QUINCY, Ill. – The No. 4 Parkland College men's basketball team earned a come-from-behind 84-82 win in overtime against John Wood Community College on Saturday, January 20. The Cobras (17-2) trailed deep into the second half on the road against the Blazers (9-7), and the visitors needed overtime to close out their first conference road win of the season. In the final seconds, Parkland sophomore Ken Sallee (10 points) grabbed a crucial loose ball under the basket and scored as time expired to lift the Cobras over the Blazers on Saturday. Redshirt sophomore Grant Coleman (18 points, 6 rebounds) knocked down four three-pointers to lead the team in scoring in the win.
 
"This is a really good win. It is always tough to win on the road," head coach John Bowler said after the game. "John Wood is a well-coached program, and I'm proud of our guys' toughness to find a way to pull this win out."
 
"We need to build on this by cleaning some things up defensively that we just did not execute in the first half," Bowler added. "Hopefully, some more consistency from having our entire roster back will get us back to that point."
 
The Cobras trailed in the opening minutes of the first half, taking their first lead, 20-19, with 8:33 to go in the period. The two teams traded the lead before the Blazers pulled away again. Back-to-back Parkland threes sliced the John Wood lead to 36-32 with 2:01 on the clock, and the Cobras went into halftime trailing 39-34. In the second half, the Blazers maintained their lead as both offenses struggled, leading by as much as 50-43 with 12:08 left. The Cobras cut the deficit to 54-52 and called timeout with 8:43 on the clock, but the Blazers stayed in front. Parkland finally regained the lead on a Tye Banks runner with 4:21 remaining, giving the Cobras a 63-62 advantage – but John Wood responded quickly, retaking the lead with just three minutes to go. Parkland led 71-69 with 1:14 left in regulation, but two late John Wood free throws sent the game to overtime, tied at 71. The Cobras opened overtime with a Grant Coleman three, giving them the lead, but the Blazers hung around, tying the game at 80 with 47 seconds to go. Redshirt freshman Drew Lewis Jr. scored on the next possession, but John Wood tied the game again at 82 – this time with just six seconds remaining. After a missed three-pointer, sophomore Ken Sallee found himself in the right place at the right time as the loose ball ended up in his hands - and the Chicago native scored as time expired to give Parkland the 84-82 win in overtime.
 
Scoring Summary:
Grant Coleman: 18 points, 6 rebounds
Drew Lewis Jr.: 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals
JaMonte Williams: 12 points, 4 rebounds
Jabryn Anderson: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals
Brylan Phillips: 3 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
 
Up next, the Cobras welcome Spoon River College to Champaign on Wednesday, January 24. Tip-off against the Snappers (2-13) is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Donald C. Dodds Jr. Athletic Complex.