GREAT BEND — After four straight conference losses, the Allen County men won their first conference game on Saturday. On Wednesday, they made it two in a row beating a previously undefeated Barton CC of Great Bend 68-65.
Allen County was 0-15 versus Barton, making Wednesday’s victory the first in program history.
The Red Devils are now 3-7 on the season and 2-4 in conference play.
Allen County didn’t start well, falling behind 10-2 early in the first half. A 12-0 run in the final minutes of the first half gave Allen County a 36-32 lead.
The Red Devils continued their run into the second half with eight more unanswered points to take a 12-point lead over Barton.
Allen County led by as much as 14 before an 11-2 run from Barton cut their lead to five with seven minutes to play. Barton got within two but after multiple empty possessions from both teams, Red Devil Jovares Jones nailed a three to keep the Cougars at arm’s length.
With a minute and a half to play, two free throws from the Cougars cut Allen County’s lead to just one point.
Three free throws from Tyler Williams pushed the Red Devil lead out to four with 30 seconds left to play. A foul from Jamaal Clifton put the Cougars at the line with a chance to cut the lead to two but Barton made one and missed one. A Cougar missed a three-pointer to tie it up with five seconds left and the Red Devil’s Cordy Winston grabbed the rebound to secure the win.
Williams continues to be the main scoring threat for the Red Devils, scoring 26 points on 8-17 shooting including a 4-11 clip from behind the arc. Williams also went 6-7 from the free throw line and recorded three assists. Darius Love was the other Red Devil in double figures with 13 points. Jacob Patterson had a team-high 10 rebounds, Clifton had two blocks and four different Red Devils recorded a steal.
ALLEN COUNTY 68,
BARTON 65
Individual Scoring
Allen County (68) – Williams 26, Love 13, Jones 7, C. Winston 7, Patterson 6, A. Winston 6, Clifton 3.
3-pointers- Allen County 7 (Williams 4, C. Winston, Love, Jones).
Meanwhile, the Lady Devils’ struggles continue to persist, falling 81-67 to the Lady Cougars.
The Allen women have lost three straight and seven of their last eight and are 3-7 overall and 1-5 in conference play.
The Lady Devils kept it close in the first half, trailing by only four after the first quarter and five going into halftime.
It wasn’t so much that the Cougars went on a run to blow past the Lady Devils but a more methodical approach that saw them outscore Allen County by four in the third quarter and five in the fourth to earn the 14 point win.
Tamera Shaver had a team-high 16 points on 6-13 shooting. Kamri Summons had 14 points and Destiny Pittman rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points off of the bench. Summons led the team in rebounds with seven, steals with two and assists with two. Jakira Wilson also had two steals. Arial Elzie had a team-high two blocks.
The Red Devils will return home on Saturday to take on Cowley County Community College. The women will play at 2 and the men at 4 p.m.
ALLEN COUNTY 67,
BARTON 81
Individual Scoring
Allen County (67) – Shaver 16, Summons 14, Pittman 11, Bonner 6, Wilson 6, Verge 6, Andrews 4, Seals 2, Patterson 2.
3-pointers- Allen County 6 (Bonner 2, Summons 2, Pittman, Shaver).
PHOTO: Sophomore guard Tyler Williams goes up for lay-up on a Nov. 8 match. Williams scored 26 in the Red Devils win versus Barton on Wednesday. REGISTER/TIMOTHY EVERSON
