointer, extending their lead to 10 at 19:27.
Parkside fought back with
Josiah Palmer and
Jack Rose contributing key baskets, closing the gap to five points by 18:29. Castillo continued his strong play with a tip-in at 17:46, bringing Parkside within three, but LSSU countered with a three-pointer. Palmer answered at 16:40 with a three of his own, keeping the game close at 44-41.
The Lakers maintained their lead despite pressure from the Rangers making key buckets. Free throws by
Ethan Ivan at 15:32 trimmed the lead to four, but LSU extended it back to six with two made free throws at 15:20.
Matas Castillo and
Fawaz Surakat then fueled a small Ranger surge, cutting the lead to two at 14:43 after a fastbreak layup by Surakat.
Ethan Ivan nailed a three-pointer at 4:25 to bring the Rangers within four, but LSSU held firm. Palmer's three-pointer at 3:39 made it a one-point game, 59-58, but LSSU would respond with two buckets in the paint, pushing their lead back to five at 2:30. Parkside struggled to convert down the stretch, with missed opportunities allowing LSSU to gradually pull away.
Despite Palmer's late free throws and layup, LSSU sealed the game at the line sinking crucial free throws in the final seconds. The final score saw Lake Superior State emerge victorious, 70-61, after a hard-fought second half battle.
