For 10 blistering minutes, Allen Community College’s women and Neosho County’s Panthers were engaged in a scintillating back-and-forth affair.
Multiple lead changes and hot outside shooting for both teams meant neither could get much of an advantage.
But as the second quarter arrived, Allen’s offense hit the skids while Neosho’s kept humming along in high gear.
The Panthers opened the second period on an 18-3 run and never looked back in a 91-56 victory.
Neosho’s lead swelled to 19 before Allen’s Addison Towe and Hallie Reed ended the half with 3-pointers for the Red Devils to slice the deficit to 49-34.
But a 14-0 Neosho County run to start the second half erased any potential for drama in the second half.
The Red Devils struggled from outside after the break. After hitting 7 of 15 treys to open the game, ACC went 1 of 10 from beyond the arc in the third and fourth quarters.
Reed led the way with 10 points — all in the first half — while Melody Wilfong and Caleah Oliver added nine and eight points, respectively. Reed also led with five rebounds. Adji Mbaye had a pair of steals.
Aubrey Ball led four Neosho players in double figures with 20.
Neosho Co. (20-29-25-17—91) (FG/3pt): House 5/1-3-11, Hunt 3/2-1-0-13, Timer 0-0-3-0, Duran 4-0-1-8, Jones 1/3-1-3-12, Weaver 0-0-5-0, Williams 2/1-0-1-7, Escareno 4-0-1-8, Perkins 1-1-3-3, Ball 7/1-3-1-20, Eytcheson 0/2-1-2-7, Dimattia 1-0-1-2. TOTALS: 28/9-8-24-91.
Allen (21-13-11-11—56) (FG/3pt): Oliver 4-0-0-8, Byrd 0-0-1-0, Reed 1/2-2-2-10, Garcia 1-2-1-4, Tow 0/1-2-0-5, Wilfong 0/3-0-2-9, Mbaye 0-0-1-0, Holloway 0/1-2-2-5, Burns 1/1-1-2-6, Tally 2-0-1-4. TOTALS: 9/8-14-14-56.
