Parkland boys basketball fans were treated to a thriller just three weeks ago, when the Trojans beat Imhotep Charter 89-85 in a nonconference, three-overtime classic at Parkland High School.

And last Friday night at Liberty High School, Lehigh Valley hoops fans were treated to one of the best games this year as Parkland outlasted Allen 82-74 in overtime for the Trojans’ second straight Eastern Pennsylvania Conference championship.

Coming into the contest, the Canaries were not expected to win, or even keep the game very close. But Allen went shot for shot and play for play with Parkland (22-3) for 32 minutes, seemingly losing gas and their legs in the four-minute overtime, and getting outscored 12-4.

“It was a huge win,” said senior guard Devante Cross. “Two league championships in a row. It was a great game for us to be in this time of the year.”

Cross, along with classmate Kyle Stout, stepped up in that final quarter and overtime. The two combined to score 24 of their team’s 31 points over the last 12 minutes of the game in front of a large crowd that seemed to be rooting for the upset.

“Other fan bases just want to see us lose,” said Cross. “It felt like all of Allentown was at the game. And they really brought the energy for Allen. It was a fun atmosphere.”

“We fed off the energy of the crowd,” Stout said. “I think sometimes we come out a little lackadaisical because maybe we just expect to win. But I think this competitive game showed us we need to show up to play against anyone, and this will really help us moving forward.”

Cross and Stout struggled in the first three quarters, combining for only six points. But neither shied away from the ball when the game mattered most.

“Coach [Andy] Stephens always has confidence in me and at halftime he told me to keep shooting the ball,” said Stout. “He tells me all the time if I miss 10 in a row, I’ll make the next ten. I just always have to keep that in mind and I stayed confident in the second half.”

“Never lose your confidence,” Cross told himself heading into that fourth quarter and overtime periods. “I know what I can do, and I have to do that to help the team win. At that point in the game it was coming to the end and we needed points and big plays. I was glad to step up and help us out.”

Even though those two had a big last twelve minutes, if it wasn’t for the play of junior forward Sam Iorio, Parkland may have easily lost this one by halftime.

Iorio tallied a game-high 33 points, connecting on six 3-pointers. He had 22 points at halftime and 30 after three to pace the Trojans and keep them within striking distance of the hot-shooting and fast-paced Canaries.

Allen juniors Tyrese Martin and Talek Williams scored 31 and 27 points, respectively. However, the experienced Trojans lineup, which has now brought three district and two league titles home in the last four years, rose up in the face of adversity and won the game.

“It was a great game, and we really had to dig deep,” Iorio said. “We found that spark late from Devante and Kyle. They stepped up when we needed someone too and delivered. A game like this is going to go far for us down the road.”

Kenny Yeboah, who had a key basket in overtime, was the fourth Trojans player to finish in double figures with 12 points.

Parkland will now face the winner of the Liberty/Nazareth tilt in the District 11 4A quarterfinals at Freedom High School Saturday night.