Cross helps Vanoss cross up Allen girls
Jan. 27—VANOSS — In arguably her best game since returning from injury, Vanoss point guard Caidence Cross led her team to a thrilling 46-44 come-from-behind win over previously unbeaten Allen Thursday night inside the Kenneth D. Smith Memorial Fieldhouse.
Vanoss, ranked No. 6 in Class 2A, improved to 17-2 on the year while Allen — No. 5 in Class A — fell from the ranks of the unbeaten at 17-1.
The Lady Mustangs led by as many at 15 in the first half before Vanoss rallied over the final two quarters.
"I'm proud of my kids. It's been a long week. We haven't played in two weeks and it showed," said Vanoss head coach Jonathon Hurt. "We showed a lot of character coming back from a 15-point deficit against a solid Allen team."
In the boys' contest, Allen won for the 13th straight time, pulling away from the Wolves in a 58-39 win. The Mustangs, ranked No. 9 in Class A, improved to 18-1 on the year, while Vanoss — No. 15 in Class 2A — dipped to 11-8.
Both Allen clubs are set to tangle with Latta in a Tuesday night road trip, while Vanoss makes a trip to Silo on Tuesday.
GIRLS
Vanoss 46, Allen 44
Allen tried to take control of the game in the early going, quickly building a double-digit lead at 14-4. The Lady Mustangs pushed their lead to 25-14 by halftime.
Vanoss began its comeback with a 15-6 surge in the third quarter to get within 31-29. The Lady Wolves then outscored Allen 17-13 in the fourth period to rally for the victory.
"It was a good first half for us offensively and defensively. The third quarter was tough for us. We couldn't get shots to fall. Vanoss has a lot to do with that. Their length causes a lot of problems," Allen head coach Dottie Slabaugh said. Cross scored 12 of her team-high 18 points in the fourth quarter for the Lady Wolves.
No other VHS player reached double figures. Avery Ellis scored eight points for the hosts, while both Zoey Cagle and Livi Ellis contributed six points apiece. Livi Ellis sank a pair of 3-pointers, while Cagle, Addi Sheppard, and Cross each made one 3-point basket.
Allen got a game-best 19 points from Cherish Woodward, who sank one triple and finished 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Ava Laden also reached double figures for the visitors with 10 points. She sank a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight points in Allen's first-quarter surge.
Stoney Cully added seven points for the Lady Mustangs.
Allen made 9-of-11 free throws in the contest, while Vanoss sank 9-of-17 (52.9%) attempts.
BOYS
Allen 58, Vanoss 39
The Mustangs got off to a hot start, doubling up Vanoss 20-10 in the first quarter. The Mustangs extended their lead to 34-18 by halftime.
Allen used a 17-10 run in the third period — led by freshman post-player Gus Matthews — to forge a 51-28 advantage.
"Allen is really good. Coach Mills always has them prepared," said Vanoss boys coach Jonathon Hurt. "They hurt us in transition. We are young and just have to start doing the little things better."
Brayden Tatum led all scorers with 16 points, including one 3-pointer. Matthews and Keithon Howard added 12 points apiece for the visitors. Matthews scored 11 of his 12 points during the AHS third-quarter spurt.
Bodie Garrett contributed seven points to the Allen offense.
Logan Hulbutta paced the Vanoss offense with 10 points. Both Dyllan Brown and Jarin Factor scored nine points. Hulbutta and Factor both hit 3-pointers for the home team.
Vanoss finished 8-of-13 from the free-throw line, while Allen made 6-of-8 attempts.
