After opening the 2025-2026 season ranked ninth in the most recent NJCAA rankings, the Allen Red Devils had something to prove in Saturday's home opener against Ottawa Reserves.

The Allen Red Devils seem out to prove that their No. 9 ranking by the NJCAA is not fluke after edging the Ottawa University Reserves 70-63 Saturday.

The Red Devils treated area fans to some familiar faces during the home opener, but their new faces in the lineup stole the show.

With both teams taking a long look at their bench players, some of Allen’s younger players got to take center stage. Freshman forward Joniya Lewis saw significant time for Iola while scoring a team-leading 17 points. Sophomore guard Tawhirkura Doyle, a 2024-2025 lineup regular, scored 15 points in her 2025-2026 debut.

Aside from an uptick in 3-pointers in the second quarter, the Red Devils had a lead throughout.

Freshman forward Emma Varennes had 10 points in her Red Devil debut. Sophomore guard Juana Rojas proved she hasn’t missed a step since Allen’s deep run at the regional tournament with 7 points including a 3-pointer.

Under the basket, sophomore center Yalaine Luthi had a team-leading six rebounds, followed by Varennes with three, who also had the team lead in steals with four and tied Rojas for assists with four each, and registered the only block of the evening.

Luthi also had 6 points while another familiar face in sophomore Nikki Gear had 4 points.

Article Credit and Photo: Iola Register