Allen Community College women’s head coach Todd Buchanan is searching for answers after his team lost another halftime lead and fell to Coffeyville Community College 73-50.
“Third quarter is our nemesis,” Buchanan said. “We can’t figure out why, what, how. At the end of the day, I’ve come to realize they are still struggling with learning how to win. I don’t know what psychologically, but when we are within striking distance and come in with a lead, I don’t know if it freaks them out.”
Despite the defeat, Buchanan says there are signs of improvement in his inexperienced group of Red Devils and that they continue to improve despite their record.
“Overall, I can’t tell you how proud I am,” Buchanan said. “ I thought we played some of our best basketball to date.”
Ball handling plagued Allen again as the Red Devils struggled to handle Coffeyville’s press.
“Turnovers, turnovers,” Buchanan said. “We don’t execute. We turn it over. We put our heads down and we don’t fight back for about two and a half periods, and that is the difference in the game. That’s the difference between great teams, good teams and teams that are trying to find their way. We are certainly trying to find our way.”
The points Coffeyville was able to get of turnovers spelled the end for Allen in their lopsided third quarter.
“When we miss an easy shot and we put our head down for any length of time, it is a live-ball turnover basically because a team like that, they are so athletic, they will take it and go,” Buchanan said.
Allen point guard Ashley Washington struggled with the traps and press for most of the night and was frustrated into several miscues.
“I think number one she tries to do too much with the basketball,” Buchanan said.
In order to help break the press, Buchanan used DaMonica Franklin in a ‘point forward’ role with great success in the second quarter when they were able to go on a run and take a 28-27 halftime lead.
“When they come and jump us, we use the size differential to see over the trap,” Buchanan said of using Franklin as a point forward.
During the second quarter run, Franklin was able to break the press and find Allen’s top shooter Hailey Wilson for 3-point baskets.
“It’s everything,” Buchanan said of Wilson’s shooting. “She does what she does.”
Statistics were unavailable.
Allen hosts Cottey College at 6 p.m. Monday.
“At the end of the day, it is not knowing how to win, trying to learn how to win, stay together and being consistent,” Buchanan said. “Right now we are obviously failing in all three categories.”
Red Devil women lose another halftime lead
