MATTOON, Ill. –No. 5 Parkland College Women's Basketball (10-0, 4-0 M-WAC) defeated its second top-10 opponent in five days, holding off No. 6 Lake Land CC (9-2) by a final score 77-67.
As expected, two quality teams came ready-to-play, and a fast-paced first period ended with the Cobras down by one, 21-22. The Lakers' Kamaria Gant led all scorers with 13 first-quarter points that included three 3-pointers.
The pace slowed in the second quarter, but the score remained close. Parkland used a 6-0 run to take a 27-25 lead, but with 4:24 on the clock it was knotted at 30-30. The teams traded baskets over a couple of minutes, but a final 3-pointer by Lake Land put the Cobras three points down at the break, 34-37.
In the third quarter, Parkland built an 8-point lead, 45-37, but a 9-2 run by the Lakers to end the period left the Cobras up only one, 47-46. Early in the fourth, Lake Land was trailing by only four when Parkland scored 13 straight to take a 67-50 lead. The lead was stretched to 20 points, 74-54, with 90 seconds remaining. In a somewhat sloppy and extended final stretch, the Cobras were outscored by the Lakers, 3-13.
Parkland had a balanced offense, with seven Cobras scoring 7 or more points, and the bench scoring 31.
Mady Harper (13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) led the way, along with
Bree Trimble (11 points) and
Naomi McDaniel (10 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists), who had her third double-double of the season.
Peyton Crowe (8 points, 3 assists),
Kiersten Price-Wilson (8 points, 6 rebounds), and
Ariana Booker (8 points, 2 rebounds) each had eight, and
Claire Wilhour (7 points, 4 rebounds) was right behind.
The Cobras shot 50% from the field, 54% (6-11) from the arc, and 71% from the line.
In addition to a dozen from McDaniel,
Shaelynn Bell (4 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks), Harper, and Price-Wilson combined for 18 rebounds, as Parkland totaled 40 for the game.
Up next, Parkland jumps back into league action, traveling to Canton, Ill., to take on Spoon River College on Sunday, February 28. Tip-off is scheduled at 1:00 pm.
