The Wayne State University men’s basketball team was unable to recover from a halftime deficit and lost 77-66 to Parkside at De Simone Arena in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The loss drops Wayne State’s overall record to 12-12 and their Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) mark to 9-9. Parkside improves to 12-14 overall and 6-12 in the conference. This result marks the fifth consecutive defeat for Wayne State on Parkside’s home court, where they have won only three times in 16 meetings.
Wayne State opened the scoring with a layup by senior Carlos Paul III early in the first half. Both teams traded leads during the opening minutes, but Parkside pulled ahead with a series of runs. By halftime, the Rangers led by 11 points.
In the second half, junior Jordan Briggs scored four quick points for Wayne State, reducing the gap to seven. A three-pointer from sophomore Jalen Jenkins helped keep Wayne State close, and a dunk by junior Jotham Nweke brought them within five points. However, Parkside responded with another run that pushed their lead back into double digits.
Parkside’s Jack Rose contributed nine straight points midway through the second half, while Paul III kept Wayne State in contention with several baskets. Despite efforts from redshirt sophomore Adam Ayrault, who made consecutive three-pointers late in the game, Wayne State could not cut into Parkside’s advantage significantly.
Parkside shot 55 percent from the field compared to Wayne State’s 33 percent. The Warriors out-rebounded Parkside by nine and collected more offensive rebounds but struggled offensively overall. Briggs led Wayne State with 14 points and made all eight of his free throws. Nweke added 13 points and secured his third double-double of the season with ten rebounds. Junior Marshall Thorn recorded a season-high twelve rebounds.
For Parkside, Luka Mateski led all scorers with 22 points, followed by Paxton Warden with 21. Jack Rose and Fawaz Surakat also reached double figures for the Rangers.
Wayne State is scheduled to host Lake Superior State next Thursday at WSU Fieldhouse at approximately 7:30 p.m.
The Wayne State Warriors Men’s Basketball program competes as part of NCAA Division II in the GLIAC and is recognized as a major athletic initiative serving Detroit through Wayne State University athletics. The program maintains historical records and honors players who have received distinctions such as GLIAC Player of the Year or NCAA Regional All-Tournament selections.
