Box Score CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 5 Parkland men's basketball team won its third game in a row after defeating Hocking College (11-4) on Saturday, December 21. The Cobras earned the 88-77 in overtime after beating the Hawks by 30 points earlier this season. 

The Cobras got off to a slow start, and the Hawks had secured a 21-8 lead with 9:33 on the clock in the first half. Parkland started to close the gap, and a JaMonte Williams layup made it a four-point game with 5:25 on the clock. By halftime, the Hawks had extended the lead to six points and led 33-27. 

With under 18 minutes on the clock in the second half, a JaMonte Williams steal and a Jaiden Martin three-pointer cut the lead to two points. Williams followed up with a three-pointer a minute later to put the Cobras up by one. The Hawks regained the lead shortly after that and maintained the lead for a majority of the half. The Cobras put up a fight, however, and cut the lead to just two points with under 30 seconds left. With 15 seconds on the clock, a Williams three-point play put them up 71-70. The Hawks got possession of the ball after that and pulled ahead by two, but two clutch free throws by Williams tied the game and sent it to overtime. The Cobras did not allow the Hawks to score after 3:23 in overtime to secure the 88-77 win at home. 

"Definitely was not a clean game for us tonight," Parkland head coach John Bowler stated after the win. "We struggled finding a rhythm the entire game. Credit to Hocking for keeping us off balance."

"On a positive note, great teams find ways to win when they aren't at their best," Bowler added. "We need to be significantly better in multiple areas if we are looking at achieving the goals we set for ourselves. We can not feel comfortable making mistakes like we did tonight. We must clean up our game."

Statistical Overview:

JaMonte Williams: 30 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists
Jaiden Martin: 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists
Chandler Jackson: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
Drew Lewis Jr.: 11 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
Kris English: 4 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists 
 
Up next, the Cobras host CBG Prep on Friday, January 3. The game is scheduled for 6:00 PM at the Donald C. Dodds Jr. Athletic Complex.