SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Parkland College women's basketball team earned a hard-fought 83-67 win versus John Wood Community College in the Region 24 Semifinals on Saturday, March 9th. The No. 1 seed Cobras (26-4) controlled the glass against the No. 4 seed Blazers (17-13), outrebounding their opponent 47-26, and Parkland outscored JWCC in the paint 36-26. Freshman guard Megan Janson led the Cobras with 19 points – while sophomore forwards Alyssa Cole (15 points, 19 rebounds) and Rhylea Johnson (15 points, 13 rebounds) each recorded a double-double in the win to help Parkland advance to the NJCAA DII Central District Championship for the first time since the 2020-2021 season.
 
"I love how the ladies maintained the intensity on defense the entire game," Parkland head coach Jean Demosthenes said after the win. "It was a hard-fought game by both teams, and it is always fun as a coach in this type of game where there's something on the line."
 
The Cobras capitalized on opportunities early in the game, racing out to a 17-3 lead following a 15-0 run, and Parkland led 23-8 at the end of the first quarter. The Blazers battled back early in the second, cutting the deficit to 27-18 with 7:00 on the clock, but the Cobras slowed things down and took a 38-26 lead into halftime. The two offenses struggled early in the second half, and a 3:50 Parkland scoring drought allowed John Wood to cut it to 43-39 midway through the third quarter, but the Cobras came roaring back out of a timeout, closing the quarter on another 15-0 run to lead 58-39. The Blazers bounced back in the fourth quarter, opening with a 7-0 run, and back-to-back triples closed the gap to 61-56 with just over six minutes to go. John Wood trimmed the deficit to 63-59 with 5:05 remaining before Parkland sophomore Abby Shepard provided some breathing room, knocking down a three to give the Cobras a 68-60 lead with 3:02 on the clock. The Blazers answered with a three, but the Cobras hit six straight free throws to regain control, and Shepard made a layup with just under two minutes left to push the lead to 76-63. Parkland shot 14-17 (82%) from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to close out the game, and the Cobras advanced with an 83-67 win.
 
Statistical Overview:
Megan Janson: 19 points (9-10 FT), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals
Alyssa Cole: 15 points, 19 rebounds (career-high), 7 assists, 3 steals
Rhylea Johnson: 15 points, 13 rebounds
Siarah Brown: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Abby Shepard: 13 points, 4 rebounds
 
Up next, the Cobras take on No. 3 seed Lincoln Land Community College tomorrow, March 10, in the NJCAA DII Central District Championship Game. Tip-off against the Loggers (26-6) is set for 2:00 p.m. at Lincoln Land Community College.