Allen Community College cranked up the defensive pressure in the second half Monday, triggering one of their most impressive comebacks of the season.
But the first-half hole, which saw visiting Labette shoot a blistering 57% from the field, proved too steep to escape.
The Red Devils whittled a 13-point deficit to one with 2½ minutes left, but Labette was dead-on from the free throw line from there, pulling out a 62-55 victory.
The loss drops Allen to 10-20 to wrap up the regular season with the Region VI playoffs slated to begin next week. Postseason matchups have not yet been announced.
Labette took the lead for good with a 16-4 run midway through the first half before back-to-back 3-pointers from Allen’s Grayson Ryan and David Teele, followed by a traditional 3-point play from Randy Crosby that pared an 11-point deficit to 31-29.
But the Cardinals responded once again, scoring the final 11 points of the half to take a 42-29 lead into the locker room.
The lead yo-yoed between nine and 11 points for much of the second half, and things began looking dire for the Red Devils when starter Killian Spellman crashed into the wall beneath the Labette basket while attempting to block a shot with just under 5 minutes remaining in the contest.
He remained on the floor for several minutes before being helped off the court by the ACC training staff with an apparent lower leg injury.
But even without their second-leading scorer and a nine-point deficit, the Red Devils didn’t go quietly.
Teele’s 3-pointer with just under 4 minutes left pulled ACC to within 56-50. Crosby followed with a layup before Dante Jackson went 1 of 2 from the to make it a 3-point game.
Another defensive stop for the Red Devils was followed by a pair of Crosby charities, making it 56-55 with 2:28 remaining.
But Allen’s offense went dry at the wrong time.
Labette’s Angele Consorte ended what had been a 3½-minute scoring drought with a pair of free throws, and Allen’s next two possessions resulted in missed shots at the rim.
And after a pair of Cardinal free throws, Allen’s last hopes went away after Crosby was called for an offensive foul as he collided with a pair of Labette defenders on another layup attempt with 58 seconds remaining.
Labette’s Christian Yeates went 4-for-4 from the line to cap the scoring.
