KANKAKEE, Ill. – The No. 13 ranked Parkland College women's basketball team got off to a strong start in 2023, defeating Kankakee Community College 82-66 on the road on Wednesday, January 4th. The Cobras shared the ball extremely well at Kankakee, recording an assist on 23 of the team's 30 made field goals on Wednesday night. Sophomore Kenzey Decker led the way scoring, with 24 points, while freshman Alyssa Cole brought in a team-high 11 rebounds in the win. Parkland now improves to 6-0 on the road this season.

"It's always great to start the new year off with a win, and a road win at that," Parkland College head coach Laura Litchfield said after the win. "Everyone contributed tonight and you gotta love that."

The Cobras (12-1) led 10-5 early in a close first quarter after Jennifer Heinberg buried a three, and Kasha Ward scored just before the end of the quarter to give Parkland a 19-12 lead over the Cavaliers (3-11) after one quarter of play. The Cobras opened the second quarter on a 10-2 run, and the offense didn't stop there as Parkland outscored KCC 29-12 in the quarter, and the Cobras led 48-24 at halftime. The Cavaliers closed the gap in the third quarter, cutting the lead down 61-50 heading into the fourth, but the Cobras quickly bounced back. KCC took a timeout with 6:36 remaining, trialing 70-53, and Parkland continued to extend the lead down the stretch as the Cobras cruised to the 82-66 win over the Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

"We came out very sluggish in the third quarter and that got us into some trouble," Litchfield continued. "But we made some adjustments and finished on a high note."

Statistical Overview:
Kenzey Decker: 17 points, 2 assists
Alyssa Cole: 14 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists
Ivie Juarez: 10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Jennifer Heinberg: 10 points
Shae Bell: 6 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks

Up next, the Cobras return home to host Illinois Valley Community College on Monday, January 9th, at the Donald C. Dodds Jr. Athletic Complex. Tip-off against the Eagles (3-9) will be at 5:30 PM on Monday.