The four seniors on the Ankeny Centennial boys’ basketball team are not among the squad’s leading scorers.
But their value to the Jaguars’ program runs much deeper than the box score.
The quartet of Kolby Bechen, Carter Gustafson, Will Perpich and Brody Prill was honored on Thursday during the Senior Night festivities at Centennial, where the Jaguars closed out the regular season with a 70-35 victory over Des Moines Lincoln in a non-conference game.
“I could not have asked for four better men to lay the foundation for what we are building here at Centennial,” said Jaguars coach Matt Delger. “These four seniors have done an amazing job of setting the standard for how we work, who we are and how we go about our business on a daily basis.”
Centennial took care of business right away on Thursday, jumping out to a 22-5 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Jaguars held a 38-16 advantage at halftime and continued to pull away in the second half.
“This was a nice game for us to finish out a hard-fought regular season,” Delger said. “Our guys came out with great energy and tempo. I was pleased with how we defended and played aggressive on offense.”
Sophomores Keaton Kasperbauer and McClain Gorsh each set a new career-high in the win. Kasperbauer went 7-of-8 from the field and poured in 23 points in just 18 minutes of action, while Gorsh went 5-of-6 from 3-point range and finished with 15.
Junior Luke Mitchell had 12 points, five rebounds and four steals. He also had a dunk for one of the highlights of the night.
The seniors also contributed. Perpich had four points, four rebounds and four steals, while Bechen had a 3-point goal and dished out three assists.
“I am so proud of these four (seniors),” Delger said. “They deserved to be honored tonight.”
The Jaguars (8-13) shot 50 percent from the field (25-of-50) and from behind the arc (9-of-18). It was the fifth straight loss for Lincoln, which finished the regular season at 8-14.
Centennial will now prepare for Monday’s postseason opener. The third-seeded Jaguars will host a Class 4A regional quarterfinal against sixth-seeded Fort Dodge (4-17) at 7 p.m.
The Dodgers will be looking to avenge a 63-37 loss at Centennial on Jan. 10, when Mitchell had a double-double for the Jaguars with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
“We are excited for the postseason,” Delger said. “Our team is locked in and excited to dive into our prep for Fort Dodge.”
The winner of Monday’s game will play at second-seeded Urbandale (12-8) in a semifinal game on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
