CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 3 seed Parkland College men’s basketball team kept its composure and held on to win a tense Central District semifinal matchup 66-58 over No. 2 seed Rend Lake College on Saturday, March 11th in the. The Cobras (18-12) went 15-15 from the free throw line, including 12-12 in the second half to survive a late comeback from the Warriors (10-20) and advance to the Central District Championship game against Danville Area Community College tomorrow. Sophomore Sean Ealy (23 points, 3 assists) led all scorers, making a career-best 11-11 free throws in the win, and freshman Don Coats III (15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks) recorded his 7th double-double of the year.
“It feels really good,” head coach John Bowler said after his team advanced, “it’s something that we’ve talked about all year.”
“It’s March, you get 40 minutes, and then you have to try and earn another 40 minutes when you can. It was a really good win for our guys and it showed a lot of toughness. They’re a well-coached team…, I’m really proud of our guys holding them to 36 percent from the field,” Bowler concluded after the win.
The Cobras led by five early, but the Warriors went on a run, and Rend Lake led 23-15 when Bowler took a timeout with 7:22 left in the first half. Forward Don Coats III knocked down a three out of the timeout, and Parkland regained the momentum, taking a 27-26 lead with 3:44 until halftime on a Jabryn Anderson dunk. The Warriors battled back, but sophomore Sean Ealy hit back-to-back midrange jumpers to give the Cobras a 31-30 lead before half, and Parkland closed on an 8-0 run, leading 35-30 at the break. Rend Lake cut the deficit to two to open the second half, but Parkland stayed calm and led 46-36 following a Sean Ealy three-point play with 13:19 to go. Sophomore Daniel Reed came off the bench to score the next six points, including another three-point play to give the Cobras a 52-42 lead with 8:52 on the clock. The Warriors held the Cobras without a point for the next 4:51, mounting a comeback to tie the game at 52 with 4:01 left before Parkland took a timeout. Anderson (14 points, 4 rebounds) finally ended the drought, but the Cobras trailed 55-54 with 3:07 to play after three Rend Lake free throws on the next possession. Parkland retook the lead at the free throw line and led by as many as five with 2:09 to play. The Warriors cut it to two on a three-point play with 1:42 remaining, but both defenses stepped up down the stretch, and Parkland pulled away with free throws in the 66-58 win.
Statistical Overview:
- Sean Ealy: 23 points, 11-11 FTM, 3 assists
- Don Coats III: 15 points, 2-3 3PT, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks
- Jabryn Anderson: 14 points, 4 rebounds
- Brylan Phillips: 3 rebounds, 6 assists
Up next, the Cobras face No. 1 seed Danville Area Community College in the Central District Championship game tomorrow, March 12th. The winner earns an automatic bid to the NJCAA DII National Tournament. Tip-off against the 4th-ranked Jaguars (23-4) is at 2:00 PM on Sunday at the Donald C. Dodds Jr. Athletic Complex.
