Only one loss separates the top five boys’ basketball teams in the CIML Conference, but the upcoming week should help differentiate the contenders from the pretenders.
Second-ranked Valley leads the logjam at the top of the league standings with a 7-1 record. The Tigers are followed closely by No. 8 Waukee (6-1), No. 5 Johnston (7-2), No. 3 Waukee Northwest (6-2) and No. 9 Dowling Catholic (5-2).
This will be an especially big week for both Valley and Waukee Northwest, which will each play two of the other title contenders. The Wolves will host Johnston on Tuesday before traveling on Friday to Valley, which will also venture across West Des Moines on Tuesday for a rematch at Dowling.
Ironically, the road team won all three of the previous games in those matchups. Dowling posted a 54-53 win at Valley on Dec. 13 to hand the Tigers their lone conference loss.
Waukee is the only one of the top five teams that will not play a ranked opponent this week, but the Warriors still face a tricky schedule with road trips to Ankeny on Tuesday and to Southeast Polk on Friday.
Here are the current CIML Conference standings:
GIRLS
Johnston 9-0 11-0
Dowling Catholic 7-1 10-2
Waukee Northwest 8-2 10-2
Ankeny Centennial 4-4 7-4
Waukee 3-5 7-5
Southeast Polk 3-5 5-7
Ankeny 3-6 5-7
Valley 2-7 4-8
Urbandale 0-9 2-10
Monday’s scores
Dowling Catholic 69, Southeast Polk 28
Urbandale 45, Ames 34
Tuesday’s scores
Ankeny Centennial 45, Ankeny 37
Johnston 63, Waukee 42
Southeast Polk 64, Valley 58
Waukee Northwest 73, Urbandale 28
Friday’s scores
Ankeny 52, Valley 49
Dowling Catholic 60, Urbandale 27
Johnston 81, Southeast Polk 41
Waukee Northwest 47, Ankeny Centennial 41
Saturday’s scores
Dowling Catholic 59, Bishop Heelan 47
Valley 70, Ballard 43
Waukee 75, Cedar Rapids Washington 48
Tuesday’s games
Johnston at Waukee Northwest
Urbandale at Ankeny Centennial
Valley at Dowling Catholic
Waukee at Ankeny
Friday’s games
Ankeny at Johnston
Dowling Catholic at Ankeny Centennial
Waukee at Southeast Polk
Waukee Northwest at Valley
Saturday’s game
Des Moines Lincoln at Urbandale
BOYS
Valley 7-1 8-2
Waukee 6-1 7-2
Johnston 7-2 8-3
Waukee Northwest 6-2 8-2
Dowling Catholic 5-2 8-2
Ankeny 3-4 4-5
Urbandale 1-7 1-8
Southeast Polk 0-8 3-8
Ankeny Centennial 0-8 1-8
Monday’s scores
Ames 64, Urbandale 44
Dowling Catholic 64, Southeast Polk 44
Tuesday’s scores
Ankeny 69, Ankeny Centennial 51
Valley 63, Southeast Polk 42
Waukee 58, Johnston 56
Waukee Northwest 82, Urbandale 40
Friday’s scores
Dowling Catholic 64, Urbandale 53
Johnston 49, Southeast Polk 39
Valley 64, Ankeny 60
Waukee Northwest 77, Ankeny Centennial 36
Monday’s game
Des Moines Hoover at Waukee Northwest
Tuesday’s games
Johnston at Waukee Northwest
Southeast Polk at Des Moines Hoover
Urbandale at Ankeny Centennial
Valley at Dowling Catholic
Waukee at Ankeny
Friday’s games
Ankeny at Johnston
Dowling Catholic at Ankeny Centennial
Waukee at Southeast Polk
Waukee Northwest at Valley
Saturday’s game
Des Moines Lincoln at Urbandale
