Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

Girls' Basketball

‘We got exposed’: Ankeny hangs around for awhile before Dragons dominate

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The Central Iowa Metropolitan League boasts seven of the top 11 teams in Class 5A in the latest girls' basketball rankings from the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union. Despite the overall strength of the nine-team league, top-ranked Johnston continues to dominate its CIML rivals. The defending state champion Dragons extended their winning streak to … [Read more...] about ‘We got exposed’: Ankeny hangs around for awhile before Dragons dominate

Hawkettes rout Roosevelt girls, avenge last year’s loss in Class 5A regional final

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The Ankeny girls' basketball team took an early lead against visiting Des Moines Roosevelt on Saturday without any time running off the clock. The Roughriders were called for a technical foul before the opening tipoff because the uniform number for one of their players was incorrectly entered into the scorebook. It was that kind of day for … [Read more...] about Hawkettes rout Roosevelt girls, avenge last year’s loss in Class 5A regional final

Ankeny girls roll past Urbandale, snap three-game skid with 79-42 victory

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Ankeny girls' basketball coach Dru McAnelly didn't want to call Friday's contest at Urbandale a must-win game. But it clearly was. The 11th-ranked Hawkettes raced out to a 48-21 halftime lead and cruised to a 79-42 victory in a CIML Conference matchup. They snapped a three-game losing skid while raising their records to 3-5 in the league and 6-5 … [Read more...] about Ankeny girls roll past Urbandale, snap three-game skid with 79-42 victory

‘It’s not the record we want’: Hawkettes drop to 5-5 with another close loss

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There's an old saying, "Close only counts in horseshoes." For the Ankeny girls' basketball team, coming close to earning a victory is becoming a frustrating habit. The 10th-ranked Hawkettes were looking to start off 2023 with a big win on Tuesday, but their upset bid at No. 4 Valley fell just short. The Tigers made a late 3-point goal to post a 41-38 … [Read more...] about ‘It’s not the record we want’: Hawkettes drop to 5-5 with another close loss

Motivated Jaguars dominate boards, roll past Ankeny to avenge last year’s loss

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Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball coach Scott DeJong didn't have to remind his players what happened the last time the Jaguars played at crosstown rival Ankeny. Last February, the Hawkettes posted a 49-45 victory to defeat Centennial for the first time ever. "That was definitely some extra motivation," Centennial senior Averi Porter said after the … [Read more...] about Motivated Jaguars dominate boards, roll past Ankeny to avenge last year’s loss

Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the Jag-Hawk basketball showdowns

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The Jag-Hawk basketball rivalry will resume on Tuesday night at Ankeny, where all four teams will be looking to build some momentum heading into the holiday break. While the girls' all-time series has been dominated by Centennial, the boys' series has been a back-and-forth affair that is now tied at nine wins apiece. Both the Hawks and Jaguars have won as … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the Jag-Hawk basketball showdowns

Dowling girls edge Hawkettes on Muller’s 3-point play with 2 seconds left

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Any scouting report on the Dowling Catholic girls' basketball team is going to start with the Maroons' best player, point guard Ava Zediker. But it was Dowling's supporting cast--and freshman post player Ellie Muller in particular--who proved to be the difference on Friday. Muller converted a 3-point play with 2 seconds left to give the 11th-ranked … [Read more...] about Dowling girls edge Hawkettes on Muller’s 3-point play with 2 seconds left

Hawkettes protect their home court with victory over No. 5 Waukee Northwest

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Ankeny girls' basketball coach Dru McAnelly didn't have much time to prepare for Tuesday's opponent following Monday's win over Indianola. It turns out he had to scrap many of his plans anyway. Fifth-ranked Waukee Northwest visited No. 10 Ankeny for a CIML Conference game, and the Wolves were without leading scorer Sadie Maas. The junior forward, who … [Read more...] about Hawkettes protect their home court with victory over No. 5 Waukee Northwest

‘We were ready to play from the jump!’: Ankeny girls romp past Indianola

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A year ago, the Ankeny girls' basketball team trailed by nine points at halftime and went on to suffer a 54-47 loss at Indianola. The Hawkettes were determined to get off to a better start in Monday's rematch. Tenth-ranked Ankeny jumped out to a 13-2 lead in the non-conference game and cruised to a 76-41 victory over visiting Indianola, the No. 10 … [Read more...] about ‘We were ready to play from the jump!’: Ankeny girls romp past Indianola

Hawkettes rout Ames, set school record for most points in five-player game

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Coming off a pair of tough losses, the Ankeny girls' basketball team needed a little bit of a break. The Hawkettes' schedule provided one on Friday. Tenth-ranked Ankeny made 11-of-16 3-point shots and rolled to a 96-37 victory at Ames in a non-conference game. The Hawkettes set a school record for the most points in a five-player game, breaking the … [Read more...] about Hawkettes rout Ames, set school record for most points in five-player game

‘We got very stagnant’: Cold-shooting Ankeny girls tumble to No. 8 S.E. Polk

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With the final seconds of the first half ticking off the clock on Tuesday night, Southeast Polk guard Alyssa Bartlett hurried the ball up the court during a CIML Conference girls' basketball game at Ankeny. Bartlett dribbled behind her back to avoid an Ankeny defender, then launched a 3-point shot from half-court that swished through the net as time … [Read more...] about ‘We got very stagnant’: Cold-shooting Ankeny girls tumble to No. 8 S.E. Polk

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Karsen Jacks, Ankeny girls’ basketball

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Junior guard Karsen Jacks has helped the ninth-ranked Ankeny girls' basketball team to a 2-1 record. She made 4-of-5 3-point shots and scored 14 points in the Hawkettes' 68-59 loss to No. 2 Johnston on Friday at Ankeny. Jacks is averaging 9.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. She has committed just one turnover on the season. Jacks is the team's best … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Karsen Jacks, Ankeny girls’ basketball

Without injured Moser, Hawkettes’ valiant effort falls short against No. 2 Johnston

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For more than a half, the Ankeny girls' basketball team had defending Class 5A state champion Johnston on the ropes on Friday night. The ninth-ranked Hawkettes jumped out to a 19-8 lead in the first quarter and held a 30-27 advantage at halftime before No. 2 Johnston took control and pulled away for a 68-59 victory in a CIML Conference game at Ankeny. The … [Read more...] about Without injured Moser, Hawkettes’ valiant effort falls short against No. 2 Johnston

Gage, Hawkettes hold off furious Waukee rally to win CIML Conference opener

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When the Ankeny girls' basketball team went through a scoring drought on Tuesday, the Hawkettes relied on their defense to win their CIML Conference opener. Ninth-ranked Ankeny led by as many as 16 points in both halves before No. 14 Waukee staged a huge rally on its home court, closing to within two points late in the game before the Hawkettes held on … [Read more...] about Gage, Hawkettes hold off furious Waukee rally to win CIML Conference opener

Hawkettes place 4 players in double figures, romp past Cedar Falls in opener

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The Ankeny girls' basketball team took a long bus ride to Cedar Falls for its season opener on Tuesday. At least the ride home was a joyous one. The ninth-ranked Hawkettes took control from the start and went on to post a 60-43 victory in the non-conference game. "We're still a young team, even though we return a lot of experience," said Ankeny … [Read more...] about Hawkettes place 4 players in double figures, romp past Cedar Falls in opener

‘We have high goals this year’: Hawkettes raise the bar after record-setting season

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The bar has been raised for the Ankeny girls' basketball program. The Hawkettes enjoyed a record-setting season last year under coach Dru McAnelly, posting a 16-7 mark and earning a share of the CIML Iowa Conference title. They also reached a Class 5A regional final before dropping a 49-47 decision at second-ranked Des Moines Roosevelt. Now, the Ankeny … [Read more...] about ‘We have high goals this year’: Hawkettes raise the bar after record-setting season

Centennial is 3rd, Ankeny 9th in Class 5A girls’ basketball preseason rankings

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Both Ankeny Centennial and Ankeny are ranked in the top 10 in the Class 5A girls' basketball preseason rankings by the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union. The Jaguars, who open their season on Friday at Des Moines East, are ranked third. They return three starters from a team that went 20-4 and qualified for the Class 5A state tournament a year … [Read more...] about Centennial is 3rd, Ankeny 9th in Class 5A girls’ basketball preseason rankings

THE LOSS OF A LEGEND: Coaching giant Rasmussen passes away at 85

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The community of Ankeny has lost one of its most prominent citizens. Dick Rasmussen, the legendary softball and girls' basketball coach at Ankeny High School, passed away early Friday morning at the age of 85. "I will miss him," said current Ankeny softball coach Dave Bingham. "I love him and (his wife) Sue." Rasmussen coached at South Hamilton … [Read more...] about THE LOSS OF A LEGEND: Coaching giant Rasmussen passes away at 85

Ticket to ‘Pelladise’: Ankeny’s Filling commits to play basketball at Central

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Ankeny senior Jadyn Filling really likes Central College. So much, in fact, that she now has a nickname for the town where Central is located. She calls it Pelladise. "I love the size at Central the most," said Filling, who verbally committed on Tuesday to play for the Dutch women's basketball program. "I had my first visit in August and have been … [Read more...] about Ticket to ‘Pelladise’: Ankeny’s Filling commits to play basketball at Central