Waukee showed on Tuesday why it’s one of the state’s hottest boys’ basketball teams.
The seventh-ranked Warriors didn’t need a big night from junior post player Evan Jacobson in order to extend their winning streak to seven games.
Jacobson was held to seven points in a CIML Conference contest at Ankeny, but Waukee made 11-of-21 3-point shots and had four players in double figures in a 73-61 victory over the Hawks.
“They’re very disciplined and obviously shot it incredibly well,” Ankeny coach Brandt Carlson said of the Warriors. “Our goal was to take away their post play, and (Jacobson) has been playing outstanding this year. We held him to seven, but everyone else really stepped up in their moments and you have to give them credit. They’re very, very good.”
Jacobson had 29 points and 10 rebounds in a 56-42 win over Ankeny last month. He went just 2-of-6 from the field on Tuesday, but he grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds as Waukee won the battle of the boards, 36-25.
Jacobson, who was averaging nearly 19 points a game, was constantly double-teamed when he got the ball inside. That left some of his teammates open on the perimeter, and they responded by shooting 51.9 percent from the field.
Jai White went 4-of-6 from behind the arc and scored a game-high 21 points. Maverick Inman went 4-of-5 from 3-point range and finished with 20 points, five assists and two steals.
Max Roach contributed 14 points and five assists. Freshman Pete Craig added 11 points.
“Waukee is a really talented team, and they hit a bunch of shots tonight,” said Ankeny senior Dylan Gloviak, who scored a season-high eight points on 4-of-5 shooting. “That’s kind of how the game goes sometimes. I thought we played really well on some of their players, and we did our jobs. But sometimes the shots just don’t fall.”
Rio Aguirre led Ankeny with 17 points, five assists and two blocks. Jasani Campbell had 10 points, six rebounds and two steals.
Luke Anderson made all three of his 3-point shots and added nine points.
“Luke hit a couple of big 3s, and some of our guys were lighting it up,” Gloviak said. “I think overall we played pretty well.”
Waukee improved to 7-1 in the conference and 8-2 overall, remaining a half-game behind No. 2 Valley. Ankeny’s records dropped to 3-5 and 4-6.
After trailing at halftime 32-28, the Hawks opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run. Anderson and Aguirre hit back-to-back treys, then Campbell converted a steal into a layup to give his team a 36-32 advantage.
“We had a really good game plan, and some of our guys stepped up big time and made really good plays,” Gloviak said. “Kael (Roush) had a really good game on (Jacobson).”
After a basket by Roush gave Ankeny a 38-35 lead, Waukee then answered with a 12-0 run to move ahead for good. Roach and White capped the flurry with a pair of 3-pointers.
“They were knocking them down for sure,” Gloviak said. “Kudos to them for shooting so well.”
Aguirre scored nine straight points for Ankeny to open the fourth quarter, keeping the Hawks within striking distance at 60-53. But the Warriors then went on a 10-0 run to seal the outcome.
The run included a steal and dunk by Craig, one of four underclassmen in Waukee’s starting lineup.
“Both this game and the Valley game on Friday kind of came down to the last stretch,” Gloviak said. “We battled them all the way, and they obviously came out on top in the end. At the end of the season, that’s when we want to be playing our best. And I think we’ll be ready.”
Carlson said his team is close to getting over the hump.
“I’m very proud of them,” he said. “We’re learning a lot about our team and how tough they are. But sometimes there’s a ball in the air or a loose ball on the floor and we’re not getting it, and that’s a tough situation for us because those are extra possessions we aren’t getting and sometimes we are giving it right back to them. Hopefully, we can learn from these opportunities.”
The Hawks will travel to Johnston on Friday for another conference game against the No. 8 Dragons, who are 7-3 in the league and 8-4 overall. Johnston got off to a 7-1 start that included a 59-49 win at Ankeny last month, but has now lost three of its last four games–including a 67-48 decision at No. 3 Waukee Northwest on Tuesday.
