(Story by Gabe Ploeger)
The crowd was loud and the stakes were high as the eighth-ranked Ankeny boys’ basketball team hosted Iowa City Liberty in a Class 4A substate semifinal on Friday.
Liberty had won five of its last six games and was looking to continue that hot streak and move closer to the state tournament, but Carson Johnson and the Hawks had other plans.
Johnson poured in 36 points, going 8-of-12 from 3-point range, and Ankeny rolled to a 73-55 victory over the Lightning. The senior point guard also had five assists and five rebounds as the Hawks (16-6) extended their own winning streak to six games.
“Carson got us going early, and he has to do that as our leader,” said Ankeny coach Brandt Carlson. “That makes everybody else confident and at the end of the day, it’s about us sharing the basketball and making everybody a valuable part of the team.”
Johnson caught fire right out of the gate, scoring 17 points in the first quarter alone. He knocked down all four of his 3-point attempts in the period and notched an extra five points on a mid-range jumper as well as a crafty and-one layup.
Once Johnson made a few treys, the Hawks found a groove and never looked back. They built a 25-10 lead after the first quarter and held a 37-24 advantage at halftime.
Ankeny’s Lio Aguirre provided a lot of support for Johnson, putting up 14 points, five rebounds and four steals. The Hawks displayed their teamwork all night, keeping a double-digit lead for a majority of the game.
“We really try to share the basketball and get everyone involved,” Carlson said. “I thought the ball moved very well, and we got the ball back to the right hands. I think that in basketball, when it gets back to the right people, the defense gets spread out and that creates the opportunity to go do some work.”
Defensively, the Hawks played aggressive, keeping Liberty (11-12) from finding a rhythm. Ankeny senior Cade Pederson controlled the paint, racking up 10 rebounds and two blocks.
A large part of the constant momentum for the Hawks came from the support of its crowd and the bench. The fans emphatically cheered after every basket and every intense defensive possession. When Carlson put in his reserves toward the end of the game, everyone stood up and cheered as if the outcome was still in doubt.
On an offensive rebound, the ball was tipped out to Ankeny senior Trey McKillip, who drained a deep 3-pointer and the crowd erupted. On the very next play, McKillip poked the ball free and threw an outlet pass down the court to senior Cale Josten, who finished a heavily-contested layup.
Once again, the crowd went wild in the Hawks’ Nest.
“For us, we’re just trying to find ways to create more momentum and keep enjoying the process with our guys, and enjoying every moment with them,” Carlson said. “I love these guys, and I appreciate them as people and as young men. We’re just trying to create value in who they are as men versus just their stats or positions on the team.”
Ankeny advanced to Tuesday’s substate final against No. 10 Ankeny Centennial (17-6), which held off Des Moines Roosevelt for a 60-53 win on the north side of town. The game will be played at Southeast Polk, beginning at 7 p.m.
The crosstown rivals split a pair of meetings this season. The Jaguars posted a 64-52 win on Dec. 19 at Centennial, but the Hawks won the rematch, 76-63, on Feb. 2 at Ankeny.
“Our focus right now is to make sure this game is considered the next opponent,” Carlson said. “Everybody can talk about the rivalry and all the pressure that comes with that, but to us it’s just the next opponent. That’s the best way to really settle ourselves so we can execute the game plans and plays, rather than focusing on who we are playing.”
