Senior guard Mya Crawford had 13 points, 11 rebounds, six steals and three blocks to help the fourth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls’ basketball team to a 42-37 victory over No. 13 Southeast Polk in a Class 5A regional final on Tuesday at Centennial. The Jaguars advanced to the state tournament for the fifth consecutive year and will play No. 5 Pleasant Valley in a Class 5A quarterfinal on Monday at 11:45 a.m. at Wells Fargo Arena.
Crawford, a Drake recruit, is averaging 14.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. She leads the team with 88 assists, 69 steals and 27 blocks.
Here is some inside info on Crawford:
You told me after Tuesday’s win that your team would be better off for having survived Southeast Polk’s furious rally in the second half. What did you learn from that game?
The team learned that we can not let up no matter how much we are up by. We have to continue playing defense until the game is over. Along with that, we have to focus on not turning the ball over as much as we did throughout that stretch.
Your team went scoreless for 10 minutes before Finley Blackmore made a jumper with 1:50 left in the game to halt the Rams’ 15-0 run. How much courage did it take for Finley to attempt that shot?
Finley’s shot was a huge one. (If) she does not take or make that shot, we do not win. It took a lot of confidence to shoot that shot, and we had all our confidence in Finley when she took that shot.
Your teammate, Jaeden Pratt, scored 18 of her 22 points in the first half and joined you in the 1,000-point club when she made a jumper midway through the second quarter. Was that pretty cool for both of you to reach the milestone in the same season?
Yes, achieving that milestone is not easy. It takes a lot of commitment and skill to be able to accomplish that. It’s pretty cool to be on a team that has two players who both have achieved this (milestone).
You did take a hard fall and hit your head on the floor late in the game. You told me afterwards that you were ok, but have you felt fine since then?
My head has been really good. It’s a lot better than what everyone expected for me to be after the hard fall. I should be back to 100 percent by Monday!
Your team opened the season with a 39-26 victory over Pleasant Valley in the Rivalry Saturday event on Nov. 30 at Cedar Rapids, and your squad won despite shooting just 27.3 percent from the field (15-of-55) against the Spartans’ zone defense. What is the key to scoring against them?
We are going to have to emphasize not turning the ball over. Our defense is good enough that if we shoot 27.3 percent again on Monday we should still be in a good position throughout the game.
Your team outrebounded Pleasant Valley by a 34-25 margin and also forced 20 turnovers. Will it be important to win those categories again?
Yes, every single game we talk about the math equation: turnovers, rebounds and free throws. If we can compete in those categories, we are putting ourselves in a good position to win or compete with their height and skill.
You had 10 points and 11 rebounds in that game–one of seven double-doubles that you’ve had this season. Do you go into every game with a goal to get a double-double?
Going into every game I know that our team does not have much height, and I was taught that rebounding is very important from a young age. So rebounding is something that I know I have to do every game.
It’s possible that we could have an all-CIML Conference Final Four in Thursday’s semifinals. How badly do you want another shot at No. 1 Johnston, and what will it take for your team–or any team–to beat the Dragons?
Johnston is a great team; they have very skilled players throughout their roster. In order to beat them, you are going to have to take out all of their starters and make others step up.
You’ve had a great career, and I’m sure you’d like to finish it off with a state title. Can you envision yourself holding that Class 5A championship trophy on Friday night?
Growing up in Iowa it is everyone’s dream to win a state championship, so that is the goal going into the tournament. I am going to do everything possible to reach that goal.