Champaign, Ill. - After a tough loss on Saturday, the Illinois Central College men's basketball team (12-8 Overall, 4-3 Region 24, 2-3 MWAC) turned around and made the trek eastward on I-74 to take on the fifth-ranked Parkland Cobras (20-2 Overall, 7-1 Region 24, 5-1 MWAC). The Cougars started the game by hanging with the Cobras, but Parkland starting the second half on a run was ultimately enough to power ahead for an eventual 78-62 victory over ICC. 

The Cougars held an 9-7 lead six minutes into the game before Parkland pulled ahead with a three-pointer. That was just the start of a 12-0 run for the Cobras that forced an ICC timeout at the 10:29 mark of the opening half, now trailing 19-9. Despite the big early run from Parkland, ICC found a way to stay in it, with a trey from Tony Mabon Jr. getting it back to a five-point game at 24-19. A tough drive to the hoop from Mabon pulled the Cougars within 31-27 at the 2:05 mark. The Cobras out-scored ICC 8-4 the rest of the half, capped off by a steal and a bucket to set a 42-31 Parkland lead after 20 minutes. 

Out of the locker room, game-changing adjustments were made by the Cobras, racing out to an 11-2 run and swelling the lead to its first margin of 20 or more points, with a Cougar timeout called, now trailing 53-33 with roughly 14:30 left in the game. All the way through the midsection of the second half, Parkland was not gaining any ground, but were also not losing any - with the lead still sitting at around 20 points at the 10:00 mark.

ICC made perhaps their best push of the game, when they went on an 12-2 run, wrapped by an Azarion Richardson three from the key and a Damuzha Moore free throw to pull within 73-60 and force Parkland to call a timeout with 2:23 left. Alas, that would be the closest the Cougars would get, with Parkland charging at the end, out-scoring ICC 5-2 the last few minutes of play to come away with the aforementioned 16-point win. 

COUGAR STATISTICS
Tony Mabon Jr. | 20 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
Isaiah Donnell | 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
LaColis Ashby Jr. | 11 points, 11 rebounds
Azarion Richardson | 10 points
Amariyae Wilson | 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Payton Cook | 2 points, 5 rebounds
Damuzha Moore | 1 point

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
2024 ICC Athletics Hall of Fame Game
vs. John Wood Blazers (13-7 Overall, 5-1 Region 24, 4-1 MWAC)
@ Ramsey Gym - East Peoria, Ill.
Watch Live (YouTube)

BEFORE WE GO...
As addressed above, Saturday is the Hall of Fame Game, as Illinois Central College Athletics inducts its second annual Hall of Fame Class. Unfortunately, the registration deadline to register for the formal dinner/induction has passed, but all inductees will be recognized at halftime of the men's game. If you'd like to read more about this year's class, fans can either visit the touch screen outside of Ramsey Gym, or read the initial announcement story at THIS LINK.