A month ago, the Jag-Hawk basketball doubleheader produced a pair of games that weren’t as close as many people expected them to be.
The Ankeny Centennial girls’ team built an 11-point halftime lead and cruised to a 57-37 victory over the Hawkettes. Then, in the boys’ game, Ankeny allowed just 10 points in the first half and rolled to a 58-48 win over the Jaguars.
So who will prevail on Friday when the Centennial teams travel to the south side for a rematch? Here is a breakdown of both contests:
GIRLS
Ankeny
Coach: Dru McAnelly
Record: 9-2, 14-6
Current ranking: 12th in Class 5A by the IGHSAU
Streak: Lost 1
Leading scorer: Jenna Pitz (11.1)
Leading rebounder: Karsen Jacks (4.6)
Centennial
Coach: Scott DeJong
Record: 10-1, 18-2
Current ranking: 3rd in Class 5A by the IGHSAU and 5th in The Des Moines Register’s Super 10 all-class rankings
Streak: Won 12
Leading scorer: Cleao Murray (14.2)
Leading rebounder: Kennedy White (6.9)
Series history: Centennial leads, 17-0
Last meeting: Centennial won, 57-37
Analysis: The Hawkettes are still seeking their first win against Centennial. They entered last month’s game at Centennial in sole possession of first place in the conference, but the Jaguars got 20 points from junior guard Makenna Clark and romped to their 15th double-digit win in 17 career meetings against Ankeny. That triumph is part of Centennial’s current winning streak, which was extended to 12 games on Tuesday with a 41-31 win over No. 5 Dowling Catholic. The Jaguars have already clinched at least a share of the league title, but Ankeny can force a tie for the crown with a win. The Hawkettes have enjoyed an historic season thus far, knocking off then-No. 6 Valley and Dowling en route to the most victories in a season since the split into two high schools. But can Ankeny finally get over the hump and defeat the Jaguars for the first time? Prior to last month’s game, the Hawkettes had appeared to close the gap between the two programs. And perhaps they have, but Centennial’s decisive win showed that the Jaguars still own the upper hand in the rivalry. Senior Cleao Murray has been playing like an all-stater in recent weeks, averaging 17.4 points over the last eight games. She has had four games with 20 or more points during that stretch. Although Ankeny badly wants to end its losing skid to the Jaguars, Murray and the other Centennial seniors–Elle Street, Ella Becker and the injured Olivia Anderson–are also highly motivated. They want to win the outright conference title while also finishing their high school careers undefeated against their rival.
Prediction: Centennial 48-42. In each of the last three years, the second meeting between the two teams has been closer than the first. This one won’t be decided until the fourth quarter, but the Jaguars will find a way to escape with the road win.
BOYS
Ankeny
Coach: Brandt Carlson
Record: 8-3, 14-4
Current ranking: 6th in Class 4A by The Associated Press and 3rd in The Des Moines Register’s Super 10 all-class rankings
Streak: Lost 1
Leading scorer: Ryan Crandall (11.4)
Leading rebounder: Ryan Crandall (8.5)
Centennial
Coach: Bob Fontana
Record: 5-5, 10-7
Current ranking: 10th in Class 4A by The Associated Press
Streak: Won 1
Leading scorer: Chris Louis (11.6)
Leading rebounder: Reece Robinson (6.9)
Series history: Centennial leads, 9-8
Last meeting: Ankeny won, 58-48
Analysis: The Hawks ended a four-game losing streak against Centennial with a 10-point victory last month that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. Ankeny dominated the first three quarters, building a 40-17 lead before the Jaguars erupted for 31 points in the final period. Former Centennial players Lio Aguirre and JJ Kohl combined for 25 points in the win, and they also grabbed 20 rebounds to help the Hawks to a 36-31 advantage on the boards. Chris Louis had 18 points for the Jaguars, but 10 of them came in the fourth quarter after the outcome was already decided. Ankeny opened a lot of eyes on Jan. 28 with a 74-63 victory at then-No. 3 Waukee Northwest, overcoming a 37-point effort by the Wolves’ Pryce Sandfort. That win showed that the Hawks may not just be a contender to reach the state tournament–they could be a threat to win their second Class 4A crown in three years. Centennial has bounced back from a rough start to have a nice season, but the Jaguars simply haven’t beaten the same quality of opponents. Only three of their wins have come against teams with a winning record.(Des Moines Lincoln, Des Moines Hoover and Marshalltown). The Jaguars struggled to score against Ankeny’s physical defense last month, and that will likely be the case again on Friday.
Prediction: Ankeny 54-45. The Hawks have already lost twice on their home court (to No. 1 Ames and Waukee Northwest), and it isn’t likely to happen again. This is a team that can beat you several different ways offensively, and they can overcome an occasional scoring drought by shutting down their opponent at the other end. Ankeny is also coming off an overtime loss at Des Moines Hoover on Tuesday, so I would expect the Hawks to come out with their best effort. Look for Ankeny to win another defensive battle that would tie the all-time series at 9-9.
