INA, Ill. – The Parkland College men’s basketball team fell behind in the second half at Rend Lake College on Wednesday, February 8th, and could not complete the comeback, falling 78-72 in a regional rematch against the Warriors. Rend Lake shot 56 percent from the field against Parkland, outrebounding the Cobras 34-29 on Wednesday night. Sophomore guard Sean Ealy led the Cobra offense with 17 points, and freshman Brylan Phillips dished out six assists.
“Credit goes to Rend Lake,” head coach John Bowler said after the loss, “They out-executed us tonight on both ends. We have talked about consistency all year, and to win games in this region on the road, you have to have that consistency.”
Ten minutes in, the Cobras (11-10) led 21-17 on the road after Tye Banks knocked down a three. A quick 6-0 run from the Warriors (7-15) forced Bowler to take a timeout trailing 23-21 with 8:12 to go in the first half. Parkland retook the lead out of the timeout, and the Cobras led 31-28 with two minutes left, but Rend Lake closed the half on another 6-0 run, and the visitors trailed 34-31 at halftime. The Warriors extended their lead early in the second half, and the Cobras trailed 49-36 with 15:55 remaining. Parkland trimmed the deficit out of a timeout, and with 10:01 to go, freshman Don Coats III hit two free throws to cut the Rend Lake lead to 54-52. The Warriors held onto their lead, but freshman Brylan Phillips cut the Cobra deficit to one on a layup with 5:21 on the clock. Rend Lake stayed in front, and Parkland took a timeout trailing 67-66 after Sean Ealy buried a three with 2:43 left. The Cobras kept the pressure on in the closing stages, but the Warriors never gave up the second-half lead, and Parkland fell short, 78-72.
Statistical Overview:
- Sean Ealy: 17 points, 3 rebounds
- Isaac Mapson III: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists
- Bylan Phillips: 9 points, 6 assists
- Daniel Reed: 9 points
- Clovis Gallon Jr: 7 points, 6 rebounds
Up next, the Cobras welcome the Bosco Institute to Champaign on Saturday, February 11th. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 PM at the Donald C. Dodds Jr. Athletic Complex.
