By CONNOR GRAY, Assistant Editor
The Northwestern Rangers and Lady Rangers are back on the hardwood as basketball season is underway.
Both teams opened the season with the GAC/MIAA challenge in Edmond, with each team playing two schools from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, which were the University of Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State University.
In the first game of the season, the Rangers had a 37-36 lead at the half. The Rangers fell short, 78-68, with the Bronchos getting the victory.
Jason Douglas-Stanley led Northwestern with 12 points, followed by Ravel Moody and Anthony Jones with 11 points each.
Bubba Furlong led the team with five rebounds, followed by four players tied with three each. Malik Parsons led the team with five assists, followed by Douglas-Stanley with four. Furlong led the Rangers with three blocks.
The Rangers rebounded the next day with a 66-58 win over the Riverhawks.
Matej Drgon led the Rangers with 13 points in the game and was one of four double-digit scorers for the Rangers.
Jason Stanley-Douglas, Brain Free, and Anthony Jones all finished with 11 points in the game.
Bubba Furlong would finish the game leading the Rangers in rebounding and blocks with 11 boards along with three blocks. He was followed by Larry White’s 10 rebounds. Malik Parsons led the Rangers with three assists.
“It was good getting to play two good MIAA opponents,” head coach Vinay Patel said. “I thought that the classic was very good for our team getting to play tough teams out the gate.”
Patel also said this helps gauge where the team is at and where they need to improve themselves.
The Rangers played their first home game of the season and defeated the Kansas Christian College Falcons, 99-72.
“I’m just happy to play in front of fans again,” Patel said. “It was great to see the student body come out the way they did, it was tremendous.”
Jason Douglas-Stanley led the Rangers’ offense, finishing with a team-high 15 points as one of seven players in double figures.
Bubba Furlong finished with 14 points on seven of nine shooting, followed by Anthony Jones with 13 points, Larry White with 12, Malik Parsons with 11 and Brian Free and Ravel Moody with 10 each in Monday’s win.
White and Furlong had game-highs of 13 rebounds each, followed by Free and Smith with four each to lead the rebounding for Northwestern.
Furlong led the Rangers in assists with five, followed by Free with three.
The Lady Rangers started the season by losing both games in the challenge. The Bronchos defeated the Lady Rangers, 79-48, while the Riverhawks won 73-56.
Bailey Brown led all scorers in both games with 17 points against the Bronchos and 18 points versus the Riverhawks.
“Both teams were good quality opponents,” head coach Tasha Diesselhorst said. “I felt we learned a lot about ourselves in what we need to get better at.”
Diesselhorst said it was an eye opening weekend for the team and they are looking toward their next game.
“Kansas Christian runs a 2-3 zone which we have not seen so far this year, so we’re looking forward to seeing something new,” Diesselhorst said.
The Lady Rangers defeated Kansas Christian, 115-38, to get their first win of the season.
Both the Rangers and Lady Rangers will play Manhattan Christian College Nov. 20 with the Lady Rangers starting at 2 p.m. with the Rangers playing at 4 p.m.