With only four wins on the year, the Fort Dodge boys’ basketball team entered Monday’s game at Ankeny Centennial looking to pull off a postseason surprise.
The Jaguars, meanwhile, wanted to quickly squash any hopes for an upset.
Centennial used a 15-0 run in the first half to pull away and went on to beat the Dodgers, 56-27, in a Class 4A substate quarterfinal.
“We really wanted to start off hot and aggressive,” said Centennial coach Matt Delger. “You really, in a game like that, want to eliminate the other team’s hope right out of the gate.”
The Jaguars (9-13) defeated Fort Dodge for the second time this season. They won the first meeting last month, 63-37, behind a huge game from junior forward Luke Mitchell, who had 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Mitchell nearly produced another double-double on Monday. He scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half and also grabbed eight boards.
“They were switching (on defense) the first half, so I’d get a guard matched up on me,” said Mitchell, who went 8-of-13 from the field. “I’d just take it in on him.”
Mitchell had eight of his points in the first quarter. He helped Centennial to an early 12-5 lead.
“He’s a tough matchup for them, and he showed that tonight,” Delger said of Mitchell. “He’s tough for them to guard.”
Fort Dodge (4-18) got a 3-point goal from Tytrell Mosley to open the second period, but the Jaguars answered right away with a triple of their own from sophomore guard McClain Gorsh. The basket sparked Centennial’s decisive 15-0 run, which included five points from Gorsh and four more from Mitchell.
Kolby Bechen capped the flurry with another 3-pointer that gave the Jaguars a 27-8 advantage late in the half.
“We knew we could win going into this game,” Mitchell said.
Gorsh had two more treys in the third quarter as Centennial extended its margin to 43-17. He finished with 13 points on 3-of-7 shooting from behind the arc.
“McClain has been playing really well recently,” Mitchell said. “He’s hitting his shots.”
Gorsh has averaged 11.2 points over the last six games after previously scoring a total of just two points. He appeared in just three of the first 16 games.
Gorsh’s emergence has coincided with the recent absence of the Jaguars’ leading scorer. Junior guard Hunter Runchey missed his fourth straight game on Monday due to a high ankle sprain.
“Runchey is a great player for us,” said Gorsh. “And I’m just trying to help the team the best I can, and playing with confidence and working my hardest is a big part of that.”
Bechen dished out two assists and had two steals for Centennial, which advanced to a semifinal game at 10th-ranked Urbandale (12-8) on Friday. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
Delger is hopeful that Runchey will be able to return as the Jaguars try to avenge two earlier losses.
“We are so excited for that opportunity Friday for sure,” he said.
Centennial dropped a 42-39 decision at Urbandale on Dec. 12. The Jaguars had a chance to force overtime in the final seconds, but a deep 3-pointer by Keaton Kasperbauer bounced off the rim as time expired.
The J-Hawks then won the rematch at Centennial, 60-39, on Jan. 20.
“We can play them tough,” said Mitchell, who averaged 15 points in the two losses. “They play that zone (defense), and it’s a struggle sometimes. We’ve got to limit our turnovers.”
Gorsh did not play in either of the two games during the regular season.
“Our team is playing some great basketball right now, and we are feeling great for Friday,” Gorsh said. “We just have to play our team basketball and stay connected.”
Urbandale is led by the senior trio of Jake Pargeon, Quentin Teeter and Davis Hardersen, who all average in double figures. Hardersen had 15 points in the first game against the Jaguars, while Pargeon poured in 23 and Teeter added 19 in the J-Hawks’ win at Centennial.
“We’ve got to take care of the ball,” Delger said. “Both times we played them with their zone they turned us over and got some easy points. When they had to play offense in the half court, we defended them very, very well. If we can take care of the ball and make it a half court game, we’ll have a chance for sure to win.”
