Box Score QUINCY, Ill. – No. 5 Parkland men's basketball overcame a 17-point deficit in the second half, but ultimately had its eight-game winning streak snapped, as the Cobras dropped its first conference game of the season in a 84-80 defeat at John Wood on Saturday. The Cobras (21-3) were led in scoring by season-high scoring performances from Yaakema Rose Jr. (28 points) and Bruno Williams Jr. (25 points).
 
Trailing 64-47 with less than 10 minutes remaining, Parkland went on a 28-11 run over the following seven minutes to erase the 17-point deficit with under a minute remaining. Led by 22 second-half points from Yaakema Rose Jr. and 16 second-half points by Bruno Williams Jr., the Cobras tied the game on a layup from Rose Jr. with a minute remaining. With John Wood responding with a three and made free throws, Rose Jr. hit a three-pointer and two free throws of his own to keep the Cobras close, but the Blazers picked off an inbounds pass with four seconds left to kill the rally.
 
Scoring career high point totals, Rose Jr. hit 11 of his 21 shots on the day, including four of five from three, while Williams Jr. knocked down eight of 12 field goals and eight of 12 free throws. The 28 points for Rose Jr. marked the fifth 20-point game for the Cobra guard, while Williams Jr. collected his third 20-point performance of the year. Also active on the glass, Rose Jr. also led the Cobras with eight rebounds.
 
A back-and-forth opening start to the game saw the Cobras and Blazers split the game's first 30 points, highlighted by a pair of Rose Jr. drives to the basket. Still trading buckets, a Williams Jr. jump hook and three-pointer on consecutive possessions kept within a point, 21-20, and then four points from Saracco kept the deficit at just two possessions. However, the Blazers used a 12-5 run to end the half, including a buzzer-beating three to offset a Carter Jeffries three at the other, to close out the half, leading 42-31.
 
Coming out of the locker room, the Cobras cut the lead back to single digits twice in the early going of the second half, but saw the deficit slowly balloon to 17 points with under 10 minutes remaining. Initially ignited by Williams Jr. and then capped by Rose Jr., the Cobra duo led the late charge. After a Tommy Makabu jumper to cut the lead to 15, Williams Jr. scored eight straight Parkland points to cut the John Wood lead down to 10. Three field goals by Rose Jr. sandwiched around four Williams Jr. free throws shaved six more points off the deficit, 72-68, with under three minutes remaining. Williams Jr. added his 15^th and 16^th points of the second half on a layup before Rose Jr. tied the game on a three and a layup, 75-75, with a minute remaining.
 
After a John Wood three and made free throw, Rose Jr. again brought the Cobras back with a step-back three-pointer with 20 seconds left on the clock. Following two more Blazers free throws made it 83-80, the Blazers elected to foul Rose Jr. to put him at the free-throw line where the Cobra guard made the final two of his 22 second-half points.
 
In total, Parkland outscored John Wood 49-42 in the second half behind 61-percent shooting. Leading the comeback, Williams Jr. and Rose Jr. scored Parkland's final 31 points of the game over the course of the final eight-plus minutes. The duo totaled 38 of the Cobras's 49 second-half points.
 
With a 6-1 conference record through seven games, the Cobras still maintains a one-game advantage over second place John Wood (5-2) entering the final week of the regular season. The Cobras and Blazers split their home-and-home games, as Parkland won the game in Champaign, 74-69. Parkland will host Illinois Central on Wednesday (2/27), while John Wood welcomes Danville Area on Saturday (3/2).
 
After hosting Illinois Central, Parkland will conclude their regular season on Saturday, March 2, against Region 24 foe Rend Lake.
 
Up next, the Cobras finish off the regular season next week with home games against Illinois Central on Wednesday, February 27, at 7:30 p.m. and Rend Lake on Saturday, March 2, at 3 p.m.