Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Girls' Basketball

Centennial’s Murray joins Ankeny’s Gage, Pitz on Class 5A West all-district team

by

Ankeny Centennial senior Cleao Murray has been named to the Class 5A West all-district girls' basketball team along with Ankeny standouts Savannah Gage and Jenna Pitz. The teams were selected by the Iowa Girls' Coaches Association. Murray, a 5-foot-8 guard, has helped the Jaguars to a 20-3 record and a berth in next week's Class 5A state tournament at … [Read more...] about Centennial’s Murray joins Ankeny’s Gage, Pitz on Class 5A West all-district team

HAWKETTE HEARTBREAK: Davison’s buzzer-beater ends Ankeny’s season

by

Dru McAnelly is going to remember the journey more than the end result. The Ankeny girls' basketball coach tried to keep his emotions in check after his team closed out an historic season with a heartbreaking loss on Wednesday. "I told (the players) after the game that this is the group that got this program over the hump," said McAnelly. "We've … [Read more...] about HAWKETTE HEARTBREAK: Davison’s buzzer-beater ends Ankeny’s season

Jaguars earn another trip to state; Ankeny falls to Roughriders on buzzer-beater

by

The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team is headed to Wells Fargo Arena for the second straight year. The Jaguars were nearly joined by crosstown rival Ankeny. Third-ranked Centennial held off No. 13 Sioux City East, 46-41, in a Class 5A regional final on Wednesday at Centennial. The Jaguars (20-3) advanced to the state tournament for the fourth … [Read more...] about Jaguars earn another trip to state; Ankeny falls to Roughriders on buzzer-beater

SURVIVE AND ADVANCE: Hawkettes nip Waukee, will play Riders for state berth

by

It's been a magical season for the Ankeny girls' basketball team. The Hawkettes didn't want it to end on Saturday night. Tenth-ranked Ankeny scored the last five points of the game to beat visiting Waukee, 44-40, in a Class 5A regional semifinal. The Hawkettes avenged a 53-45 loss at Waukee on Jan. 18. "We definitely had a lot of motivation coming … [Read more...] about SURVIVE AND ADVANCE: Hawkettes nip Waukee, will play Riders for state berth

AN HISTORIC WIN: Hawkettes rally past Centennial, defeat rival for first time

by

It took nearly a decade for the Ankeny girls' basketball team to finally defeat its crosstown rival. When it finally happened on Friday night, the 12th-ranked Hawkettes also captured a share of the CIML Iowa Conference title. The Ankeny players doused coach Dru McAnelly with Gatorade in the locker room after the host Hawkettes rallied past No. 2 Ankeny … [Read more...] about AN HISTORIC WIN: Hawkettes rally past Centennial, defeat rival for first time

Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the Jag-Hawk rematches on basketball court

by

A month ago, the Jag-Hawk basketball doubleheader produced a pair of games that weren't as close as many people expected them to be. The Ankeny Centennial girls' team built an 11-point halftime lead and cruised to a 57-37 victory over the Hawkettes. Then, in the boys' game, Ankeny allowed just 10 points in the first half and rolled to a 58-48 win over the … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the Jag-Hawk rematches on basketball court

Centennial earns No. 1 seed in Region 2; Hawkettes are No. 2 seed in Region 3

by

The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team appears to have a favorable path to the Class 5A state tournament. The road to Wells Fargo Arena looks more daunting for crosstown rival Ankeny. The Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union announced its Class 5A postseason pairings on Wednesday. Third-ranked Centennial is the No. 1 seed in Region 2, while No. … [Read more...] about Centennial earns No. 1 seed in Region 2; Hawkettes are No. 2 seed in Region 3

Hawkettes earn shot to play for league crown with victory over Mason City

by

There was a lot at stake when the Ankeny girls' basketball team played at Ankeny Centennial last month. Now, Friday's rematch at Ankeny will carry even more importance. The 12th-ranked Hawkettes kept their CIML Iowa Conference title hopes alive with a 61-40 victory over visiting Mason City on Friday. They can earn a share of the crown by defeating No. … [Read more...] about Hawkettes earn shot to play for league crown with victory over Mason City

Hawkettes rally for dramatic victory, keep their Iowa Conference title hopes alive

by

The Ankeny girls' basketball team's bid to win the CIML Iowa Conference title was hanging by a thread on Tuesday at Fort Dodge. Trailing by 58-51 late in the fourth quarter, the 10th-ranked Hawkettes appeared to be dangerously close to falling out of championship contention. But Ankeny then rallied for 10 consecutive points down the stretch, posting a … [Read more...] about Hawkettes rally for dramatic victory, keep their Iowa Conference title hopes alive

Ankeny girls romp past Little Cyclones, get their swagger and confidence back

by

Monday's game against visiting Ames gave the Ankeny girls' basketball team a chance to reset mentally. Coming off its worst loss of the season, the 10th-ranked Hawkettes placed four players in double figures and rolled to a 77-19 victory in a CIML Iowa Conference contest. "We just kind of needed to recharge the battery and clear the mindset," said … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls romp past Little Cyclones, get their swagger and confidence back

‘Sometimes it’s just one of those nights’: Hawkettes suffer worst loss of season

by

It's been a season of memorable moments for the Ankeny girls' basketball team. Friday's game at Waukee Northwest will be a forgettable one. The 10th-ranked Hawkettes got off to a slow start and never really recovered in a 63-25 loss to No. 12 Northwest, which avenged an earlier 44-41 defeat at Ankeny. It was by far the worst loss of the season for … [Read more...] about ‘Sometimes it’s just one of those nights’: Hawkettes suffer worst loss of season

‘It’s just a huge win in so many ways’: Hawkettes’ late rally stuns No. 5 Dowling

by

The last two Tuesday nights ended in disappointment for the Ankeny girls' basketball team. The 12th-ranked Hawkettes experienced a much better feeling this time. Ankeny dominated the fourth quarter to rally for a 35-29 victory over No. 5 Dowling Catholic in a non-conference game on Tuesday at the AHS gym. The Hawkettes erased a 28-21 deficit with a … [Read more...] about ‘It’s just a huge win in so many ways’: Hawkettes’ late rally stuns No. 5 Dowling

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Katelyn Anderson, Ankeny girls’ hoops

by

Senior forward Katelyn Anderson has helped the 12th-ranked Ankeny girls' basketball team to a 10-4 record. She is averaging 3.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Anderson scored a season-high seven points, all in the first half, during the Hawkettes' 53-45 loss at Waukee on Tuesday. She had two points, four rebounds and two steals on Friday in a 49-15 win … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Katelyn Anderson, Ankeny girls’ hoops

‘We played much better defense’: Ankeny girls rout Marshalltown to end skid

by

After giving up more than 50 points in back-to-back losses to Ankeny Centennial and Waukee, the Ankeny girls' basketball team focused on its defensive intensity during the practices before Friday's game at Marshalltown. The 12th-ranked Hawkettes responded with a 49-15 road victory that allowed them to keep pace with No. 4 Centennial in the CIML Iowa … [Read more...] about ‘We played much better defense’: Ankeny girls rout Marshalltown to end skid

‘We didn’t bring it’: Hawkettes struggle at both ends in 53-45 loss at Waukee

by

When the Ankeny girls' basketball team struggles on defense, it can often lead to some poor offensive possessions. That's what happened on Tuesday as the 10th-ranked Hawkettes suffered a 53-45 loss at Waukee in a non-conference game. While the Warriors connected on 8-of-21 3-point attempts (38.1 percent), Ankeny could not find its shooting stroke from … [Read more...] about ‘We didn’t bring it’: Hawkettes struggle at both ends in 53-45 loss at Waukee

Ankeny boys snap 4-game losing skid against Centennial behind ex-Jaguars

by

A year ago, Lio Aguirre helped the Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team to a pair of victories over its crosstown rival. On Tuesday, the sophomore forward returned to the Centennial gym and played a key role as Ankeny posted a 58-48 win over the Jaguars. He had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. "It was pretty exciting for me honestly," … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys snap 4-game losing skid against Centennial behind ex-Jaguars

CENTENNIAL REIGN: Jags’ dominance over rival continues with 57-37 victory

by

Cleao Murray and her teammates on the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball squad have never lost to crosstown rival Ankeny. They'd like to keep it that way. Murray scored 16 points and the seventh-ranked Jaguars defeated No. 8 Ankeny, 57-37, in a CIML Iowa Conference showdown on Tuesday at Centennial. The win allowed Centennial to pull into a … [Read more...] about CENTENNIAL REIGN: Jags’ dominance over rival continues with 57-37 victory