Champaign, Ill. -  The #17 Illinois Central College women's basketball team did enough to win the game at #14 Parkland College on Wednesday night.  Unfortunately, they also did enough to lose it, which was the case as they fell 75-69 in Region 24 and M-WAC action at Dodds Gymnasium.  The Cougars held a 51-45 lead heading into the fourth period, but allowed PC to erupt for 30 points in the final quarter (including shooting 11-13 from the field)  as the hosts snatched the win.  The loss dropped the Cougars to 18-10 overall and 6-5 in the M-WAC while Parkland improved to 22-3 overall and 9-2 in the M-WAC. 

"We were really good during certain moments of the game but didn't have a consistent enough defensive effort in the fourth quarter to get the win," coach Karrie Redeker said. "We'll stick together and keep at it."
 
ICC got off to a great start as Elena Redgate and Halie Gilbert scored to give ICC a 6-0 lead and force a PC timeout.  A Peyton Dearing three-pointer and Gilbert put-back kept ICC ahead, but Parkland scored on seven straight possessions to cut the Cougar lead to 17-14 after one quarter. 
 
The second stanza was a rough one as Parkland outscored ICC 18-8.  ICC shot just 3-9 from the field and put Parkland into the bonus early, on which they capitalized by going 10-10 from the free throw line to grab a 32-25 at the half. 
 
The Cougars started the second half with better intensity as Gilbert scored two baskets (assists Dearing & Redgate) but PC countered with scores to keep the lead at 39-32 midway through the period.  ICC then went on a 10-0 run on two treys from Naomi Elliott (assists Gilbert), a Gilbert jumper, and a score inside from T'yana Lovelace (assist Dearing) to grab a 42-39 lead.  The teams were tied at 45-all when Elliott nailed another three-pointer and Laisha Armendariz Lopez hit a 30-footer at the horn to put the Cougars ahead 51-45.   
 
The fourth quarter started with a flurry of scoring by both teams as Elliott and Dearing each splashed in three-pointers but Parkland was also hot, hitting three long-distance bombs to go along with four other baskets to tie the game at 62-all with five minutes to play.  PC bagged their fourth three-pointer of the quarter which started a 7-0 run and gave them a 71-64 lead.  The Cougars answered with two Redgate scores, but ICC could not get the stops they needed on defensive end and the Cobras closed the game out with free throws for the win.    

For the game, ICC shot respectable enough from the field (47%), including an 8-19 effort from three-point range, but they were just 7-15 from the charity stripe.  Parkland shot 53% from the field (6-16 from three-point range) and went 17-24 from the free throw line (71%).

STATISTICAL LEADERS
Peyton Dearing | 18 points, 5 assists
Naomi Elliott | 15 points, 5 rebounds, "I Beat the Dean"
Halie Gilbert | 12 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists
Elena Redgate | 10 points, 2 rebounds

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
Sophomore Day* & Hall of Fame Day**  
vs. John Wood Blazers (9-17, 3-8)
Saturday, March 4th - 1:00 PM
@ Ramsey Gym - East Peoria, Ill.
WATCH LIVE (YouTube)
LISTEN LIVE (Mixlr)

*Sophomore Recognition will take place following Saturday's game with John Wood at 12:45 pm.
**Hall of Fame Recognition will take place at halftime of the men's game on Saturday.