The nine seniors on the Ankeny Centennial girls’ basketball team had plenty to celebrate following Friday’s game against visiting Southeast Polk.
The fourth-ranked Jaguars closed out the regular season with a 60-52 victory, defeating the No. 13 Rams for the second time in eight days. Then, one of coach Scott DeJong’s largest senior classes was honored.
“It was a fun Senior Night because we didn’t have one last year!” said senior guard Finley Blackmore. “It was emotional to see all of us and the underclassmen because we are all so close!”
Blackmore and fellow starters Mya Crawford, Ava Martin, Jaeden Pratt and Tillie Smith were honored along with reserves Zoe Giger, Emma Hunger, Maclaine Kelly and Kylin Smith.
“Senior Night is always a mixed bag, because there is a lot going on,” said DeJong. “Sometimes the focus is a little difficult, but overall I thought they handled it really well. To have nine seniors in this day and age is pretty remarkable. I’m really proud of all nine of those kids.
“It’s so unusual to have exactly the same team back for two years, but it’s been very rewarding, though, because everybody gets to know each other really well,” he added.
Five Centennial players scored in double figures as the Jaguars finished 9-7 in the CIML Conference and improved to 14-7 overall. Southeast Polk’s records dropped to 6-10 and 9-12.
Crawford and Pratt each scored 12 points while surpassing the 600-rebound career mark. Pratt finished with 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Crawford racked up nine boards, three assists, two steals and two blocks.
The Jaguars shot just 29.8 percent overall (17-of-57), but made 8-of-21 attempts from 3-point range (38.1 percent). Lizzie Beam and Ava Martin each went 3-of-6 from behind the arc and scored 11 points.
Blackmore added 10 points, going 4-of-6 from the field.
“We’ve had a little more balance in our scoring the last few weeks, and it makes us harder to guard,” DeJong said. “To score 60 points, we have to feel really good about it. We did miss a lot of shots at the rim, but some of them were contested. And our 3-point shooting has been on the incline, so it’s a good time for that to happen.”
Centennial used a 9-0 run in the first quarter to build a 16-4 lead. The Rams responded with a 10-2 spurt in the first 2 minutes of the second period, closing the gap to 20-16.
The Jaguars then held Southeast Polk scoreless over the final 6 minutes of the half to extend their margin to 28-16. After Blackmore hit a jumper to stop the Rams’ run, Beam and Martin connected on back-to-back 3-pointers.
Centennial took its biggest lead, 47-29, on another trey by Beam to open the fourth quarter. But Southeast Polk refused to go away.
The Rams went on a 15-4 run and closed to within 55-49 on a pair of 3-pointers by Zoe Hinze, the last one coming with 45 seconds left. Pratt and Crawford then made two free throws apiece to seal the win.
“We know they’re good shooters, and if you give them good looks and some momentum, they’re going to make them,” DeJong said. “I think this game was a really good one for us. We’ve got a lot of things to work on.”
The Jaguars earned their third straight victory. The winning streak began with a 62-47 triumph at Southeast Polk on Feb. 7.
“It was a quick turnaround (to play them again),” Blackmore said.
The two teams could meet again in a regional final on Feb. 25. Centennial will host Marshalltown (8-13) or Des Moines East (3-18) in a regional semifinal on Feb. 22, while the Rams will host Ottumwa (13-7).
“We know playing them a third time is going to be a really tough matchup, but we’re looking forward to a good week of preparation,” DeJong said.
The highest remaining ranked team will host the regional final.
“It’s definitely going to be a challenge if we play them again,” Blackmore said of the Rams. “They are a really good team!”
