The Allen Red Devils hosted the Neosho County Panthers on Monday night, rallying for a thrilling 87–78 double-overtime comeback victory.
Neosho County controlled much of the first half, knocking down four three-pointers on 14 attempts while Allen connected on just two shots from beyond the arc. The Panthers also held the edge in the paint, shooting 48.4 percent compared to Allen’s 38.7 percent, taking a 35–31 lead into halftime.
The second half saw the momentum begin to slowly shift. The two teams traded baskets early before Allen started to find its rhythm offensively. The Red Devils connected on seven three-pointers in the second half (OT), compared to five from Neosho, keeping the contest within one possession late. Allen eventually tied the game to force overtime and then did it again to push the game into a second extra period.
Feeding off the home crowd, Allen took control in the second overtime, pulling away to secure the conference rival win.
Freshman guard Clyde Davis Jr. led Allen with 21 points, shooting 37 percent from three-point range. Jayson Demcher added 13 points, knocking down 66 percent of his attempts from deep.
Allen also received balanced scoring throughout the lineup, with Sheen Saunders and Moses Stephenson each scoring 12 points, while Nyjah Noyes added 10.
The Red Devils bench played a key role, outscoring Neosho’s reserves 26–18. Allen also held the rebounding advantage, securing 54 percent of total rebounds, including 48 percent on the offensive glass and 60 percent defensively.
With the win, Allen improves to 12–8 overall and 3–1 in KJCCC Division II play, currently sitting third in the conference standings. The Red Devils return to action on Feb. 4, hosting Highland (14–8, 2–3 KJCCC) at 8:00 p.m.
