KENOSHA, Wis. — The Parkside women's basketball team (1-0) defeated No. 7-ranked Minnesota State, Mankato (1-3) 88-68 after a 10-0 fourth-quarter run pushed its lead to 21. The Rangers won in front of hundreds of elementary and middle school kids for Education Day inside De Simone Arena. It was Parkside's first home-opening win since Nov. 11, 2022, its first ranked win since Feb. 15, 2025, when it took down then-No. 1-ranked Grand Valley State, and its first-ever win against Minnesota State, Mankato, snapping a 12-game losing streak against the Mavericks.
The Rangers turned 22 Minnesota St. turnovers into 29 points and finished with 25 assists on 39 made baskets, alongside a 62-32 advantage in points in the paint.
Cassidy Arni added a game-high 30 points on 14-for-19 shooting, while the late 10-0 run moved the Rangers from a 76-65 lead to an 86-65 advantage.
After Alyvia Padgett scored twice inside to put Minnesota St. ahead 4-2 early in the first, the Rangers moved in front with an 8-0 run that included layups by
Jaelyn Derlein,
Lillie Petersen, Arni and
Lexi Bugajski. Brylee Miller's 3-pointer brought Minnesota St. to 10-7, but
Alli Hampel scored inside and Arni added two more layups as the Rangers pushed the margin to 16-7. Minnesota St. used free throws to get within 16-11 late in the quarter before Petersen assisted a
Katie Hamill fast-break layup, hit a 3-pointer and finished a tip-in at the buzzer. The Rangers closed the first quarter with a 25-13 lead.
Minnesota St. pressured the Rangers into early turnovers in the second quarter and turned them into baskets by Brylee Miller and Brielle Janssen, moving the score to 25-17. Arni gave the Rangers a response with a layup off a Hampel assist, and after Mallory Czinano scored twice, Hamill hit a 3-pointer before Hampel's putback made it 32-21. Arni added another second-chance layup, and Hamill followed with a jumper and a 3-pointer off a Bugajski offensive rebound to push the Rangers ahead 39-25 at 2:52. Minnesota St. closed the quarter with late scoring from Czinano, Miller and Natalie Mueller, including three transition baskets in the final minute, as the Rangers entered halftime leading 41-36.
After the break, Bugajski scored inside off
Katie Hamill's assist 21 seconds into the third, and Arni added a jumper as the Rangers moved ahead 45-36 early in the quarter. Minnesota St. cut the margin to 45-41 on Haylee Stokes' layup at 6:50, but Hamill answered with a fast-break layup before
Lillie Petersen's steal set up Arni for a layup and Arni added another in transition to make it 51-41. The Rangers continued to turn stops into points, with Petersen adding another steal before
Izabel Durst finished a fast-break layup and free throw, and Arni followed with a layup for a 56-43 lead. Hampel, Arni,
Harley Wock, Hamill and Derlein all scored in the closing stretch, with Derlein's jumper at :01 sending the Rangers into the fourth quarter ahead 67-51.
Lillie Petersen hit a 3-pointer and Arni scored inside twice as the Rangers pushed their advantage to 74-55 in the fourth quarter. Minnesota St. answered with a stretch that included an Alyvia Padgett 3-pointer, a second-chance basket and Brooklyn Lewis' two free throws at 3:59 to make it 76-65. The Rangers followed with a 10-0 run, getting two Arni free throws, a Derlein tip-in, an Arni layup, a Wock layup and two Petersen free throws to extend the score to 86-65 with 1:29 left. Minnesota St. added a late 3-pointer, but Wock scored again at :17 as the Rangers finished off an 88-68 win.
Arni scored 30 points on 14 made field goals and added five rebounds. It was Arni's second 30-point game of her career, with the last coming nearly two years ago at Minnesota Duluth on Nov. 18, 2024, when she had 36 points.
Lillie Petersen finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, six steals, four assists and two blocks. Hamill added 15 points and three assists. Bugajski posted three blocks, four assists and three rebounds.
Up next, the Rangers head to St. Louis, Missouri, to face Maryville University on Friday, Nov. 13, at 1 p.m. CT.
To keep up with the Rangers, be sure to visit
parksiderangers.com/coverage.
