CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 8 Parkland College women's basketball team added another win on Wednesday, November 15, taking down Rend Lake College 84-57. The Cobras (5-0) held a small lead over the Warriors (1-3) at halftime, and the defense stepped up in the second half to bring home the win. Parkland outscored Rend Lake 44-16 in the paint in the team's fifth straight win to open the season. Freshmen Siarah Brown (19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists) and Lucy Fearday (19 points, 6 rebounds) both scored a career-high 19 points, and sophomore Abby Shepard recorded a team-high eight assists in the win.
 
"Our defense definitely came to play tonight," head coach Jean Demosthenes said after the game. "We started a little sluggish, but in the second half, we were able to come out and make a difference in the game."
 
The two teams traded three-pointers early in the first quarter before an 8-0 Parkland run forced Rend Lake to take a timeout, trailing 21-9 with 4:20 left in the quarter. The Cobras led 25-17 going into the second quarter when both offenses fell cold. Parkland led by as many as 12 points in the first half, heading into halftime with a 41-37 lead. The Cobras opened the second half on a 7-0 run, extending the lead back to 11, but the Warriors battled back, cutting the deficit to five with 3:31 remaining in the third. Parkland closed the quarter on a 9-0 run and opened the fourth quarter with a 6-0 stretch that forced a Rend Lake timeout with 8:54 on the clock, trailing 40-53. The Cobra defense allowed just four points in the fourth quarter, closing out the Warriors for an 84-57 win. Parkland outscored Rend Lake 34-12 off turnovers in the win.
 
Statistical Overview:
Alyssa Cole: 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals
Siarah Brown: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Lucy Fearday: 19 points, 6 rebounds
Abby Shepard: 9 points, 8 assists
Rylea Johnson: 8 points, 6 rebounds
 
Up next, the Cobras travel to Belleville, Illinois, to take on Southwestern Illinois College on Saturday, November 18. Tip-off against the Blue Storm (4-1) is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.