KENOSHA, Wis. – GLIAC play continues at De Simone Arena this week as the Parkside men's basketball team opens a two-game homestand against a pair of programs with postseason expectations. The Rangers welcome Lake Superior State on Thursday, Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m. CT before hosting Saginaw Valley State on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 3 p.m. CT, as Parkside looks to climb back toward the top half of the league standings.
Parkside enters the week at 6-5 overall and 1-3 in GLIAC play after a split to open the new year. The Rangers held off a Roosevelt rally on New Year's Day for a 77-74 victory behind a balanced offensive attack that featured five players in double figures. Parkside then nearly erased a double-digit halftime deficit at Ferris State on Monday, but came up just short in a 74-72 setback after shooting 24% in the first half. Ferris State built a 32-21 lead at the break, shot 48% overall and 44% from three, and won the rebounding battle 38-28. Parkside stormed back behind Josiah Palmer's 27 points on 10-for-13 shooting and Luka Mateski's 16, but couldn't fully overcome the early scoring drought and Ferris' bench production.
Through 11 games, Parkside is averaging 75.4 points per game while allowing 71.0, shooting 43% from the field and 33% from three. The Rangers have been excellent at the free-throw line at 75% and are getting there often, making 19.1 free throws per game. Defensively, Parkside has been active and disruptive, averaging 6.2 steals and 3.0 blocks per game while holding opponents to 43% shooting.
Individually, senior Paxton Warden has led the way at 18.0 points per game while playing heavy minutes, and redshirt junior Luka Mateski is right behind him at 15.9 points per contest while anchoring Parkside's free-throw efficiency. Mateski has gone 84-for-90 at the line (93%) and has made more free throws than any player in the GLIAC. Palmer has provided consistent perimeter punch at 13.4 points per game while shooting 41% from deep, and Fawaz Surakat has been a defensive tone-setter in the paint, averaging 7.4 rebounds per game while totaling 22 blocks.
Thursday, Jan. 8
Parkside vs Lake Superior State
7:30 p.m. CT | De Simone Arena | Kenosha, Wis.
Saturday, Jan. 10
Parkside vs Saginaw Valley State
3:00 p.m. CT | De Simone Arena | Kenosha, Wis.
SCOUTING LAKE SUPERIOR STATE:
Lake Superior State comes to Kenosha at 7-6 overall and 1-3 in GLIAC play, matching Parkside's conference record. The Lakers are coming off a weekend split at home, blasting Purdue Northwest 85-68 before falling to Wayne State 77-71. Against the Warriors, Wayne State pulled away late by shooting 54% in the second half and living at the free-throw line, placing five players in double figures. Lake State couldn't overcome 39% shooting and 27% from three despite strong scoring nights from Harrison Sorrelle (22 points) and Omar Suleiman (15).
After one of the best seasons in program history a year ago — advancing to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight and winning the Midwest Region while finishing 30-7 — Lake State is rebuilding around a new core with all five starters from last season gone to graduation. Even with the roster turnover, the Lakers have been one of the league's most explosive offensive teams early in the season. LSSU is averaging a league-best 88.8 points per game on 48% shooting and 36% from three, outscoring opponents by 13.1 points per contest. The Lakers are also forcing pressure and creating extra possessions, averaging 9.7 steals per game with a GLIAC-best +5.2 turnover margin.
Suleiman leads the Lakers at 17.1 points per game, while Sorrelle adds 15.0 and has been a major factor as a floor-spacer, shooting 46% from three. Nino Carter-Smith is another key piece, averaging 10.9 points per game while serving as the primary creator with 49 assists through 13 games. Lake State has also leaned into its depth, getting significant production beyond the starting five as it continues to solidify its rotation under 19th-year head coach Steve Hettinga.
All-time, Parkside is 11-7 against Lake Superior State and is 7-1 at home in the series, but the Lakers have won the last two meetings, including a 70-61 decision in the GLIAC Quarterfinals last season to end Parkside's year. The Rangers did notch a signature win over then-No. 6 Lake State last season in Kenosha, a 66-63 upset on Jan. 18, but LSSU took the other two matchups, including an 80-54 win in Sault Ste. Marie and the postseason rematch.
SCOUTING SAGINAW VALLEY STATE:
Saginaw Valley State enters the weekend at 8-4 overall and 2-2 in GLIAC play under first-year head coach Chris Fowler and will play at Roosevelt on Thursday before visiting Parkside on Saturday. The Cardinals, like the Rangers, split their last two conference games, edging Wayne State 65-62 at home before falling at Purdue Northwest 71-63.
SVSU was picked eighth in the GLIAC preseason coaches poll after narrowly missing the conference tournament last year due to tiebreakers, and the Cardinals have added a wave of new faces while keeping an experienced returning base. The roster features multiple Division I transfers — including several who followed Fowler from Western Michigan — and has quickly developed into one of the league's most imposing defensive teams. Through 12 games, SVSU is averaging 77.3 points per game while allowing 71.1, shooting 45% from the field and out-rebounding opponents by +4.1 per contest.
The headliner has been the Cardinals' rim protection. SVSU is averaging 5.1 blocks per game, led by Kevonne Taylor, who has 33 blocks in 11 games. Offensively, the Cardinals have four players averaging double figures, paced by Xavier Thomas at 16.8 points per game. Marquese Josephs has been an efficient secondary scorer at 14.5 points per contest while shooting 56% from the floor, and Dontez Scott II adds 12.1 points per game. Thomas has also lived at the free-throw line (57 made), and SVSU as a team is shooting 75% at the stripe.
All-time, Parkside is 10-8 against the Cardinals and is 6-5 at home in the series. The teams split a pair of meetings last season, with the road team winning each time. Parkside took a 77-66 win in University Center behind a 22-point outing from Ethan Ivan, while SVSU responded with a 68-65 win in Kenosha. Parkside has still won five of the last six matchups overall, with last year's Cardinals victory marking their first win over the Rangers since 2022.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Following the two-game homestand, Parkside will head back on the road next week, traveling to Detroit to face Wayne State on Thursday, Jan. 15 at 6:30 p.m. CT before visiting Purdue Northwest in Hammond, Ind., on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 3 p.m. CT.
To keep up with the Rangers all season long, visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
