Allen Community College?s women may have something special brewing this basketball season.

The Red Devils emerged from their winter break Saturday with a dominating defensive performance.

Allen limited visiting Crowder to 36% shooting, while holding a 45 to 17 rebounding advantage in a 72-40 romp.

The win lifts Allen to 12-2 on the season.

?Our first semester was very successful,? ACC head coach Leslie Crane said. ?We just have to keep rolling.?

Crane credited a scrimmage last week at Cowley County Community College as the impetus for ACC?s crisp play on Saturday.

?It really helped us get our minds back to where they needed to be,? Crane said. ?Defensively, we were in passing lanes and doing lots of good things.?

Sarang West gave ACC the early advantage, scoring 13 of her team-high 17 points in the first half as Allen led 19-10 after one quarter and 37-19 at the break.

Crowder came out strong in the third quarter, briefly slicing Allen?s lead to 14, before another Red Devil run put the game away.

?I was pleased,? Crane said. ?We definitely came out and wanted to make sure there was no doubt. They?re a good club over there.?

Reserve guard Mafala Chambel was a key protagonist in the second half, disrupting the Crowder guards repeatedly. She wound up with 14 points

Crane praised Allen?s ability to spread the wealth. Noa Muranaka added 11 points, while Khassidy Warr added eight points and Khamille Warr six.

Khassidy Warr also had 10 rebounds, Khamille pulled in seven boards.

?We had more rebounds than they had points,? Crane said. ?That?s hard to do.?

Allen hosts Southeast Nebraska on Wednesday before Jayhawk Conference starts Saturday at home against Hesston.

?I?m happy for the kids,? Crane said. ?We?re getting good effort out of all of them. We?re having good practices, and they?re really working hard.?

Credit: RICHARD LUKEN - THE IOLA REGISTER