“If they’re No. 1, then we should be No. 2,” Allen coach Leslie Crane declared Wednesday following the Red Devils’ 81-71 home loss to Johnson County Community College.
A hot hand beyond the arc and solid free-throw shooting down the final stretch sank the unranked Red Devils.
Crane did not seem discouraged. Despite the loss, Allen led JCCC in multiple statistical categories.
“We left it all out there tonight. We played hard,” Crane said. “We did a lot of good things. They kept fighting. It’s just when you can’t rely on walking up to the free-throw line and getting those free points that it gets frustrating.”
Free-throws seemed to nag the Red Devils all night as the Cavaliers incrementally added to their lead despite a strong offensive performance by Allen. The Red Devils had three players score in double-digits, including freshman guard Karizma Johnson and sophomore guard Nikki Gear, who both scored 11 points coming off the bench.
“We outrebounded them 51-46 and our turnovers were the same,” Crane said. “It was just the free-throw line. That was the difference in the game. That’s something we can control and we’re not doing a very good job of controlling it. We have got to have faith in ourselves.”
Despite facing foul trouble since early in the first half, a pair of aggressive putbacks by forward Joniya Lewis pulled Allen within two possessions in the third quarter. Sophomore center Yolaine Luthi was also a force underneath while leading a late charge with sophomore forward Jalynn Weakley, but it was not enough to close the gap.
With the win, the Cavaliers finished the regular season as undefeated Jayhawk Conference champions at 12-0 and undefeated in the regular season at 30-0. Allen is third in conference standings at 7-4, one game behind rival Neosho, and 15-9 overall. Luthi ended the night with a double-double on a team-leading 22-point, 11-rebound performance. Johnson had a team-leading three steals. Freshman guard Jennyfer Gros and sophomore forward Juana Rojas tied for the team lead in assists with three each.
The Red Devils wrap up the regular season on the road Saturday against the Highland Scots and will likely host their first regional tournament game Tuesday. Crane hopes to carry their momentum from Wednesday into Saturday and into the postseason.
Tip-off for Saturday’s game is at 1 p.m.
