ALLENDALE, Mich. — Parkside's late push could not erase an early deficit Saturday as the Rangers fell 74-56 to No. 3 Grand Valley State at the Grand Valley Field House.

Parkside (12-12, 7-9 GLIAC) trailed by as many as 23 late in the first half and was playing catch-up after Grand Valley State (23-1, 15-1 GLIAC) opened the game with a 25-12 first quarter and took a 47-24 lead into the break.

Peighton Nelson led Parkside with 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while Lillie Petersen added eight points on 3-of-6 shooting with a team-high 10 rebounds. Cassidy Arni finished with nine points and went 5-for-5 at the free-throw line, while Alli Hampel scored seven and Nakiyah Hurst chipped in six off the bench.

Grand Valley State was led by Paige Vanstee's 15 points and seven rebounds, while MacKenzie Bisballe scored 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting with six rebounds and two blocks. The Lakers also got 30 bench points, led by Ava Scanlon's nine points on 4-of-5 shooting.

The opening half was where the game tilted. Grand Valley State shot 20-for-34 (59%) in the first half and outscored Parkside 40-18 in the paint for the game, while also turning 20 Parkside turnovers into 13 points off turnovers. The Lakers' pressure also helped generate early separation, as Parkside committed 11 turnovers in the first half and struggled to find clean looks, shooting 8-for-28 (29%) before intermission.

Parkside's best stretch came right out of halftime. The Rangers won the third quarter 19-14, shooting 8-for-13 (62%) in the period to trim the margin and briefly change the feel of the game. Nelson scored consistently during the surge, Petersen knocked down a pair of threes on the day (2-for-4 from deep), and Parkside continued to attack the rim to get to the line.

But Grand Valley State answered each time Parkside tried to string stops together. The Lakers finished 29-for-65 (45%) from the floor, controlled the glass 38-33, and totaled 21 assists on 29 field goals. Parkside finished 20-for-52 (39%) overall and 5-for-21 (24%) from three, and while the Rangers were efficient at the line (11-for-14, 79%), they couldn't make enough perimeter shots or consistently generate points in the paint (18) to fully close the gap.

Parkside will return home for a two-game homestand, beginning Thursday when the Rangers host Purdue Northwest at 5:30 p.m. CT inside De Simone Arena.

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