CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Parkland women's basketball closed on a 9-0 run over the final 4:30 to defeat Lewis & Clark on Saturday and clinch home-court advantage for a Region 24 quarterfinal rematch of today's game on Wednesday, March 6, at 6 p.m. central time. Parkland improves to 16-13 on the season and 4-6 in conference.
 
Sophomore Gemma Rescasens hit the go-ahead runner off the left baseline with 1:07 left, and the Cobras held the Trailblazers scoreless over the final 4:30. An Olivia Babcock layup and two Parkland free throws in the final minute iced the sophomore-day victory. Sophomores Micah Tapscott and Crystal Mathis led the team with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Freshman Cassie Russo led the team with six rebounds and Alexus Cole added nine points and three assists off the bench.
 
Despite trailing throughout the first half, Parkland kept it within two possessions for much of the opening 20 minutes. Five different Cobras scored in the first quarter, led by four points from Tapscott and three from Mathis, but a late three from Lewis & Clark gave the ma 17-13 advantage after 10 minutes. Held to one field goal in the first five minutes of the second quarter, Tapscott and Mathis combined for all nine points in the second period to bring the Cobras back to within three points, 25-22, before three Trailblazer free throws to end the half doubled the visitor's lead at the break.
 
Coming out of the locker room, the Cobras quickly erased the six-point deficit with a 6-0 run in the opening three minutes on four points from Tapscott and a layup from Rescasens. However, the Trailblazers would respond with a 6-0 run of their own. Trading buckets through the third quarter's final minutes, a pair of three-pointers from Alexus Cole kept the Cobras within two points, 36-34, to end the quarter.
 
A third straight trey from Cole brought the Cobras to within one early in the fourth quarter, and then the two sides traded buckets for the following four minutes. A layup by freshman Cassie Russo gave the Cobras a brief lead, 39-38, and then jumpers from Mathis and Tapscott tied the score twice, 45-45 and 47-47, before a Trailblazer three with 4:30 remaining set the stage for the Cobras' 9-0 run to end the game. A steal and layup by Babcock tied the game prior to Rescasens go-ahead bucket.
 
Prior to today's game, head coach Mike Lindemann and staff honored six Parkland sophomores: Micah Tapscott, Olivia Babcock, Crystal Mathis, Alexus Cole, Madelyn Brouwer and Gemma Rescasens.

The No. 4 seed for the Region 24 tournament next week, the Cobras will get a rematch against No. 5 seed Lewis & Clark on Wednesday, March 6, at Donald Dodds Athletic Complex with tipoff has yet to be determined. The winner will advance to face No. 1 seed Illinois Central on Saturday in Danville, Ill.