KENOSHA, Wis. — Parkside women's basketball will close the regular season this week with a rivalry road trip to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, beginning Thursday, Feb. 26, with a 4:30 p.m. CT matchup at Michigan Tech inside the Student Development Complex (SDC) Gymnasium in Houghton. The Rangers will then conclude the regular season Saturday, Feb. 28, at noon CT against No. 22 Northern Michigan inside the Berry Events Center in Marquette.
Parkside enters the final week of the regular season 13-13 overall and 8-10 in GLIAC play, good for sixth place in the conference standings. The Rangers have officially clinched a spot in the GLIAC Tournament and will be on the road for the quarterfinals on March 4, with a chance to finish no higher than fifth in the league standings.
The Rangers are coming off a split 1-1 week at home to close the home portion of the schedule. On Thursday night, Parkside earned a 77-65 win over Purdue Northwest to complete a season sweep of the Pride. On Saturday, the Rangers dropped a 63-54 decision to (RV) Wayne State on Senior Day.
Through 26 games this season, Parkside has shown balance on both ends of the floor, averaging 68.7 points per game while allowing 65.3. The Rangers are shooting 41.4 percent from the field and holding opponents to 38.7 percent, the second-best field goal percentage defense in the GLIAC. Parkside also leads the conference in blocks per game at 4.1, totaling 107 blocks on the season.
Individually, the Rangers feature three double-figure scorers, led by Katie Hamill at 14.0 points per game, followed by Cassidy Arni at 13.8 and Lillie Petersen at 10.5. Petersen ranks second in the GLIAC in rebounding at 7.7 per game, while senior guard Peighton Nelson leads the conference in both total assists (124) and assists per game (4.8). Entering the weekend, Arni is 18 points shy of reaching 1,000 career points.
Thursday, Feb. 26
Parkside at Michigan Tech
4:30 p.m. CT | Student Development Complex (SDC) Gymnasium | Houghton, Mich.
Saturday, Feb. 28
Parkside at No. 22 Northern Michigan
Noon CT | Berry Events Center | Marquette, Mich.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN TECH:
Parkside and Michigan Tech will meet for the second time this season after the Huskies earned a 65-60 win in Kenosha on Dec. 6. In that game, Michigan Tech used 11 second-chance points and scored 12 points off 18 Parkside turnovers. Ella Mason led the Huskies with 18 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
Michigan Tech enters the week 15-11 overall and 9-9 in GLIAC play. The Huskies are coming off a road loss to No. 16 Ferris State on Monday and have dropped three straight games. Michigan Tech is one of the top free-throw shooting teams in Division II, converting 80.3 percent at the line, which ranks fifth nationally. Mason leads the GLIAC in free-throw percentage at 88.6 percent while averaging 14.1 points per game. Kendall Standfest ranks ninth in the conference in rebounding at 7.0 per game. Michigan Tech averages 66.4 points per game while allowing 65.0.
This will be the 35th meeting between the programs. Parkside has won three of the last four matchups, including a 79-75 overtime win in Houghton on Dec. 5, 2024. Four of the last five meetings have been decided by single digits.
SCOUTING NO. 22 NORTHERN MICHIGAN:
Saturday's matchup brings the regular season full circle, as Northern Michigan defeated Parkside 56-48 in Kenosha on Dec. 4 to open GLIAC play. That game featured strong defensive efforts on both sides, with neither team shooting above 35 percent from the field. Faith Walder scored 12 points in 12 minutes off the bench to lead the Wildcats.
Northern Michigan enters the weekend 22-6 overall and 13-5 in GLIAC play and is locked into the No. 4 seed for the GLIAC Tournament. The Wildcats lead the GLIAC and rank fourth nationally in three-point percentage at 36.9 percent while averaging 8.9 made three-pointers per game, eighth-most in Division II. Northern Michigan also protects the basketball at an elite level, turning it over just 11.8 times per game, the second-fewest in Division II, and owning a 1.22 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks 10th nationally.
Jaci Weisbrod ranks second in the GLIAC in scoring at 16.4 points per game and leads the conference in field goals made with 166. Alyssa Hill ranks third in the league in rebounding at 7.3 per game. Northern Michigan averages 73.7 points per game while allowing 62.3, producing a plus-11.4 scoring margin.
This will be the 20th all-time meeting between the two programs. Northern Michigan leads the series 14-5 and has won eight straight against Parkside. The Rangers have not defeated the Wildcats since Feb. 3, 2022, and Northern Michigan is 7-0 all-time at home against Parkside. The Wildcats took last year's meeting in Marquette by a 72-67 margin.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Following the regular-season finale, Parkside will learn its opponent and location for the GLIAC Tournament quarterfinals, which will be played on the road on March 4.
To follow the Rangers throughout the season, visit parksiderangers.com/coverage.
