The Red Devil women’s basketball team had lost six straight home games and five straight overall heading into Wednesday’s game in Iola against Colby Community College and coach Todd Buchanan wasn’t willing to mess in this one.
Allen fell behind 7-0 in the opening minutes against the Trojans and Buchanan had seen enough. He grabbed five of his six bench players and sent them into the game for his five starters — Kamri Summons, Tamera Shaver, Katelyn Swanson, Akia Andrews and DaMonica Franklin.
That decision paid off after the starting five returned to spark a 53-47 win.
Buchanan had some quick words with his starting five while the bench unit exchanged a couple of scoreless possessions with the Trojans, then sent those five back into the game.
“We couldn’t have started off any worse, we didn’t do anything right,” Buchanan said. “They get frustrated when they aren’t making shots, but I told them we have to play both sides told them we have to play both sides of the basketball. We have to play defense too and it is all about effort. Call it sending a message or call it whatever, but I gave the other kids an opportunity.”
The Red Devils responded to the wake-up call nine-straight points to grab the lead. That momentum continued through the end of the first quarter, which ended on a Shaver buzzer-beating three point shot to put the Red Devils up 16-11.
“Once we got into the game and really sank our teeth into the game, I thought we did a great job and really settled down,” Buchanan said.
The Red Devils maintained that lead for a majority of the second quarter, but late in the period, the Trojans put together a 7-0 run to tie the game at 22-22. The Red Devils went into halftime with 25-22 lead after a Kori Seals bucket and a free throw from Kendra Houston.
Colby fought back and tied the game at 36-36 at the end of the third quarter.
After the Trojans grabbed a 40-38 lead early in the fourth, Allen turned to their most veteran presence in sophomore DaMonica Franklin.
“We started to feed the beast a little bit,” Buchanan said of Franklin. “I thought she was huge down the stretch.”
Franklin scored an ‘and-one’ to give her team back the lead and on the following possession, the lead grew to three after Franklin scored on a put-back.
“After our tough loss at Neosho, we needed to pull out a win,” Franklin said. “That was the time we need to do it.”
Franklin finished the game with a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds.
The two teams traded scores and then Franklin scored again to give Allen a five-point lead with just over three minutes left.
Colby scored again to cut it one possession, but Franklin answered again with a shot to put them back up five with 2:30 left on the clock.
Free throws and an Andrews basket down the stretch sealed the game and gave Allen the much-needed win.
“We did just enough to weather the storm and get it done,” Buchanan said. “And I’ll take it. Right now, I’ll take it anyway we can get it.”
UP NEXT
On Saturday, the Red Devils travel to Garden City for a 6 p.m. game. Allen beat Garden City earlier this season at home.
The next home game for Allen is next Wednesday when they host Butler Community College at 6 p.m. The game offers a chance to avenge an early-season loss to the Grizzlies.
