KENOSHA, Wis. — On a Senior Day afternoon inside De Simone Arena, Parkside men's basketball sent its seniors out in style and stayed in the GLIAC tournament hunt with a 77-66 win over Wayne State on Saturday.
The Rangers set the tone early and never let the Warriors find a rhythm from the perimeter. Parkside held Wayne State to 33% shooting (24-for-72) and just 18% from 3-point range (5-for-28), while building a double-digit cushion by halftime and answering every push in the second half.
Parkside's offense was sharp from the start, shooting 61% in the first half (17-for-28) to take a 40-29 lead into the break. Wayne State briefly struck first, but the Rangers quickly settled in behind paint touches and timely shot-making. Parkside scored 40 points in the paint for the game and finished at 55% overall (30-for-55).
Luka Mateski led Parkside with 22 points off the bench, going 9-for-16 from the floor. Paxton Warden followed with 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting, adding five rebounds and hitting four free throws. Jack Rose provided a major spark with 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting, including 3-for-4 from deep, while Fawaz Surakat added 10 points on a perfect 4-for-4 from the field with three rebounds and two blocks.
After the break, Wayne State made its most serious move early in the half, trimming the deficit to single digits at the line and then closing within five at 46-41 with 15:12 left. Parkside answered immediately with a response run that featured Rose's shot-making and finishes at the rim, pushing the margin back to double figures. A Rose 3-pointer at 14:04 made it 51-43, and the Rangers continued to stretch the lead with efficient possessions and stops, building their largest advantage at 68-53 with 5:56 remaining.
Even with Wayne State generating 23 second-chance points and winning the rebounding battle 43-34 behind Jotham Nweke's 10 rebounds, Parkside's bench production and efficiency carried the day. The Rangers got 31 bench points compared to 14 for the Warriors, and Parkside shot 50% in the second half (13-for-27) while improving to 50% from 3 after halftime (4-for-8).
Wayne State was led by Jordan Briggs' 14 points, though he was held to 3-for-15 shooting and 0-for-6 from beyond the arc. Nweke finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Jalen Jenkins and Braylon Mannan added nine points apiece. The Warriors shot 31% in the first half (12-for-39) and never recovered from a cold start that included 2-for-16 shooting from 3-point range before intermission.
Parkside will conclude the regular season next weekend with a trip to the Upper Peninsula, facing Michigan Tech on Thursday, Feb. 26, before wrapping up against Northern Michigan on Saturday.
To keep up with the Rangers, visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
