After two consecutive blowout losses at the hands of the Allen Red Devils, the Hesston Larks gave Allen an early scare, leading 21-4 at one point, but Allen rallied back to take the lead with just a few minutes left in regulation.

After routing Hesston College 81-64 last month, the Allen Community College Red Devils? received an unexpected challenge Monday, escaping their postseason opener with an 84-81 victory.

With the Larks jumping out to a 21-4 lead early in the first half, the Red Devils clawed their way back into contention until taking the lead late in the second half on a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Tyler Pinder, who had a team-leading 32 points.

?It?s hard to beat a team three times, and Hesston played a great game. Our defense wasn?t up to the normal standards but we showed toughness and grit to hang in that game,? said Allen coach Patrick Nee.

While Pinder?s heroics took center stage in the second half, freshman guard Mike Smith provided Allen with an early push to get back into contention. As the defense solidified in preventing second-chance opportunities on one side of the court, Smith found the net on

three of the Red Devils? next four possessions.

Just before the buzzer, freshman guard Malachi Schilreff drove to the basket to put Allen in a much more manageable 46-35 deficit going into halftime.

While Pinder had a team-leading 32 points, and rebounds with eight to Smith?s five, Monday seemed a team effort. Nearly four players reached double-digits in scoring. Each Red Devil had to play a unique role with fouls mounting for both squads, requiring Coach Nee to go to his bench. Midway through the second half, Allen went on a 10-2 run with Pinder?s 3-pointer giving the Red Devils their first lead of the evening 61-60.

The game devolved into a dogfight with numerous lead changes. After having success in the first half, Hesston went back to its full-court press. Allen broke through, lofting a pass to Schilreff for an easy bucket to put the Red Devils up 81-78.

Moments later, Hesston made a crucial mistake in fouling Schilreff, who had been perfect at the free-throw line and remained perfect as he gave Allen an 84-81 lead with 2.4 seconds left on the clock.

Schilreff ended the night third in scoring with 19 points, behind Smith?s 21-point performance and Pinder?s 32. With the win, the Red Devils head to Overland Park for the next leg of the regional tournament. They will take on the Johnson County Community College Cavaliers at 3 p.m. Friday.

Sophomore forward Tyonn Scott and sophomore guard LJ Hill also were key contributors. ?They gave us great minutes,? Nee said. ?We?re excited for the challenge to play Johnson again. I?m really proud of our guys. That?s my first playoff win as head coach here at Allen, and I?m looking for more to come.?

With the win, the Red Devils improve to 14-15 while the Larks end their season 11-18. Overcoming the Cavaliers (28-3) will not be easy. Similar to how Hesston approached Allen on Monday, the Red Devils will face a JCCC team that has defeated them twice this season. Most recently Allen fell to the Cavaliers 78-53, but as Coach Nee said earlier, it?s never easy beating a team three times.

If Allen wins Friday, they?ll face the winner of the Highland and Kansas City Kansas Community College semifinals game at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Article and Photo Credit: Jimmy Potts