Senior guard Luke Anderson scored all seven of his points in the second half as the Ankeny boys’ basketball team rallied to beat visiting Ankeny Centennial, 58-48, on Friday. His 3-point goal with 6 minutes 4 seconds left broke a 41-41 tie and put the Hawks ahead for good.
Anderson is averaging 8.5 points and 2.0 assists per game. He had 10 points in the Hawks’ 76-65 loss at Valley in their season opener on Tuesday.
Here is some inside info on Anderson:
Even though your team lost at Valley, do you think the players gained some confidence from taking the two-time defending state champs down to the wire on their home court?
Yes, we definitely gained some confidence. It was good to know we could compete with those guys, but we aren’t satisfied. We wanted the win badly, and are working on finishing those games better.
Your teammate, Rio Aguirre, had a career-high 30 points in that game and then followed it up with 22 more in the win over Centennial. What improvements have you seen in his game since last season?
Rio is a very hard worker. He has spent a lot of the offseason perfecting his craft with his scoring ability. Also, he’s put a lot of time in the weight room, which will only make it easier for him to finish at the rim through contact.
Congratulations on the victory over Centennial. What adjustments did your team make, if any, when you trailed by 28-23 at halftime?
We were a little stagnant on offense in the first half. Our spacing and movement away from the ball got better in the second half, which made it easier to move the ball and get open shots. Defensively, we did a better job in the second half helping on their penetration.
You made the go-ahead 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter, which was part of your team’s 26-11 run to close out the game. Did you feel like the momentum was all in your favor at that point?
It was a good way to start out the quarter. Because of our inexperience, it took us some time to get out the nerves and get comfortable. I think we did a good job of settling into the game in the fourth quarter, and playing our brand of basketball.
I’ve been impressed by some of your team’s newcomers like Jasani Campbell, who has scored in double figures in both games, and Drew Sorensen, who had 12 points on Friday. Were you confident that those guys could step into the lineup this season and get the job done?
Those guys provide a lot to the program, and we have a lot of trust in them. They work super hard, and love the game. It makes it easy to play with them and trust them.
You are now starting after serving as one of the team’s top reserves last season. How else has your role on the team changed?
Last year I was more of just a shooter. This year I have a bigger role, both on the defensive end and with creating shots for others on the offensive end.
As a senior, are you trying to provide leadership? If so, how?
Yeah, I’ve been trying to lead by example showing the younger guys what the standard is at Ankeny. I’m also helping them out by pushing them in practice every day trying to make them better.
What are your goals for the season? Do you think this team can surprise some people?
We have high standards for ourselves because we know how much work we are putting in. The goal is to be playing deep into March.
You have committed to play football next year at Northwestern College, which finished with a 9-3 record after losing at Grand View, 17-0, in the quarterfinals of the NAIA Championship Series on Saturday. Did you go to the game?
I went to the game with my mom and the Beroth family. It was nice to see the coaches and catch up.
What are your expectations going into the program? Do you think you’ll have a chance to contribute right away?
I’m very excited to go to Northwestern. Coach (Matt) McCarty has done a great job with the program. I want to help win a national championship with them in any way that I can. Whether I start my freshman year or my senior year, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure we get it done.
What are you going to study?
I’m thinking about studying business, but I’m currently undecided.