SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — The final score didn't go Parkside's way Saturday, but history still fell at the James Norris Center as senior guard Josiah Palmer drilled the 260th three-pointer of his career — the shot that made him the all-time leader in program history — during a 106-64 loss to Lake Superior State.
Palmer's record-breaking moment came at the 17:42 mark of the second half, when he buried his third triple of the afternoon to move past Jordan Mach (259) and set the new standard more than a decade after Mach's record was established.
On the floor, the Lakers looked every bit like the GLIAC's top offense, exploding for 50 first-half points and 56 more after the break to reach 100-plus for just the third time this season and the first time in league play. Lake Superior State finished at 61% from the field (37-of-61) and poured in 20 three-pointers on 63% shooting (20-of-32), including a blistering 13-of-15 from deep in the second half.
Parkside briefly set the tone early, scoring the game's first four points on a Luka Mateski layup and an Ethan Ivan bucket to go up 4-0, but the Lakers flipped the game in a hurry behind transition threes and a steady stream of runouts. Harrison Sorrelle ignited a barrage with back-to-back fastbreak triples, and Lake State used its pace to build separation and take a 50-24 lead into halftime.
The Rangers shot 38% (10-of-26) in the opening half and went 4-of-13 from three, while the Lakers hit 52% (17-of-33) and knocked down seven threes in the first 20 minutes. The free-throw line also tilted early — Lake Superior State went a perfect 9-of-9 at the stripe in the first half, while Parkside attempted zero free throws before intermission.
Any hope of a push was erased almost immediately coming out of the locker room. Lake State buried three more triples in the first two minutes of the second half to stretch the lead beyond 30, then kept piling on as its perimeter shooting stayed scorching. The Lakers posted 71% shooting after halftime (20-of-28) and turned the game into a runway with 31 fastbreak points and 30 points off turnovers.
Palmer led Parkside with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting and 5-of-8 from three, while Fawaz Surakat provided the steadiest interior presence with 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting, a team-high 11 rebounds and three blocks. Logan Zahour added nine points on 3-of-6 shooting, and the Rangers finished at 40% from the field (25-of-62) and 36% from three (9-of-25). Parkside ended up with 33 rebounds and 25 bench points, but Lake Superior State's 46 bench points and 16 assists kept the pressure constant for all 40 minutes.
For the Lakers, Sorrelle was the headliner with 27 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including 6-of-7 from three, while Drew Hess added 24 points with six triples (6-of-10) and Kendall Smith was perfect from deep (4-of-4) on his way to 14 points. Karter Richards chipped in 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting as Lake Superior State sprinted past the century mark.
Parkside (9-11, 3-9 GLIAC) will look to regroup as it closes its three-game road trip Thursday, Feb. 5, with a 7 p.m. CT tip at Roosevelt inside the Goodman Center in Chicago.
To keep up with the Rangers, be sure to visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
