Box Score DANVILLE, Ill. –  The Parkland College men's basketball team won over No. 13 seed Henry Ford College (24-8) in the second round of the NJCAA DII National Tournament on Tuesday, March 18. The closely contested matchup ended with No. 4 seed Parkland (31-2) narrowly securing the 83-81 victory to advance into the Quarterfinals. 

Henry Ford College struck first with a three-pointer, but Drew Lewis Jr. responded with a made layup on the other end, setting the tone for an offensive battle. The early minutes saw the Hawks taking a slight lead, but the Cobras stayed within reach, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities and free throws to keep the score close. In the last five minutes of the first half, the Hawks had extended the lead to 15 points. The Cobras cut the deficit back to single digits at the break, but the Hawks still held the 38-29 lead. 

Parkland came out with high energy in the second half, quickly cutting the lead to three points at the 16 minute mark, and then pulling ahead 48-47 a few minutes later thanks to a Chandler Jackson three-pointer. The lead changed several times after that, and it was still a close five-point game with two minutes remaining, but the Cobras hung on to the lead to secure the 83-81 win over the Hawks. 

The game saw evenly matched rebounding efforts, with both teams grabbing 36 rebounds each. Henry Ford shot 48.3% from the field compared to Parkland's 45.3%, but Parkland capitalized on their free throws, going 77.8% from the line compared to Henry Ford's 70%.

"This was obviously not our best performance," Parkland head coach John Bowler admitted. "The game was very physical early and we struggled settling in. This is exactly what I love about this team. They were extremely resilient today. At halftime we just talked about playing poised. Credit to them for showing the grit and determination to stay the course to get the win. Now we have to turn the page and be ready for tomorrow."

Up next, the Cobras will face No. 12 seed Howard Community College (26-5) on Wednesday, March 19, at 6:00 pm in Danville, Illinois. 
 
Statistical Overview:
JaMonte Williams: 23 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Jaiden Martin: 21 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals
Chandler Jackson: 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists
Drew Lewis Jr.: 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists