KENOSHA, Wis. — With its first two GLIAC wins now in the rearview, the Parkside women's basketball team hits the road this week for a pair of conference matchups, beginning Thursday, Jan. 15, at Wayne State in Detroit before traveling Saturday, Jan. 17, to Purdue Northwest in Hammond, Indiana.
Parkside enters the week 7-7 overall and 2-4 in GLIAC play, good for a share of sixth place in the league standings with three other programs. The Rangers found their footing in conference play last weekend inside DeSimone Arena, earning back-to-back double-digit wins to open a crucial January stretch.
On Thursday, Parkside delivered its most complete performance of the season in a 90-60 win over Lake Superior State — its largest margin of victory of the year. The Rangers set the tone early with a 31-15 first quarter, shot 45.2% for the game and controlled the paint from start to finish. Parkside piled up 50 points in the paint, scored 28 points off turnovers and won the rebounding battle 43-34 while holding the Lakers to 34.6% shooting and forcing 19 turnovers. Five Rangers reached double figures, led by Lexi Bugajski's career-high 15 points, Cassidy Arni's 14 points and five assists, Lillie Petersen's 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Alli Hampel's career-high 14 points off the bench as Parkside controlled all four quarters.
Two days later, the Rangers backed it up with another double-figure win, taking down Saginaw Valley State 79-66. Jaelyn Derlein provided the headline, scoring a career-high 20 points on seven field goals while drilling six 3-pointers. Derlein's 20 paced another balanced Parkside effort with five Rangers in double figures: Petersen finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, Katie Hamill added 15 points and a team-high nine boards (season high), Arni posted 11 points and a game-high, career-high 11 assists, and Bugajski chipped in 10 points.
Offensively, Parkside has shown tangible growth game-to-game, and the surge has been especially noticeable over the last three contests. During that stretch, the Rangers have outshot opponents 47% to 43%, produced four different players averaging double figures and poured in a combined 174 first-half points. Hamill has led the charge over the last three games at 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.0 steals per contest as Parkside's pace and shot quality have improved.
For the season, the Rangers own one of the most balanced profiles in the GLIAC, pairing the league's fifth-best offense (68.8 points per game) with the fourth-best defense (64.9 allowed) for a +3.9 scoring margin. Parkside is shooting 42.1% from the field while holding opponents to 38.2%, and the Rangers have leaned into a defensive identity that travels — protecting the rim at an elite level while forcing mistakes into quick offense. Parkside averages a GLIAC-best 4.8 blocks per game, a mark that ranks 16th nationally, while also averaging 7.9 steals per game.
The Rangers' offensive numbers tell a story of balance and movement. Parkside averages 15.9 assists per game while scoring 68.8 points per night, and the Rangers have consistently created quality looks through ball movement and paint touches — especially when their defense fuels transition chances. Parkside also owns a +2.2 rebounding margin (37.6-35.4) and has shown the ability to win games in multiple ways, whether through interior scoring, second-chance opportunities or disruption that turns into points.
Individually, Hamill continues to anchor the Rangers on both ends. The sophomore guard is averaging 15.4 points per game while playing 33.7 minutes per contest, the second-most minutes per game in the GLIAC. Hamill is also third in the league in scoring, ranks among the GLIAC leaders in field goal percentage at 43.9%, and has knocked down 25 3-pointers this season. At the free-throw line, she has been automatic — leading the GLIAC at 92.7% (38-for-41), a figure that ranks third in NCAA Division II. Hamill has also contributed 35 steals and 10 blocks while continuing to serve as Parkside's steady two-way presence.
Peighton Nelson has been the Rangers' engine as a distributor, leading the entire GLIAC in assists per game at 4.8 and ranking 17th nationally while pacing the conference in total assists with 67. Nelson's playmaking has helped Parkside maintain pace, spacing and balance, and her ability to create for others has been a key driver in the Rangers' recent offensive uptick.
In the frontcourt, Petersen has provided consistent production and physicality, ranking second in the GLIAC in rebounding at 7.7 per game while also averaging 10.6 points. Arni has supplied a strong second scoring punch at 13.1 points per contest while adding 5.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, and she has been at her best when Parkside's offense is humming — highlighted by her career-high 11 assists against SVSU. Bugajski (6.9 points, 5.3 rebounds) and Hampel (6.5 points on 48.6% shooting) have provided valuable two-way minutes and rim protection, and Derlein has stretched defenses with 19 made 3-pointers in nine games while shooting 39.6% from beyond the arc.
Thursday, January 15
Parkside at Wayne State
4:30 p.m. CT | Wayne State Fieldhouse | Detroit, Mich.
Saturday, January 17th
Parkside at Purdue Northwest
1 p.m. CT | John Friend Court | Hammond, Ind.
SCOUTING WAYNE STATE:
Wayne State enters the week 10-4 overall and 5-1 in GLIAC play, good for second in the conference standings behind No. 1 Grand Valley State. The Warriors have been one of the league's most complete teams through the first half of the season, owning the GLIAC's fourth-best offense at 73.3 points per game while allowing 65.6. Wayne State also leads the conference in field goal percentage at 43.8% and ranks second in 3-point percentage at 35.9%, making the Warriors a difficult cover due to their shot-making across multiple spots.
Wayne State is coming off a 1-1 weekend that underscored just how close the Warriors are to the league's top tier. On Thursday, Wayne State took No. 1 Grand Valley State to the wire in an 81-80 road loss in Allendale. The Warriors shot 50% from the floor (27-for-54) — the third time they have reached that mark this season — and connected on 10 of 23 from 3-point range (43.5%). Emily Homan provided a spark off the bench with career highs in points (15), rebounds (6) and steals (4) while hitting a career-best six field goals. McKenna Ferguson added 15 points, Gabi Lutchka scored 11, and Taylor Thompson contributed a team-best five assists while also blocking two shots.
Wayne State responded Saturday by defeating Davenport 68-59 in Grand Rapids behind a dominant rebounding effort. The Warriors shot 47.4% (27-for-57) and held Davenport to 30.3% (20-for-66), while winning the rebounding battle 49-32. Thompson notched her fourth double-double of the season with game highs in points (23) and rebounds (11) while adding three steals, and Mackenzie Miller nearly posted a double-double with nine points and a Wayne State career-high 10 rebounds.
The Warriors were picked fifth in the GLIAC preseason coaches poll and are led by 15th-year head coach Carrie Lohr. Wayne State returns three of its top four scorers from a season ago and has paired veteran production with efficiency and defensive disruption. Ferguson, a 5-foot-7 junior guard, headlines the group and leads the GLIAC in scoring at 16.5 points per game. Ferguson is also second in the league in steals at 2.8 per game (39 total steals), and she leads the GLIAC in 3-point percentage at 47.1% — a figure that ranks fifth nationally. Ferguson has already earned GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week and GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week honors this season, reflecting her impact on both ends.
Thompson, a senior forward, is a consistent interior force and ranks fourth in the GLIAC in rebounding at 7.6 per game while also scoring 14.5 points per contest. Lutchka adds another proven scoring presence at 11.9 points per game while knocking down 19 3-pointers, and she has also given Wayne State a steady rebounding presence at 5.6 boards per night. The Warriors are also one of the league's most disruptive defensive teams, averaging 10.6 steals per game while forcing 17.2 turnovers per contest.
Parkside is 10-11 all-time against Wayne State in 21 meetings, with Thursday marking the 22nd all-time matchup between the programs. The Rangers are 6-5 when playing in Detroit and have won five of the last seven meetings overall. The teams met three times last season, with Parkside winning the first meeting at Wayne State (70-64) on Jan. 9 before Wayne State answered in Kenosha on Feb. 1. The Warriors then earned a 65-52 win in Detroit in the GLIAC Tournament semifinals on March 5. The first meeting between the programs dates back to Jan. 4, 1984.
SCOUTING PURDUE NORTHWEST:
Purdue Northwest enters the week 3-11 overall and 1-5 in GLIAC play, tied for last in the league standings with Lake Superior State. The Pride have been competitive in stretches but have struggled to sustain stops and control the glass, owning the GLIAC's seventh-best offense at 63.1 points per game but the league's second-worst defense at 78.2 allowed. That combination has produced the worst scoring margin in the GLIAC at -15.1.
Rebounding and defensive efficiency have been the biggest indicators in Purdue Northwest's results. The Pride are being outrebounded 41.1-31.1 per game (a -10.0 margin) and are allowing opponents to shoot 44.8% from the floor. Offensively, Purdue Northwest has been most dangerous when it can get to its perimeter shooting and spacing — the Pride average 7.2 made 3-pointers per game and shoot 32.4% from deep — but they have often been forced to play from behind as opponents have found consistent success scoring in the half court.
Purdue Northwest is coming off an 0-2 weekend with losses of 72-42 at Davenport and 89-61 at No. 1 Grand Valley State. The Pride have dropped three straight GLIAC games, each by double figures, and will host Roosevelt on Thursday before welcoming Parkside on Saturday afternoon. Purdue Northwest was picked eighth in the GLIAC preseason coaches poll and is in its second season under head coach Jesse Ford.
Individually, the Pride lean heavily on a veteran core that plays major minutes. Cameryn Phillips (35.3 minutes per game) and Alyssa Cole (34.2) rank among the league leaders in workload, and both are central to Purdue Northwest's identity. Cole, a senior forward, leads the Pride at 14.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 42.2% from the field and 83.0% at the free-throw line. Cole has also hit 28 3-pointers this season, giving the Pride a frontcourt scorer who can space the floor.
Phillips averages 10.9 points per game, has made 28 3-pointers, and leads the team with 49 assists, while also serving as Purdue Northwest's primary ball-handler and creator. Ciara Sims adds 11.9 points per game on 44.9% shooting, and Riley Milausnic contributes 11.1 points per contest with 25 made 3s. The Pride have four double-figure scorers, and when Purdue Northwest is at its best, it is spacing the floor, generating clean 3-point looks and finding Cole in advantageous matchups.
Parkside is a perfect 17-0 all-time against Purdue Northwest and 9-0 when playing in Hammond. The Rangers won both meetings a season ago, opening with a 69-60 road win on Jan. 4 behind 18 points from Arni and 17 from Nelson, before closing the season series with a 78-68 victory in Kenosha on Feb. 8. The first meeting between the programs dates back to Nov. 27, 1989.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Following the road weekend, Parkside returns to DeSimone Arena for another two-game GLIAC slate, hosting No. 1 Grand Valley State on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 5:30 p.m. CT before welcoming Davenport on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m. CT. Parkside handed the reigning national champions their only Division II loss last season.
To follow the Rangers throughout the season, visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
