HUTCHINSON — Upset-minded Allen Community College’s Red Devils weren’t able to pull it off Tuesday in the first round of the NJCAA Region VI, Division I basketball playoffs.
The Red Devils led one time — 4-2 on two baskets by sophomore Terrell Shears — with 18:40 left in the first half.
After that, the hosting Hutchinson Community College’s Blue Dragons, ranked 19th in the country, controlled the contest on their way to a 76-64 win.
Allen made several runs at the Blue Dragons in the game but the Dragons held the Red Devils off and ended Allen’s season. The Red Devils finish at 14-17 overall.
When the Red Devils led 4-2, the Dragons used a 9-2 run to gain the lead for good. Hutchinson was up 20-9 when freshman Seth Walden drained a three-pointer and sophomore Canon Fields’ field goal made it 22-14.
Another five-point surge on a basket by sophomore Terrence Williams and a trey by Shears pulled the Red Devils to within three, 24-21, at the 2:12 mark of the first half. The Dragons increased their lead to 29-21 by halftime.
After a quick 4-2 run at the start of the second half that cut the margin to seven, 32-25, the Red Devils got pushed back by the Dragons, who rattled off 10 unanswered points. Hutchinson stretched things out to its largest lead of the night, 63-42, with six minutes remaining.
Allen shot 34 percent, 22 of 64, from the field while Hutchinson connected on 26 of 60 from the field for 43 percent.
The Dragons held a 46 to 36 rebounding edge. They also had an advantage at the free-throw line.
Hutchinson cashed in on 21 of 26 free throw attempts while Allen went to the line 19 times, hitting 13.
Shears finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds for Allen. Williams scored 12 points and Walden had 11 points, which included three threes. Fields was credited with seven assists.
Rozell Nunn, who had a seven-point run to bolster the Dragons to a 21-point lead, led all scorers with 18 points. He was 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. A.J. Spencer added 14 points, Anthony Thomas had 13 and Mark Braden scored 10.
Allen (21-43—64) (FG/3-pt): Myrick 0-1-3-1, Anderson 3/1-0-1-9, Romeus 0/1-0-1-3, Fields 1-0-1-2, Jordan 0-2-0-2, Hollis 1/1-2-1-7, Williams 5-2-1-12, Walden 0/3-2-1-11, Shears 4/1-4-5-15, Tripplett 0-0-3-0, Daniel 1-0-5-2. TOTALS: 15/7-13-22-64.
Hutchinson (29-47—76) (FG/3-pt): Allen 0-0-1-0, Braden 3-4-2-10, Davis 2-3-3-7, Spease 2-0-1-4, Thomas 2/2-3-2-13, Pyle 1-0-1-2, Spencer 5-4-1-14, Schultz 2/1-0-2-7, Buckley 1-0-0-2, Nunn 5-7-2-17. TOTALS: 23/3-21-15-76.
