CICERO, IL - The No. 11 Parkland men's basketball team (7-2) won its fourth in a row with a 79-64 win over Morton College (4-6).
 
In the opening minutes of the game, the Cobras and the Panthers traded baskets, though neither team was particularly hot from the floor. Parkland made the first small run, as Joey Saracco (17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks) scored back-to-back buckets from the paint and put the Cobras up 15-8, forcing Morton to call timeout. The lead grew to 11, at 29-18, with 5 minutes until the half, when the Parkland offense stalled. Morton went on a 13-0 run of its own and took the lead 31-29 with a minute remaining. Parkland finally busted the lid off the basket, scoring a couple and knotting the halftime score at 33. Saracco was strong the entire half, going 5-5 from the floor. Bruno Williams Jr. (11 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals) was also solid in the first, producing 4 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal.
 
Cobras shooting remained cold at the beginning of the second half. The Panthers went on an 11-3 run, forcing Parkland to call a timeout, down 36-44. Out of the timeout, Morton scored 3 more, for their largest lead of 11. Finally, a steal by Noah Persich, leading to a dunk by Charles Campbell Jr. (18 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal), ignited the Cobras offense. A 15-1 run, including 10 points from Campbell Jr., brought the lead back to Parkland, with just under 11 minutes remaining. Tommy Makabu (6 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) helped extend the lead to 9 points, but it began to shrink in the waning minutes of the game. Morton converted a 3-point shot and called timeout with 5 minutes remaining and Parkland up, 64-58. When play resumed, Carter Jeffries (14 points, 2 rebounds) hit back-to-back shots from the arc, putting the Cobras in control and allowing them stay on top for the remainder.
 
Up next, the Cobras travel to Kankakee, IL, for a game against Kankakee CC on Wednesday, December 4^th, at 7:00 pm.