Sophomore guard Rio Aguirre has helped the eighth-ranked Ankeny boys’ basketball team to a 17-6 record. The Hawks will take a seven-game winning streak into this week’s state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena.
Aguirre had 10 points, five rebounds and three assists in Ankeny’s 64-41 victory over No. 10 Ankeny Centennial in a Class 4A substate final on Tuesday at Southeast Polk. He had two of the Hawks’ 11 3-point goals–both of them in the third quarter.
Aguirre is averaging 13.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He is shooting 42.9 percent from behind the arc (57-of-133).
Here is some inside info on Aguirre:
Congratulations on making it to state. What do you think was the key to the win over Centennial?
Our main focuses going into the game were to slow down (Luke) Winkel as much as possible and to not let the guys around him have high production. So I think our defense was the biggest part to our win.
Yes, your team had a tremendous defensive effort, holding the Jaguars to a season-low 41 points. How was your squad able to hold Winkel to seven points after he had scored 30 and 37 in the earlier two games against Ankeny?
We came into the game knowing we had to slow Winkel down. Knowing how good of a player he is, we worked a lot on defense at practice all week against numerous sets and actions to really be ready for what Centennial throws at us. We were fortunate that his shots didn’t fall like normal that night, but we just prepared ourselves well for the game.
You lead the team with 30 steals on the season. Do you take a lot of pride in your defense?
I try to just do my best on defense. Everyone on the team just does their job on the defensive end, and we have worked really hard to come together and do our roles on defense.
Your brother, Lio, had one of the best games of his career, making 5-of-6 3-pointers and scoring 22 points. Did you have any idea before the game that he would come out and produce like that?
Our whole team has seen Lio in practice shoot the ball well, and he has come up huge in games with some big 3s so we all have full confidence in him to make those shots on any night.
Your team is the No. 5 seed and will play No. 4 Dubuque Senior in the Class 4A quarterfinals on Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. What have you learned about the Rams from the scouting report, and what do you think will be the keys to the game?
We have seen on film how skilled their big guys are so we definitely are focused on keeping those guys out of the paint and containing them and just having another good defensive game.
Senior has a pair of 6-foot-6 post players, Jacob Williams and Tevin Schultz, who are averaging 16.6 and 14.8 points, respectively. Are the Rams similar to any of the teams that you’ve played in the CIML Conference?
I think the Rams are similar to teams like Waukee and Waukee Northwest. Those teams use their big guys well and like to get a lot of post touches, which is what Senior looks like they like to do a lot, too.
With a win, your team could face No. 1 Cedar Rapids Kennedy–the only unbeaten team in the field–in Thursday’s semifinals. Do you think the Cougars are the favorite to win the crown, or is the tournament pretty wide open?
Kennedy is definitely a super skilled and talented team–being undefeated definitely shows that. Going in to many (people) they can be the favorite, but I think any team in the tournament has a chance to make a run for it. Everyone is skilled and well coached, so I think it’s just who plays better on those given nights.
Valley is the defending champion and the No. 2 seed, but your squad handed the Tigers their last loss, 76-72, on Feb. 9. What did that win do for your team’s confidence?
The Valley win definitely boosted our confidence. We didn’t have many people thinking we could win that game going into it, and proving we can beat those highly ranked teams was huge for us in giving us the confidence to feel we can take on anyone in the http://state.
Your team would have to win three games in three days to capture the title. How important will it be to get some contributions from your bench?
It will be very key to have our bench help out our main guys on the floor, but we have full confidence in our whole team to step in and make plays on the court and play their role.
Your brother has committed to play football at Clarke University and is also planning to play basketball. Do you play any other sports, or did you when you were younger?
I used to play football. These last two years I haven’t, but I am still deciding if I am going to go out for football this fall.
