It is hard to win a game if you give up 49 percent shooting. It makes it nearly impossible when your top two guards combine to shoot just 26 percent.
That is the situation that the Allen Community College men’s basketball team found itself in on Wednesday night against Butler Community College. The Red Devils fell 89-74 to the Grizzlies.
“It’s all on the defensive end right now,” Allen coach Andy Shaw said. “The last couple of games, we’re letting teams shoot 50 percent or right around it and you’re not going to beat anybody in this league when you let them shoot 50 percent… Giving up 50 percent is a recipe to get you beat.”
Jermaine Long — the Red Devils’ leading scorer this season — only shot 2-for-10 from the field and continued the shooting slump that he has been mired in lately.
“Teams are keying in on him because they know he’s a big part of our gameplay,” Shaw said. “They are making it tough for him to get any good looks. They are throwing multiple bodies at him and are frustrating him right now.”
Long also appeared to be suffering from cramps late in the game after playing nearly 36 minutes.
“We weren’t able to get him a lot of rest,” Shaw said. “He played really hard… and it was a very physical game.”
To make things worse, Allen point guard Darnell Jones-Bowie also struggled, shooting only 3-for-9 from the field.
“Part of it is something they have to fight through,” Shaw said. “Part of it is we have got to find a way to get them open shots.”
With their two leaders not able to get the ball in the basket consistently, the Red Devils turned to sophomore Jameel Henson and freshman DaRon Mims.
“(Henson) played very well,” Shaw said. “He played hard. He really brought it tonight. I wish we had other guys that played with the same spirit that he did. We had some, but we just need more guys to contribute in a positive way.”
Henson was able to lead the team with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Mims made eight out of his 10 shots and scored 18.
“DaRon played well,” Shaw said. “He was a spark.”
Even with their stellar play, it wasn’t enough to top the Grizzlies, who were able to capitalize on Red Devil mistakes to create scoring chances for themselves. These chances became more frequent as the game continued.
Despite an early lead, the Red Devils trailed 42-30 at halftime.
