BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — Parkside could not overcome an 11-point halftime deficit Monday night, falling 74-72 to Ferris State inside Jim Wink Arena despite a dominant second-half performance from Josiah Palmer.
The Rangers trailed 32-21 at the break after a difficult opening half that saw Parkside shoot 24% from the field (7-for-29) and 17% from 3-point range (2-for-12). Ferris State capitalized early with efficient ball movement and physical play inside, building its lead behind balanced scoring and a plus-10 edge on the glass in the first 20 minutes.
Parkside flipped the game immediately after halftime behind Palmer, who delivered a complete takeover in the second half. The junior guard scored 25 of his season-high 27 points after the break, shooting a perfect 10-for-10 from the floor and 3-for-3 from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes. Palmer finished the night 10-for-13 overall, 3-for-5 from deep and 4-for-5 at the free-throw line, spearheading a Rangers offense that poured in 51 second-half points.
Luka Mateski provided steady production alongside Palmer, finishing with 16 points on 4-for-9 shooting while going 8-for-9 at the line. Paxton Warden added 14 points and four rebounds, including 10 points in the first half to keep Parkside within striking distance. Braden McGlothlin dished out a career-high five assists to go with four points, while Fawaz Surakat chipped in nine points and six rebounds before fouling out with 1:38 remaining.
As Parkside surged, Ferris State answered with its own efficiency. The Bulldogs shot 62% in the second half (16-for-26) and finished the game at 48% overall (28-for-59), knocking down 44% from 3-point range (7-for-16). Ferris State also held a 38-28 rebounding advantage and received 24 points from its bench compared to Parkside's four.
Ferris State placed five players in double figures, led by Brandon Claerbaut, Chang Hoth and Justin Asi with 14 points apiece. Owen Hardy added 11 points, while Bryce Moore finished with 10 points and six assists.
Parkside briefly grabbed momentum midway through the second half, erasing the deficit and taking a 61-60 lead on two McGlothlin free throws with 6:04 to play. The teams traded blows down the stretch, and Palmer tied the game at 72 with two free throws with 39 seconds remaining.
Ferris State regained the lead at the line, as Moore converted two free throws with 10 seconds left to make it 74-72. Parkside's final possession resulted in a Warden 3-pointer at the buzzer that came up short.
Parkside finished with 34 points in the paint and forced 15 turnovers, turning those into 22 points, but the early shooting struggles, rebounding deficit and Ferris State's late-game execution proved decisive. The Rangers drop to 6-5 overall and 1-3 in GLIAC play, while Ferris State improves to 6-5 and 3-1 in conference action.
Parkside returns home Thursday, Jan. 8, to host Lake Superior State at 7:30 p.m. ET.
To keep up with the Rangers, be sure to visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
