Box Score CANTON, Ill. –  The Parkland College men's basketball team punched its ticket to the NJCAA DII National Tournament with a 104-67 win over Rend Lake College (18-15) on Saturday, March 8, in the Region 24 Championship Game. The Cobras never trailed in their 30th win of the season, led by Jaiden Martin, who scored a season-high 27 points. 

Parkland (30-2) started off strong, going on a 10-0 run in the first four minutes of play. Rend Lake pulled within four points at the 12-minute mark, but the Cobras proceeded to go on an 11-0 run after that to extend the lead to 28-13. With two minutes left in the half, a Jaiden Martin three-pointer gave the Cobras the 22-point lead. Rend Lake had possession of the ball in the final seconds of the half, but JaMonte Williams forced a turnover into Martin's hands, and he was sent to the free throw line after being fouled. Martin sank two free throws with 1.9 seconds on the clock to get the 47-24 lead at halftime. The Cobras continued to control the second half, and got the 30-point lead midway through the half after an Adam Squire bucket made the score 80-50. A three-pointer from Adam Dyer with a minute on the clock put the Cobras over 100 points, and they closed out the Warriors 104-67. 

"I'm proud of this group," Parkland head coach John Bowler said after the win. "After having such a special year last year, we set our goals really high again. Watching them be able to get MWAC conference and Region 24 championships in back-to-back seasons is a special achievement. Success like this is uncommon and it speaks volumes of who they are as individuals and the dedication they have to our program. I can't wait to lead this group in the national tournament."
 
Scoring Summary: 
Jaiden Martin: 27 points
Drew Lewis Jr.: 19 points
JaMonte Williams: 16 points
Chandler Jackson: 14 points
Grant Chamberlain: 6 points

Up next, the Cobras await the release of the NJCAA National Tournament Seeding on Tuesday, March 11, to find out who their next opponent will be. The NJCAA DII National Tournament begins on Monday, March 17, in Danville, Illinois.