Trail Blazers mount massive comeback, run out of gas before completing it in loss to Cobras

QUINCY — Just when it appeared momentum was on its side, the John Wood Community College women’s basketball team hit a wall.

The Trail Blazers overcame early shooting woes to gradually whittle a 16-point first-half deficit against Parkland College to three with 2 minutes, 10 seconds left in the third quarter on a 3-pointer from the left corner by Blair Eftink, capping a string of nine straight points.

The comeback in a game they never led ended there, however.

The Cobras went on a 10-3 run to end the quarter and then scored 13 of the first 15 points in the fourth period to pull away for a 78-62 victory Saturday afternoon in a Mid-West Athletic Conference game in the Student Activity Center.

Fatigue obviously was a factor down the stretch for JWCC, which was seeking to win back-to-back games for only the second time this season. Dressing just seven players, the hosts made only four field goals over the final 12 minutes to enable Parkland (10-7, 2-1 MWAC) to push the lead to as many as 22 points.

“It’s tough playing with a smaller team,” Trail Blazers coach Ali Schwagmeyer-Belger said in acknowledging a short bench. “It’s hard to make a run. When we made the run, we had two people in foul trouble and only two players on the bench, so we had to keep playing those five players.

“Everybody stepped up in the second half. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late.”

Parkland, which has now beaten JWCC 16 straight times dating to the 2018-19 season and owns a 34-7 edge in the all-time series, focused on denying open looks for Eftink and Grace Deters, the Trail Blazers’ two leading scorers.

Eftink, coming off consecutive 29-point performances, was held scoreless in the first quarter and managed just one field goal and six points in the first half. Deters managed nine points in each half but was often pressured on the perimeter and went 5 of 19 from the field, including 3 of 14 from 3-point range.

“They definitely scouted us well,” Eftink said. “They knew what we wanted to do, and they did a really good job of taking it away from us.”

Eftink finished with a game-high 23 points and Deters added 18, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the first half that saw JWCC shoot just 28 percent from the field and surrender 17 points off turnovers.

Although both teams turned the ball over 20 times overall, the Cobras converted miscues into 27 points, compared to just 11 for the Trail Blazers.

“That’s a big difference,” Schwagmeyer-Belger said.

Utilizing its size, quickness and defensive pressure to wear down JWCC, Parkland opened a 30-14 lead midway through the second quarter before a late spurt enabled the Trail Blazers to close within 34-25 at halftime.

“They came out with a more aggressive mindset on defense, and we couldn’t reset until halftime,” Schwagmeyer-Belger said. “We knew they were going to face-guard Blair and Grace, and for some reason we just didn’t come out ready and prepared for that.”

Schwagmeyer-Belger moved Madisyn Doren to point guard to give Deters more freedom at off-guard to start the second half, and the switch began to pay dividends. Eftink was able to work free inside for three early back door layups in the third period as the teams essentially traded baskets.

Trailing 45-33 with 4:29 to go in the period, Deters hit a 3-pointer from the left wing and then was fouled on a successful running jumper from the free-throw line and sank the ensuing free throw to make it 45-39. Those were her only field goals in the second half, however, as she battled foul trouble.

Eftink then swished a 3-pointer from the corner, and suddenly the deficit was just 45-42.

That was as close as the Trail Blazers would get. Missed shots, fouls and turnovers allowed the Cobras to go up 55-45 at the end of the period, an advantage they stretched to 68-47 less than five minutes into the final quarter.

“We dug ourselves too big of a hole at the beginning,” Eftink said. “By the time we got to that part, we were getting tired. There are definitely moments in each game where we’re kind of fatigued and tiredness comes in. We need to push through it.”

Parkland guard Maliah Sparks scored 20 points to lead four players in double figures. The Cobras’ bench contributed 21 points, compared to seven for JWCC. The Trail Blazers shot 30.5 percent from the field and made only 6-of-26 tries from 3-point range.

JWCC (6-10, 1-2 MWAC) will hit the road for three consecutive league games before returning home Jan. 25 to face Spoon River.