A 31-point first quarter ignited the Ankeny girls’ basketball team to a 69-15 victory at Des Moines East in a non-conference game on Saturday.
The eighth-ranked Hawkettes jumped out to a 31-5 lead and extended the margin to 41-10 at halftime. They cruised to their fifth consecutive win, improving to 9-2 on the season.
“The girls came out focused and with a businesslike mentality,” said Ankeny coach Dru McAnelly. “It was nice to get a lot of girls in.”
Savannah Gage led Ankeny with 14 points, while Jadyn Filling and Jenna Pitz each added nine. Pitz made 3-of-5 attempts from 3-point range and also dished out five assists.
Jasmine Moser scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds. Kendra Lewis chipped in seven points, Zoe Shadravan had eight boards, and Karsen Jacks added five assists.
Gage, Lewis and Pitz each had three of the team’s 15 steals. The Hawkettes played without starting forward Katelyn Anderson, who sat out due to an illness.
“We gave the girls some small in-game goals, and they responded very well,” McAnelly said.
East dropped to 1-9 on the season. It was the Scarlets’ seventh loss by more than 40 points.
Ankeny will travel across town on Tuesday for a CIML Iowa Conference showdown at No. 7 Ankeny Centennial. The Hawkettes are seeking their first win ever against the Jaguars.
“We’ve had some good (battles) in the past, but this team has really come together and they’re playing well,” McAnelly said. “We’re going to give it everything we’ve got, that’s for sure.”
Ankeny leads Centennial by one game in the conference race and could take a huge step toward the league title with a victory.
“We control our own destiny right now,” McAnelly said. “We’ve just got to take one day at a time. It’ll be a great game and a huge test. They’re playing phenomenal defense as always. (Coach) Scott (DeJong) will have his group ready to go. But this is why kids play high school sports–for nights like this.”
