Rangers Fall In Season Opener To Upper Iowa - Parkside Athletics

Parkside opened its basketball season on Friday night with a 78-68 loss to Upper Iowa at Dorman Memorial Gym.

The team connected on ten 3-pointers and grabbed a 30-28 edge in rebounding during the matchup, but 15 turnovers ultimately stalled their momentum. Micah Deaver paced Parkside with ten points, a team-high seven rebounds, and three assists.

Dillon Mong added ten points on four-of-five shooting alongside five rebounds, while Brian Hawthorne chipped in ten points and two assists. Devin Kerr contributed six points, three assists, two steals, and one block in the season opener.

Parkside stayed competitive through a back-and-forth first half that featured six ties, shooting five of eight from beyond the arc. Stevie Clark hit a 3-pointer at the 14:59 mark to put Parkside ahead 11-10 before Upper Iowa answered.

Logan Zahour later hit a 3-pointer at 9:22 to give Parkside a 23-22 advantage, and Luka Mateski tied the game at 37-37 with 15 seconds remaining in the half. However, Jack Miller hit a 3-pointer with five seconds left to send Upper Iowa into the locker room with a 40-37 lead.

Parkside built a 62-55 lead after Clark hit a 3-pointer with 10:17 left on the clock. Upper Iowa responded down the stretch, taking a 65-64 lead on Anton Fontin’s layup at 6:55, and used late 3-pointers from Tate Petersen and free throws from Ty Pflughaupt to pull away.

Parkside matched Upper Iowa 15-15 on the glass in the second half and grabbed seven offensive rebounds, but shot 5 of 21 from 3-point range and did not attempt a free throw in the final 20 minutes.

Up next, the Parkside basketball team faces the University of Illinois Springfield at a neutral site in Fayette, Iowa, on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 5:00 PM. For links to coverage, visit ParksideRangers.com/coverage.