If the Ankeny girls’ basketball team is going to win the CIML Iowa Conference title, the Hawkettes can’t afford to lose the games they are expected to win.
Tuesday’s contest against visiting Fort Dodge was one of those games.
The Dodgers put up a good fight before ninth-ranked Ankeny pulled away in the second half for a 63-38 victory. The Hawkettes closed the game with a 33-7 run to erase a 31-30 deficit.
“Overall, I was proud of our response to some adversity and figuring some things out on the fly for a young team,” said Ankeny coach Dru McAnelly.
Ankeny jumped out to an early 11-2 lead before Fort Dodge rallied. The Dodgers closed to within 27-20 at halftime, then opened the second half with an 11-3 run to take the lead.
“We got off to a good start,” McAnelly said. “But then Fort Dodge threw some different defenses at us with some zone looks. Our offense got a little stagnant.”
Ankeny eventually found its shooting stroke from the outside and took control down the stretch. The Hawkettes made 9-of-21 attempts from 3-point range (42.9 percent).
Fort Dodge was outscored, 22-4, in the fourth quarter.
“I thought our defense really (fueled the) rally,” Dodgers coach Scott Messerly told the Fort Dodge Messenger. “We played a pretty solid second quarter, then came out in the third with great hustle and a real sense of urgency. We were battling, defending and rebounding.
“They hit some 3s after that and we stopped guarding the way we were. Then we made some foolish turnovers and that was it. It snowballed on us. We just weren’t valuing the basketball on a consistent enough basis, especially in that fourth quarter,” he added.
Savannah Gage led Ankeny with 15 points, while Jenna Pitz had 14. Karsen Jacks had a trio of 3-pointers and added 11 points.
“Anytime we get those three girls in double figures, we’re pretty successful,” McAnelly said.
Gage and Pitz also had six assists and two steals apiece. Jasmine Moser grabbed eight rebounds.
Lainey Maehl scored 12 points to lead Fort Dodge, nine of them in the third quarter. The Dodgers shot just 31.0 percent from the field (13-of-42) and committed 20 turnovers.
“We just need someone to take charge and make a stop, hit a shot or get to the foul line (when the droughts occur),” Messerly told the Messenger. “Something to get the momentum back in our favor. When you’re on the road especially, you have to make your own breaks.”
It was the third straight win for Ankeny, which improved to 4-0 in the conference and 7-2 overall. The Hawkettes had been idle since posting a 44-41 victory over No. 11 Waukee Northwest on Dec. 17.
Fort Dodge’s records dropped to 2-2 and 3-6. The Dodgers’ two league victories came against previously winless Ames and Marshalltown, who were a combined 0-19 before the Bobcats posted a 36-24 win at Ames on Tuesday.
Ankeny will travel to Mason City on Friday for another conference game against the Mohawks (4-6).
