DETROIT – Wayne State used a decisive third-quarter burst to hold off a furious Parkside comeback and defeat the Rangers 95-88 on Thursday night at Wayne State Fieldhouse.

Parkside (7-8, 2-5 GLIAC) trailed by as many as 21 in the third quarter, but trimmed the deficit to seven late behind a 31-point final frame. The Warriors (11-4, 6-1 GLIAC) maintained control after outscoring Parkside 32-19 in the third quarter to turn a one-point halftime lead into a double-digit cushion.

Junior Cassidy Arni led a balanced Parkside attack with 22 points, going 7-for-13 from the field and 8-for-12 at the line. Katie Hamill added 19 points on 8-for-19 shooting with five rebounds and three assists, while Peighton Nelson chipped in 17 points on 8-for-14 shooting to go with six assists. Lillie Petersen finished with 14 points and a team-high nine rebounds, knocking down 4-of-6 from three-point range. Jaelyn Derlein rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points.

Wayne State was powered by a career-high 32 points from Gabi Lutchka, who went 12-for-17 from the floor and 4-for-5 from deep while adding nine rebounds. McKenna Ferguson scored 18 points and dished five assists, Taylor Thompson posted 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Jaci Tubergen finished with 10 points and six assists.

Parkside set the tone early by shooting 56% in the first quarter and taking a 23-21 lead after 10 minutes. The Rangers led 20-15 midway through the opening period, then got a late boost when Petersen buried a 3-pointer with 1:03 remaining to push the margin to four.

The second quarter swung back and forth, featuring nine lead changes overall in the game. Wayne State briefly grabbed the lead on a Lutchka 3-pointer early in the period, but Parkside answered to reclaim the advantage and carried a 38-38 tie into halftime after Nelson scored in transition in the final minute.

The game turned in the third. Wayne State erupted for 13 made field goals in the quarter and shot 68% from the floor, stretching the lead to 70-57 by the end of the period. During the surge, the Warriors generated offense off pace and pressure, turning live-ball sequences into quick scores and stacking points in the paint, while Parkside was held to six made field goals in the quarter.

Wayne State's advantage peaked early in the fourth when Annabel Ayrault hit a 3-pointer at the 7:37 mark to make it 80-59. Parkside responded immediately with its best stretch of the night, scoring 31 points in the final 10 minutes on 53% shooting and getting to the foul line 11 times in the quarter. The Rangers made it a two-possession game late, closing within 87-82 after a Hamill triple with 4:45 left and continuing to apply pressure from the stripe and the paint.

Parkside finished the night shooting 47% overall and 38% from three, while Wayne State shot 49% from the field and 47% from deep. The teams were even in second-chance points (15-15), but Wayne State held edges in points off turnovers (16-12), points in the paint (48-42), fast-break points (16-4), and total rebounds (42-36). Parkside committed 13 turnovers, while Wayne State had 22 assists on 36 made field goals.

Parkside continues its road swing on Saturday, Jan. 17, at Purdue Northwest in Hammond, Indiana at 1 p.m CT.

To keep up with the Rangers, be sure to visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.