Allen Community College?s women put the finishing touches on their winningest regular season in team history with another victory Wednesday.
The Red Devils led by double digits through the second half, limited the Labette Cardinals to 29% shooting from the floor, and out-rebounded their Sophomore Night opponents by 29 in a 73-53 victory.
So why wasn?t head coach Leslie Crane happy?
?I?m glad we won,? she explained. ?But we didn?t pressure the ball the way we needed to, we didn?t play the kind of defense we normally do, and that?s disappointing.
?I was hoping for a little more decisive victory.?
Still, Allen?s victory gives the Red Devils a 21-5 record headed into next week?s Region VI playoffs, the first time ACC?s women have won 21 in a season.
With second place in the Jayhawk Conference assured, Allen will host a first-round playoff game at 7 p.m. Monday against either Hesston or these same Labette Cardinals. Conference officials were slated to announce first-round pairings Thursday.
?Now, our new season begins,? Crane said. ?This is what we?ve wanted to do. Now, it?s time to see what more we can accomplish.?
The game was nip-and-tuck through much of the first quarter before Allen rallied at the end of the period to take a 21-15 lead. Labette stayed within arm?s length ? in large part because of early foul trouble against the Red Devils ? before ACC?s Mafala Chambel beat the buzzer with a basket to push Allen ahead, 34-26, at the break.
Allen found its groove coming out of intermission, starting the third quarter with an 8-0 run to push the lead to 16.
Ironically, it was a pair of 3-pointers from Labette?s Denym Sanders midway through the third quarter that triggered Allen?s run to take full control.
Sanders? second trey made it a 10-point game, but she was whistled for a technical foul for taunting the raucous Allen cheering section as she retreated up the sidelines.
Allen?s Noa Muranaka hit a pair of free throws before Sara Ortiz scored inside to push Allen ahead 46-32. The four-point possession triggered a 12-2 Allen run to extend the lead to 54-34 late in the quarter.
With foul trouble limiting ACC?s two leading scorers, Sarang West and Khassidy Warr for much of the night, Ortiz stepped in nicely to lead the way.
She hit 9 of 11 field goals to score a game-high 18. West, Warr and Abigail Alvarez each reached double figures with 11 points apiece. Warr also had 10 rebounds. West had four assists and three steals. Muranaka dished out seven assists. Alvarez pulled in nine boards.
?The times we did put pressure on the ball, it made a big difference,? Crane said. ?We just didn?t do it consistently enough. We were reaching, not moving our feet like we were supposed to.
?We?ve forgotten our identity,? she continued. ?We?ve gotten here because we work hard and we play good defense and we rebound the basketball. We?re a blue-collar team. We work hard and we get after it. I think we did a little too much celebrating our success.?
The challenge to progress through the Region VI Tournament likely hinges on the team?s mentality, Crane noted.
?Playing teams a third time in a season is hard,? she said. ?It?s a new season, and if you lose, you?re finished. If you want to go on, you?ve gotta keep winning.?
The Region VI semifinal and final rounds will be held March 8 and 9 at the Johnson County Community College campus in Overland Park.
Winning those would clinch a berth in the NJCAA-Division II National Women?s Tournament in Joplin March 18-23.
Article and photo credit: Richard Luken