MATTOON, Ill. – The No. 2 seed Parkland College women’s basketball team fell behind in the second half of its Central District semifinal matchup against No. 4 seed Danville Area Community College, and the Cobras could not climb back into the game, falling to the Jaguars 69-56 on Saturday, March 11th. The Cobras (23-5) swept their two regular-season meetings with the Jaguars (17-9) this year, but the Parkland offense went just 21-55 (38%) from the field, and 1-16 (6%) from three on Saturday, and the team lost their first neutral site game this season. Freshman forward Alyssa Cole (22 points, 6 rebounds) led the Cobras in scoring, and sophomore Shae Bell (15 points, 12 rebounds) posted a double-double in the loss.
The Cobras led 11-6 with just over three minutes to play in the first quarter, but the Jaguars closed strong, and the two teams remained tied 15-15 going into the second. Neither team could pull ahead in the second quarter, and a Brooke Runge floater with 5:05 to play gave Parkland a 25-21 lead. Trailing 25-23 with 2:20 until halftime, Danville Area took its first lead at the free throw line before the break, and a Kenzey Decker free throw retied the game, 26-26 at the half. The Jaguars built a 36-30 lead with 6:04 on the clock in the third quarter, and the Cobras trailed by as many as 12 points before heading into the fourth quarter down 46-36. A fastbreak layup with 5:18 remaining gave DACC a 56-42 lead, and Parkland took a timeout trailing 60-44 with 4:12 to play. Sophomore Jennifer Heinberg hit the lone Cobra three-pointer to cut it to 62-54 with 1:23 left, but Parkland never got closer in the 69-56 postseason loss.
Statistical Overview:
- Alyssa Cole: 22 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals
- Shae Bell: 15 points, 12 rebounds
- Brooke Runge: 6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
- Kenzey Decker: 3 points, 3 assists
- Chloe Gould: 4 steals
Up next, Parkland will await the announcement of the NJCAA DII National Tournament field on Tuesday, March 14th. The NJCAA Basketball Selection Show will begin at 2:00 PM on Tuesday.
