It wasn’t easy — no Jayhawk Conference games are — but Allen Community College’s women handled the task before them Saturday by fending off Fort Scott Community College.
Sophomore DaNara Day scored 22 points as the Red Devils pulled away in the second half to defeat the short-handed Greyhounds, 68-52.
The win lifts Allen to 13-11 on the season and 6-6 in Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division play. More importantly, the win keeps the Red Devils in third place in Region VI standings.
Fort Scott didn’t go down without a fight. Even without a single reserve player — all five starters played all 40 minutes — the Greyhounds were within 27-26 at the start of the second half.
That’s when Allen’s Ebonie Jones drained a 3-pointer to trigger a 19-4 run to put Allen in front 46-30.
Fort Scott got no closer than 11 points down the stretch.
Allen coach Mark James was effusive in his praise of the Greyhounds, and with his own team’s second-half execution.
“They’re struggling with numbers, but they’re a good team,” James said. “They’re going to beat somebody. We’re just glad it wasn’t us.”
The Red Devils also received a key boost from reserve Ronesha Hall, who scored all seven of her points in a two-minute stretch in the second half, giving the Red Devils a 53-36 lead.
“Ronesha has played big for us,” James said. “She’s stepped up her offensive game lately. You never know when it begins to click for a freshman. She struggled early this year, but she’s become a big asset for us.”
Fort Scott’s Malori Gales kept the game from being a runaway. She drained five 3-pointers as the Greyhounds kept pace after Allen’s big second-half spurt. Rebecca Fischer’s field goal with just over four minutes remaining pulled Fort Scott to within 58-47.
Leslie Ware responded with a basket, followed by a Day 3-pointer and a Maggie Stithem bucket to re-establish an 18-point lead.
“DaNara is DaNara,” James said. “She did a nice job of getting to the basket. I’m glad to have her on my side.”
James wasn’t as impressed with Allen’s first half, which he described as “lackluster.”
The teams traded leads four times in the game’s first 20 minutes.
Endesha Flanigan’s basket gave the Red Devils a 14-8 lead before Fort Scott responded with a 12-2 run, including two 3-pointers by Gales. A pair of D’Shawna Lee baskets gave the Greyhounds a 23-19 lead with 3:26 left in the half. Day keyed a Red Devil comeback with a bucket at the 2:55 mark, and a free throw with just over a minute left. Ware’s 3-pointer with 38 seconds remaining gave Allen a 26-23 lead at halftime.
“We certainly didn’t inspire anyone with our first 20 minutes of basketball,” James said. “But we preach each game, as well as each season, is a marathon, rather than a sprint. And sometimes I have to remember that myself.”
Miracle Davis, Kayla Morton and Hannah Blackwell pulled down five rebounds each. Davis had five assists. Day pulled in three steals.
Gales scored 22 to lead Fort Scott. Lee followed with 15.
Allen returns home Wednesday to host Neosho County.
Fort Scott (23-29—52)
Allen (25-43—68)
Fort Scott (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Horn 0-0-2-0, Fisher 3/1-0-2-9, Gales 2/5-3-1-22, McKenzie 3-0-4-6, Lee 5-5-1-15. TOTALS: 13/6-8-10-52.
Allen (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Jones 1/1-0-1-5, Davis 2-0-2-4, Day 6/3-1-0-22, Flanigan 2-0-0-4, Redmond 0/1-0-1-3, Peel 1/1-0-0-5, Taiclet 1-0-0-2, Ware 1/1-0-1-5, Blackwell 1/1-1-2-6, Hall 3-1-2-7, Stithem 1/1-0-0-5. TOTALS: 19/9-3-9-68.
Red Devils prevail
