Ankeny Fanatic

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Girls' Basketball

Centennial boys finish 9-1 in league; Dowling, Johnston girls tie for crown

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While the CIML Central Conference boys' basketball title had already been decided last week, the girls' crown came down to the final night of the regular season. Third-ranked Johnston clinched a share of the league title with a 76-38 victory on Friday at Ankeny. Kendall Nead had 24 points and five assists as the Dragons improved to 19-2 on the … [Read more...] about Centennial boys finish 9-1 in league; Dowling, Johnston girls tie for crown

Girls’ pairings announced: Jaguars, Hawkettes draw tough roads to state

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The Class 5A regional basketball pairings have been released by the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union. Both Ankeny and 12th-ranked Ankeny Centennial might have to defeat a top-five opponent in order to qualify for the state tournament. The Jaguars (11-9) have been placed in Region 6. They will host Indianola (13-6) or Des Moines East (5-15) in a … [Read more...] about Girls’ pairings announced: Jaguars, Hawkettes draw tough roads to state

Hawkettes make 15 3-point goals, score season-high 78 points at Hoover

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Once the shots started falling for the Ankeny girls' basketball team on Tuesday, they just kept dropping. The Hawkettes made 15 3-point goals and rolled to a 78-46 victory at Des Moines Hoover in a non-conference game. It was their highest offensive output of the season and their highest in four years under coach Dru McAnelly. "Hoover isn't very good, … [Read more...] about Hawkettes make 15 3-point goals, score season-high 78 points at Hoover

‘It’s always been a slugfest’: Centennial tops Hawkettes in defensive battle

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The Ankeny girls' basketball team turned in a spectacular defensive effort on Friday. It wasn't enough to knock off archrival Ankeny Centennial. The 12th-ranked Jaguars pulled away in the fourth quarter to post a 43-27 victory at Ankeny. They closed out the game with a 16-2 run. "This is the way it's been down here for the last seven years. It's … [Read more...] about ‘It’s always been a slugfest’: Centennial tops Hawkettes in defensive battle

‘It’s a really great feeling’: Jaguars edge Ankeny to clinch conference title

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Ankeny Centennial's Cody McCullough wasn't happy when he missed a free throw with 9 seconds left in Friday's game at Ankeny. The miss allowed the Hawks to have an opportunity to win the game on the final possession. Braxton Bayless fired a pass to Jaxon Smith in the left corner, but Smith's 3-point try bounced off the rim in the final seconds. … [Read more...] about ‘It’s a really great feeling’: Jaguars edge Ankeny to clinch conference title

Jag-Hawk II: Boys to play for league crown; Girls’ game more about pride

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A lot will be at stake on Friday when the two Ankeny boys' basketball teams meet for the second time in less than three weeks. Second-ranked Ankeny Centennial heads across town for a rematch against the Hawks, who will be looking to avenge a 69-61 loss at Centennial on Jan. 20. The Jaguars (7-1, 16-1) can clinch the outright CIML Central Conference title … [Read more...] about Jag-Hawk II: Boys to play for league crown; Girls’ game more about pride

Reserves shine as Hawkettes romp past Marshalltown to extend winning streak

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Ankeny girls' basketball coach Dru McAnelly wasn't happy with his team's effort in the first quarter of Tuesday's game against visiting Marshalltown. The Hawkettes held a 12-9 lead after the opening period against a struggling squad that had scored just 14 and 18 points in its previous two losses to fifth-ranked Waukee and No. 11 Valley. "I got after … [Read more...] about Reserves shine as Hawkettes romp past Marshalltown to extend winning streak

‘It was just a matter of time’: Hawkettes stifle Ames for first conference victory

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Ashley Harrington knew that the Ankeny girls' basketball team was going to win its first conference game. She just didn't know when. Friday turned out to be the night as Harrington scored 16 points to lead the Hawkettes to a 60-49 victory at Ames. They improved to 1-7 in the CIML Central Conference and 7-10 overall, while Ames' records fell to 3-5 and … [Read more...] about ‘It was just a matter of time’: Hawkettes stifle Ames for first conference victory

Ankeny girls snap five-game losing streak with victory at Roosevelt

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The reward finally came for the Ankeny girls' basketball team. After suffering back-to-back losses to a pair of ranked opponents by a combined five points, the Hawkettes earned a close win of their own on Tuesday with a 48-45 victory at Des Moines Roosevelt in a non-conference game. They improved their record to 6-10 while snapping a five-game losing … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls snap five-game losing streak with victory at Roosevelt

Hawkettes lose another heartbreaker, fall to No. 9 Urbandale in OT

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Ankeny girls' basketball coach Dru McAnelly isn't fond of moral victories. But that's exactly what his short-handed squad came away with on Friday. The Hawkettes battled ninth-ranked Urbandale into overtime before dropping a 59-57 decision at Ankeny. It was another strong effort by McAnelly's team that wasn't rewarded with a win. "That's a top-10 … [Read more...] about Hawkettes lose another heartbreaker, fall to No. 9 Urbandale in OT

Centennial boys maintain league lead; Dowling girls take over top spot

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The race for the CIML Central Conference boys' basketball title could be turning into a two-team battle. Ankeny Centennial maintained sole possession of the league lead with a 50-29 victory over visiting Ames on Friday. Ankeny remained one game behind the Jaguars as Braxton Bayless scored the winning basket in the final seconds to give the Hawks a 65-63 … [Read more...] about Centennial boys maintain league lead; Dowling girls take over top spot

Hawkettes pass ‘test of character’, but Valley girls escape with victory

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After losing to its crosstown rival on Monday, the Ankeny girls' basketball team was anxious to get back on the court. The Hawkettes didn't have to wait too long. Ankeny hosted 15th-ranked Valley on Tuesday and battled the Class 5A defending state champion down to the wire before dropping a 62-59 decision. "It was good to try to get back in the … [Read more...] about Hawkettes pass ‘test of character’, but Valley girls escape with victory

Burns leads the way at both ends as Centennial girls roll past Hawkettes

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team sometimes struggles to score. But the Jaguars' defense never seems to take a day off. On Monday, 10th-ranked Centennial excelled at both ends of the floor as the Jaguars cruised to a 57-29 victory over visiting Ankeny. "We had some possessions where we really locked into them well," said Centennial coach … [Read more...] about Burns leads the way at both ends as Centennial girls roll past Hawkettes

Centennial boys top Ankeny, take sole possession of Central Conference lead

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The sixth-ranked Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team moved into sole possession of first place in the CIML Central Conference with a 69-61 victory over No. 9 Ankeny on Monday at Centennial. Centennial entered the game tied atop the league standings with Ankeny and No. 10 Dowling Catholic. But the Jaguars received some help from Ames, which posted a … [Read more...] about Centennial boys top Ankeny, take sole possession of Central Conference lead

Hawkettes respond to coach’s challenge, but rally falls short at No. 2 Johnston

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Ankeny girls' basketball coach Dru McAnelly issued a challenge to his players on Thursday. The Hawkettes responded in a big way. After trailing by 36-18 at halftime, Ankeny pulled within five points of second-ranked Johnston with about 5 minutes left to play before the host Dragons held on for a 70-60 victory. The outcome was a big improvement for … [Read more...] about Hawkettes respond to coach’s challenge, but rally falls short at No. 2 Johnston

Hawks move into tie for first place in CIML Central Conference

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team moved into a tie for first place in the CIML Central Conference on Thursday. And the Hawks did it in thrilling fashion. Ankeny rallied from a 19-point deficit in the second half to post an 80-74 victory at Johnston. Braxton Bayless poured in a career-high 30 points and had two huge steals in the final 30 seconds that … [Read more...] about Hawks move into tie for first place in CIML Central Conference

‘We’ve just got to flush it’: Hawkettes suffer their worst loss under McAnelly

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It was just one of those nights for the Ankeny girls' basketball team. The Hawkettes fell into a 26-4 hole at the end of the first quarter during Tuesday's game at fourth-ranked Dowling Catholic. They never recovered after that and eventually dropped a 77-27 decision. It was Ankeny's worst loss under coach Dru McAnelly and was the Hawkettes' worst … [Read more...] about ‘We’ve just got to flush it’: Hawkettes suffer their worst loss under McAnelly