• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

  • Home
  • About
    • Support Us
  • News
    • Podcast
  • Hawks
    • Boys’ Track
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Track
      • Schedule
    • Boys’ Soccer
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Boys’ Tennis
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Tennis
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Golf
      • Roster
      • Schedule
  • Jaguars
    • Boys’ Track
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Track
      • Schedule
    • Boys’ Soccer
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Boys’ Tennis
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Tennis
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Golf
      • Roster
      • Schedule

TOTAL MISMATCH: Jaguars romp to 74-6 victory at East in season opener

November 19, 2022 by Dan Holm

Ankeny Centennial’s Tillie Smith looks to pass the ball during Tuesday’s game against Bondurant-Farrar at the North Polk Jamboree. Smith made 4-of-5 3-point shots and scored 14 points to lead the Jaguars to a 74-6 victory in their season opener on Friday at Des Moines East. (Photo by Dan Holm)

The Ankeny Centennial girls’ basketball team will play perhaps the most difficult schedule in program history this season–thanks to the formation of the new nine-team CIML Conference.

Friday’s season opener at Des Moines East might have been one of the few breathers on the Jaguars’ schedule.

Third-ranked Centennial jumped out to a 28-1 lead at the end of the first quarter, extended the margin to 57-3 at halftime and cruised to a 74-6 victory in the non-conference game. It was similar to last year’s meeting at East, when the Jaguars held a 52-5 lead at the break en route to an 82-8 win.

Centennial allowed just six points in a contest for the fourth time ever. All three previous games were against Marshalltown.

“It wasn’t much of a test, and I think we all knew that was the way it was going to be,” said Centennial coach Scott DeJong.

DeJong used 10 different players, and they all scored at least two points. Reserve guard Tillie Smith led the way with 14 points, going 4-for-5 from 3-point range.

Kennedy White chipped in 12 points. Jaeden Pratt added 11.

Averi Porter and Finley Blackmore each scored seven points in the win. Porter also had five assists and four steals.

Maddison Balashaitis grabbed eight rebounds for the Jaguars.

“Everybody got in to play,” DeJong said. “Our bench people played a lot, which is good because we don’t have a real deep team as far as numbers. To get the kids who don’t have much varsity experience some playing time was good. We’re going to need those kids because we’re an up-tempo team, and we’re going to rely on our depth.”

DeJong knows that there won’t be many, if any, mismatches on the rest of his team’s schedule.

“I think every team on our schedule is in the top 15 except for maybe two,” he said.

Centennial will meet a pair of ranked opponents in the next week. The Jaguars will play at No. 11 Des Moines North on Tuesday at 6:15 p.m., then will face No. 13 Iowa City Liberty on Saturday at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, beginning at 2 p.m.

North posted a 16-7 record a year ago. The Polar Bears are led by sophomore post player Amani Jenkins, who averaged 14.0 points and 8.2 rebounds last season.

“We’re excited about the North game,” DeJong said. “(Jenkins) is one of the best players in the country (in the Class of 2025). It’ll be a good test for us.”

Filed Under: Girls' Basketball, Jaguars Tagged With: Featured, Scott DeJong

Primary Sidebar

Support Ankeny Fanatic

Recent Posts

  • Hawks claim Marske Indoor crown; Sickerson named Athlete of the Meet
  • Hawks will have to replace Newhard, but 3 all-conference players are back
  • Clark, White help SW Iowa team to crown at Pizza Ranch All-Star games
  • Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Jasmine Moser, Ankeny girls’ soccer
  • Centennial girls boast high hopes with strong returnees, addition of Peterson

Find Us on Facebook

Ankeny Fanatic

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017

Categories

  • Hawks
    • Fall
      • Boys’ Cross Country
      • Boys’ Golf
      • Football
      • Girls’ Cross Country
      • Girls’ Swimming
      • Volleyball
    • Spring
      • Boys’ Soccer
      • Boys’ Tennis
      • Boys’ Track
      • Girls’ Golf
      • Girls’ Soccer
      • Girls’ Tennis
      • Girls’ Track
    • Summer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
        • Roster
    • Winter
      • Boys’ Basketball
      • Boys’ Bowling
      • Boys’ Swimming
      • Girls’ Basketball
      • Girls’ Bowling
      • Boys’ Wrestling
  • Jaguars
    • Fall
      • Boys’ Cross Country
      • Boys’ Golf
      • Football
      • Girls’ Cross Country
      • Girls’ Swimming
      • Volleyball
    • Spring
      • Boys’ Soccer
      • Boys’ Tennis
      • Boys’ Track
      • Girls’ Golf
      • Girls’ Soccer
      • Girls’ Tennis
      • Girls’ Track
    • Summer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
    • Winter
      • Boys’ Basketball
      • Girls’ Basketball
      • Wrestling
  • Top Sports Stories
    • Football
    • Volleyball
  • Baseball
  • Softball

© 2023 Ankeny Fanatic. All rights reserved.