CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Parkland College men’s basketball team earned another hard-fought conference win on Wednesday, February 22nd, as the Cobras knocked off Spoon River 77-56 at home. The Cobras (14-11) (4-4) caught fire in the second half, shooting 15-27 (55.6%) from the field against the Snappers (17-10) (5-3) and holding the visitors to just 4-23 from three. Freshman Brylan Phillips (16 points, 6 assists) led a balanced attack as Parkland improved to 4-4 in conference play.
With five players in double-digits, head coach John Bowler praised his team’s performance after the game, saying, “I think it shows our depth, and I think it shows if we can consistently do that…, we can do whatever we want at times.”
“If we can put that greater good of getting a win in front of everything else, which I think we saw today, that’s where we can see this team take off,” Bowler concluded.
The two teams traded the lead in the first 10 minutes, and the Cobras trailed 21-20 when Spoon River called a timeout with 5:07 left in the half. The momentum shifted to Parkland’s side, as the team took a 26-24 lead on a Ken Sallee layup, and back-to-back threes from Brylan Phillps and Daniel Reed at the buzzer gave the Cobras a 36-26 lead at halftime. The Snappers kept the game close in the second half, cutting the Cobra lead to five with 10:50 remaining, but Tye Banks responded quickly, converting a three-point play to make it 47-39. Spoon River took a timeout trailing 49-41 with 8:39, and Parkland extended its lead to 15 with over five minutes left. The Cobras outscored the Snappers 38-24 in the paint on their way to the 77-56 home win.
Statistical Overview:
- Brylan Phillips: 16 points, 4-5 3PT, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals
- Tye Banks: 14 points, 5 rebounds
- Isaac Mapson III: 10 points, 2 assists, 3 steals
- Ken Sallee: 10 points, 6 rebounds
- Don Coats III: 2 points, 9 rebounds
Up next, the Cobras continue conference play at Lincoln Land Community College on Saturday, February 25th. Tip-off against the Loggers (10-14) (3-4) is scheduled for 3:00 PM in Springfield.
