DANVILLE, Ill. – The Parkland College men’s basketball team returned to conference play on Wednesday, February 15th, losing 77-65 at Danville Area Community College. The Cobras (12-11) (2-4) struggled on the glass against the Jaguars (18-4) (7-0), getting outrebounded 41-19 in their second loss to DACC this season. Freshman Brylan Phillips (18 points, 5-6 3PT) led the team in scoring, while forward Don Coats III gathered eight boards in the loss.
First-year head coach John Bowler credited Danville after the loss, saying, “(DACC) played well tonight and earned the win. We put ourselves in situations tonight where we had multiple opportunities to take control, but we just couldn’t make get to that point.”
The Cobras led 8-0 early after a Brylan Phillips three, but the Jaguars stormed back to take a 19-15 lead with 9:10 left in the first half. DACC led by as many as eight points until Parkland freshman Don Coats III hit a three to cut it to 30-25. Parkland trailed 32-25 at halftime as both offenses struggled to make shots from the field. In the second half, sophomore Sean Ealy buried two threes early to cut the DACC lead to 40-37, but the Jaguars remained in front. The Cobras cut the deficit to three again on a Jared Hankins three with 7:34 to go, but a two-minute, 8-0 Jaguar run put DACC ahead 61-50. Parkland shot 9-15 (60%) from beyond the arc in the second half to stay in the game, but the Cobras couldn’t close the gap in the closing stages. Ealy hit back-to-back layups to trim the lead to nine with 45 seconds left, but Parkland fell short, 77-65, in Danville on Wednesday night.
“I’ve said it all year,” Bowler reiterated, “we need to get more consistent with getting the details right. That lack of consistency is what’s holding us back from closing games.”
Statistical Overview:
- Brylan Phillips: 18 points, 5-6 3PT, 2 assists
- Sean Ealy: 15 points, 3-3 3PT, 2 steals
- Don Coats III: 7 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
- Jared Hankins: 10 points, 4-4 FTs
Up next, the Cobras face John Wood Community College on the road on Saturday, February 18th. Tip-off against the Blazers (14-11) (2-3) is scheduled for 3:00 PM in Quincy.
