CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 11 ranked Parkland College women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday, December 10th, losing 65-51 at home against 13th-ranked Rock Valley College. The Cobras fell behind early and struggled offensively, shooting 32% (18-57) from the field and committing a season-high 22 turnovers. Parkland sophomore Kenzey Decker led the team in scoring with 15 points, while freshman Mallory Cyrulik grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in the loss.

"We just have to come out, play our basketball and be prepared," head coach Laura Litchfield said after the loss. "It starts with energy, tempo, and focus. We lacked that today and it definitely showed."

Defense was the story early, as the Cobras (10-1) struggled with the Golden Eagles (11-3) press. Following a Rock Valley 7-0 run, Parkland trailed 10-2 with 4:41 to go in the first quarter. The Cobras responded quickly, rattling off a 10-0 run to close the gap, but the team still trailed 17-12 at the end of the first. The Golden Eagles kept the pressure on and continued to force turnovers in the second quarter, and with 4:17 left, the Cobras trailed 32-17 after a 10-2 Rock Valley run. Parkland managed to trim the deficit before the break, but the team went into halftime still trailing 37-23. The Golden Eagles maintained their lead early in the second half, but an 8-1 Parkland run late in the third quarter got the Cobras back within striking distance, and they trailed 45-37 going into the fourth. Sophomore Kenzey Decker hit a jump shot to cut the Golden Eagles' lead down to six with 7:01 to go, but a three-minute, 9-0 Rock Valley run gave the No. 13 team in the nation some breathing room in the closing stages of the game, and Parkland fell short, 65-51 at home.

Statistical Overview:
Kenzey Decker: 15 points
Alyssa Cole: 10 points, 8 rebounds
Mallory Cyrulik: 8 points, 10 rebounds
Abby Shepared: 8 points
Shae Bell: 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 blocks

Up next, Parkland College will play at home against Vincennes University on Saturday, December 17th. Tip off against the Tailblazers (8-4) will be at 1:00 PM.