SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The No. 4 seed Parkland women's basketball team lost 64-48 to No. 1 seed Lincoln Land Community College (30-2) in the Region 24 Semifinal game on Thursday, March 6. Parkland shot 20-57 (35.1%) from the field, and Lincoln Land nearly matched that exactly, going 20-56 (35.7%) from the field. However, Parkland only shot four free throws in the loss, and Lincoln Land went 23-34 from the free throw line.
 
Parkland (20-12) earned a 10-point lead midway through the first quarter, but the Loggers pulled within one point in the final seconds of the quarter. The Loggers went on a 6-0 run to start the second quarter, taking the 24-17 lead. Sparks made a free throw with 3:19 on the clock to cut the deficit to five points, but the Loggers extended the lead to 32-24 by halftime. The Cobras continued to fight in the second half, but they could never pull ahead of the Loggers again, and ultimately fell short in the 64-48 loss. Maliah Sparks led the Cobra offense with 14 points, and Stacie Vonderheide grabbed 11 rebounds. 
 
"I'm proud of this young team for how hard they fought this year," Parkland head coach Jean Demosthenes said after the loss. "Despite all the injuries, they still found a way to compete. Tonight, we came up short against a very good team that has a chance of winning the regional tournament and can possibly do well in the National Tournament." 
 
"This team has grown leaps and bounds in every category, and I couldn't be more proud of them," Demosthenes concluded.
 
Statistical Overview:
Maliah Sparks: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals
Danielle Ruffin: 12 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists
Stacie Vonderheide: 9 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists
Trinity Harden: 7 points, 3 rebounds, 4 steals
Crissiana Rose: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists