Late Free Throw Lifts Saints Over Allen

IOLA, Kan. – A week after a devastating free throw performance, the Seward County men’s basketball team used a pair of free throws by Reggie Miller to complete a comeback victory over the (RV) Allen Red Devils 68-66.

 

After the Red Devils jumped out to an early 9-4 lead, the Saints kept Allen away from the basket for the next five minutes, tying the Red Devils with a Hegel Augustin layup.  However, the Red Devils retook the lead just moments later. Allen connected on a three to make it a three-point game after Seward tied it at 11, but in the seconds leading up to the media timeout, a five-point outburst by the Saints gave Seward their first lead of the game at 16-14.

 

The teams struggled to put the ball in the basket coming out of the media timeout, but with six minutes left in the half, the Red Devils connected on a three to tie the game at 18 before overtaking the Saints with a layup a few possessions later, 22-19. Allen took a six-point lead with three minutes to go until Ramiro Santiago score five of the next seven points to give Seward a 26-25 lead with just over a minute to play in the half. Seward ended on a 9-2 run to take a 28-27 lead into the break.

 

It was all Allen to start the second half, going on a 12-2 run to start the half before the Saints were forced to take a timeout to try and slow the Red Devils. Allen pushed their lead to double-digits with a pair of free throws to make the score 42-32. Through the first ten minutes, the Saints were held to just 10 points, as they trailed 45-38 at the media timeout.

 

Coming out of the media timeout, the Saints started gaining some steam, cutting the Red Devil lead to three points after Reggie Miller connected on three from the corner, forcing a timeout from Allen. On the ensuing possession, Miller came away with a steal and fast break layup to cap a 9-0 run.

 

After cutting the lead to one on three different occasions, Hegel Augustin drilled a step-back three to tie the game at 54 with 4:30 left in the game. Mohamed Selmi connected on a layup two possessions later to give Seward the two-point lead. With 18.6 seconds left, a pair of Allen free throws tied the game at 66. Miller drove to the basket with two seconds left, drawing a foul to head to the charity stripe, drilling both to give Seward the two-point lead. A last second half-court heave rimmed out for the Red Devils as the Saints won 68-66.

 

Seward shot 43 percent (24-56) from the floor and 28 percent (5-18) from deep. The Red Devils converted 41 percent (20-49) of their shots and 42 percent (8-19) from behind the arc.

 

The Saints needed career-nights from Hegel Augustin and Reggie Miller to complete the comeback.  Augustin came away with 22 points off 8-of-16 shooting, while Miller finished with 20 points, including 7-for-9 from the free throw line.  Mohamed Selmi finished with 10 points.

 

Seward will be back in action next Wednesday (Dec. 12) when they host Cowley at 8:00 p.m. in the Greenhouse.