GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Davenport men's basketball team will head out-of-state this week as they continue a four-game road swing against Roosevelt and Parkside. The Panthers will travel to Chicago, Ill. on Thursday to face Roosevelt and then will make the trip to Kenosha, Wis. for a date with Parkside on Saturday. Davenport (9-7, 3-5 GLIAC) will be looking to solve a recent stretch in which they have lost five of six games in January. Last week, DU dropped a pair of games at Grand Valley State (90-50) and Ferris State (82-69). The perimeter defense was a contributing factor as the Lakers shot 14-of-27 from behind the arc, while the Bulldogs went 13-of-26 from the arc. The Panthers had done a fine job at defending the three with opponents shooting just 32.5 percent entering those two contests.

The Panthers scored a season-low 50 points at Grand Valley State, but did manage to shoot 37 percent overall. The team was ice cold from the free throw line going 3-of-12. The Lakers also held a 49-23 advantage on the glass, including 13-2 on the offensive window. GVSU outscored DU, 21-2, in second-chance points. Ken Walker led the team with 17 points and made three triples. Marshaun Flakes came off the bench to score 10 points to compliment his three assists and three steals. Flakes scored in double figures for the second time this season and set a season high in steals.

The Ferris State contest was a more competitive affair with eight ties and nine lead changes. Davenport led for 13:29 of game time, while FSU led for 21:04. The Bulldogs shot 53.4 percent, which was their second best effort of the season. They were 53.3 percent in the first half and 53.6 percent in the second half. Davenport finished at 41.1 percent (23-of-56) and improved at the free throw line going 15-of-21 for the game. Curtis Jackson set a new career high with 13 assists and had his second double-double of the season with 13 points. He also finished with six rebounds and two steals in 40 minutes. Walker led the team with 18 points, including 5-of-5 at the charity stripe. Aidan Moon went for 10 points and six boards with two blocks in 34 minutes. It was the second time this season that Moon scored in double figures. The game was also just the second time this season that DU lost despite having less turnovers (14) than their opponent (17).

The Panthers will be looking to find a more consistent offense on the road having averaged 63 points a game in five true road games this season. The shooting splits are .405/.306/.618 for the Panthers and .476/.425/.756 for the opposition. Jackson is averaging 13 points and five assists per game on the road. Walker is averaging 15.6 points, but shooting just 29.3 percent from the floor on the road. He has been steady however at the free throw line going 20-of-21.

Scouting the Opponents
Roosevelt (2-13, 1-7 GLIAC)
• The Lakers put together a 9-20 overall record and 6-14 in the GLIAC during last year's first season in NCAA Division II. This year has been a struggle for Roosevelt, who enters this week at 2-13 overall and 1-7 in the conference. The team has shown potential as evidenced by their first win of the season against then No. 24 Upper Iowa back on Dec. 19 in Fayette, Iowa. The Lakers picked up their first GLIAC win last Thursday (Jan. 15) at Purdue Northwest by a score of 77-74. Mikey West went off for 33 points and was a red-hot 7-of-11 from behind the arc. Dante Sawyer scored 16 points and added four rebounds. Hamahrie Bowers chipped in with 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

• The Lakers won both meetings last season against the Panthers. RU won 85-67 in Chicago on Jan. 18 and 73-60 in Grand Rapids on Feb. 27. Aidan Moon, Dylan Smith, and Alden Ritt each had six points in the Chicago contest. Smith then had 15 points, nine rebounds, and a team-high four assists in 36 minutes in Grand Rapids. Jalen Windham is currently leading the team in scoring at 17.1 points per game. Bowers is averaging 15.7 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game.

Parkside (9-7, 3-5 GLIAC)
• The Rangers bring an identical record of 9-7, 3-5 GLIAC into this week's action as do the Panthers. Parkside will host Grand Valley State on Thursday before welcoming Davenport on Saturday. The Rangers are 8-3 at home this season at De Simone Arena. They won their last three GLIAC home games, including a 87-81 victory on Jan. 10 against Saginaw Valley State. Parkside did not fare so well on the road last week at Wayne State (82-78) on Thursday and Purdue Northwest (82-61) on Saturday.

• Davenport will be looking to end a five-game skid against the Rangers dating back to Jan. 7, 2023. Parkside won both games last season with a 72-64 triumph in Grand Rapids on Jan. 25 and the return game to Kenosha on Feb. 13 (71-51). The Rangers shot 11-of-12 at the free throw line in the contest on Jan. 25 and made 13 three-pointers. DU shot 49 percent in that game and got 10 points and five rebounds from Dylan Smith. Parkside committed just six turnovers on Feb. 13 and had four players score in double figures. Nick Brown led the team with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Smith scored 11 points and grabbed five boards in 30 minutes for DU. Paxton Warden is leading the team in scoring at 17.7 points per game this season. Josiah Palmer is averaging 13.7 points and has made 39 three-pointers in 93 attempts (41.9 percent).

Live Coverage
Thursday, Jan. 22 at Roosevelt (Goodman Center - Chicago, Ill.) - 8:30 PM ET - (Live Video - Live Stats)
Saturday, Jan. 24 at Parkside (De Simone Gymnasium - Kenosha, Wis.) - 4:00 PM ET - (Live Video - Live Stats)