Box Score CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Parkland College men's basketball team returned to action on Friday, December 30th, earning a hard-fought 81-65 win over the Millikin University JV squad in the Cobras' first game back after winter break. The Cobras have now won six straight games and go into 2023 having a winning record for the first time this season. Sophomore Sean Ealy (16 points, 4 assists, 3 steals) and freshman Jared Hankins (16 points, 5-5 FTs) led the team in scoring with 16 points. Parkland never trailed in the game as the Cobras outscored Millikin 34-18 in the paint on Friday night.
"I think we had to shake Christmas break off of us," head coach John Bowler joked after his team's sixth straight win. "The biggest thing we saw today was our perseverance in the second half. We've learned how to win. We've learned how to finish close games when we need to, and stuff like that will pay off down the road."
The Cobras (6-5) traded buckets with the Big Blue early in the game, but a Jared Hankins' three-pointer kicked off an 11-0 run that put Parkland in front, 18-7, with 13:10 to go until halftime. Freshman Tye Banks provided a huge spark off the bench in the first half, scoring eight points and grabbing two rebounds in 12 minutes. Parkland led by as many as 12 points in the first half, and the Cobras went into halftime ahead, 39-29. The Cobras extended their lead early in the second half, but the Big Blue battled back, cutting the deficit down to 60-55 with 8:57 remaining. The Cobras responded quickly, as Daniel Reed buried a three on the next possession, and an 11-4 Parkland run put Bowler's squad on top 71-59 with just under six minutes to go. Parkland's defense stepped up in the closing stages of the game, limiting Millikin to just 10 points in the final nine minutes of the game, and the Cobras closed out the Big Blue in an 81-65 win in Champaign.
Statistical Overview:
Sean Ealy: 16 points, 4 assists, 3 steals
Jared Hankins: 16 points, 5-5 FTs
Jabryn Anderson: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists
Don Coats III: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Daniel Reed: 10 points
Up next, the Cobras host Glen Oaks Community College in Champaign on Saturday, January 7th. Tip-off against the Vikings (6-8) will be at 3:00 PM at the Donald C. Dodds Jr. Athletic Complex.
