The Ankeny girls’ basketball team held top-ranked Johnston to just 50 points in the regular-season finale on Friday at Ankeny, one of the Dragons’ worst offensive performances of the year.
But the two-time defending Class 5A state champions still managed to extend their winning streak to 73 games.
The Dragons limited No. 5 Ankeny to its lowest scoring total of the season while posting a 50-32 victory. They finished 16-0 in the CIML Conference and improved to 21-0 overall, while the Hawkettes’ records dropped to 9-7 and 13-8.
“We gave ourselves a chance with our defense holding them to 50, but the good shots that we had we just couldn’t put in,” said Ankeny coach Nate Tobey, whose team’s previous low was 39 points in a loss to No. 2 Waukee Northwest on Jan. 9. “But overall, it was a good way to end the regular season against an elite team and at least we showed some fight, especially on the defensive end.”
Ankeny controlled the pace throughout most of the game, limiting Johnston’s fast-break opportunities. The Hawkettes trailed by just 15-12 after Kyla Schaapveld made a 3-point goal to open the second quarter.
The Dragons then relied on star guard Jenica Lewis to provide some breathing room. She scored the next eight points to give her team a double-digit lead for the first time, 23-12.
Ankeny’s Jayla Williams scored off a rebound and then converted a steal into a layup at the buzzer to cut Johnston’s lead to 23-16 at halftime. She had 10 of her 17 points in the first half.
“We definitely relied on our defense tonight when our shots weren’t really falling,” said Williams, who also grabbed seven rebounds and had two steals. “It gave us somewhat of a chance to be able to stay in the game.”
However, the Dragons then outscored Ankeny in the third quarter, 15-4, to build a 38-20 advantage. Kelli Kalb scored five of her 10 points in the period.
Lewis, a McDonald’s all-American, finished with 15 points, four assists and five steals. Arianna Phillips added 10 points, eight rebounds and a block.
“We did a lot of the same things that we did in the first game, but Johnston just didn’t shoot it like they normally do and honestly neither did we,” Tobey said. “It was quite a bit different from the first game in that respect.”
Ali Aguirre finished with five points for the Hawkettes, who shot just 32.6 percent from the field (14-of-43) and also committed 16 turnovers. Callie Stull dished out a pair of assists.
The two teams could potentially meet again at the state tournament, most likely in the Class 5A semifinals. Ankeny is seeking its first trip to state since the split into two high schools in 2013.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do to get to that point, but that’s our ultimate goal–to meet up with (Johnston) again,” Tobey said.
Ankeny will now have a full week to prepare for postseason play. The Hawkettes will host Sioux City North (5-16) or Sioux City West (2-17) in a Class 5A regional semifinal on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.
“North beat West pretty handily twice,” Tobey said. “But we’ll be ready for either team.”
