Visiting Kansas City, Kan., Community College posed big problems for the Allen Red Devil women Saturday.
The visiting Blue Devils, and their imposing front line, took advantage of its size advantage from the start, racing to an 18-2 lead five minutes into their game at ACC.
The Red Devils picked themselves off the mat for the balance of the first half, thanks to some hot outside shooting. But that shooting touch went cold in the second half, as KCK rolled to an 80-46 win.
The loss drops the Red Devils to 7-9 on the season as they prepare to kick off Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division play this week. Allen travels to Coffeyville on Wednesday.
“We played well in spurts, but we just couldn’t sustain it,” Allen head coach Katie Mahoney said. “Their strength is their post players, and they play a big, physical style.”
The Red Devils scored seven straight points after falling behind 18-2, capped by a Rebecca Fisher 3-pointer and a Makayla Hancock layup that prompted a KCK timeout.
The Blue Devils responded with a 12-0 run to pull ahead, 30-9.
Allen clawed back to within 12 on the heels of a 13-4 run, including back-to-back Jameeshia Armstrong 3-pointers, a Kayli Cleaver jumper and a Kylie Molisee putback.
Kansas City ended the half with five straight points. The Blue Devils’ lead never dipped below 17 in the second half.
Armstrong led the way with 17 points, five assists, five steals and three blocks, while Molisee had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Cleaver and Alisn Stevens both added six points.
Four Blue Devil players reached double figures in scoring, led by Janai Mitchell with 21 points. Bailey West followed with 17 points, Iland Shurn with 15 and Julia Garrard with 13.
Wednesday’s game at Coffeyville is at 6 p.m.
Allen (24-22—46)
KCK (41-39—80)
KCK (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Crawford 0-0-1-0, Mitchell 7-7-4-21, Weber 1/1-0-1-5, Harbert 2-1-1-5, Jiggetts 2-0-3-4, Shurn 6-3-4-15, West 2/4-1-0-17, Garrard 6-1-1-13. TOTALS: 16/5-13-15-80.
Allen (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Hancock 1-0-2-2, Armstrong 2/3-4-2-17, Fisher 0/1-0-5-3, Molisee 5-2-3-12, Winter 0-0-1-0, Cleaver 2-2-0-6, Stevens 0/1-3-2-6. TOTALS: 10/5-11-15-46.
