Ankeny Fanatic

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Girls' Basketball

‘We just came up short’: Jaguars suffer late scoring drought, tumble to Johnston

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Thursday morning's Class 5A semifinal showdown between second-ranked Johnston and No. 6 Ankeny Centennial turned into a backyard brawl at the girls' state basketball tournament. Playing for the third time this season, the CIML Conference rivals waged a fierce defensive battle before the Dragons scored the final six points of the game to emerge with a … [Read more...] about ‘We just came up short’: Jaguars suffer late scoring drought, tumble to Johnston

An all-CIML title game?: Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the Class 5A semifinals

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There was only one upset in Monday's Class 5A quarterfinals at the girls' state basketball tournament, where sixth-seeded Ankeny Centennial avenged last year's quarterfinal loss to Waterloo West with a 60-51 win over the No. 3 Wahawks. In the other three games, the higher seeds all won by an average of 17 points. Three teams from the CIML Conference--No. … [Read more...] about An all-CIML title game?: Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the Class 5A semifinals

SWEET REVENGE: Jaguars oust No. 3 Waterloo West, will play Johnston next

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A year ago, the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team ended its season with a loss to Waterloo West in the Class 5A quarterfinals. On Monday at Wells Fargo Arena, the Jaguars returned the favor. Sixth-seeded Centennial got 20 points from senior guard Makenna Clark and defeated No. 3 Waterloo West, 60-51, on the opening day of the state … [Read more...] about SWEET REVENGE: Jaguars oust No. 3 Waterloo West, will play Johnston next

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Makenna Clark, Centennial girls’ hoops

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Senior guard Makenna Clark scored six points and grabbed six rebounds to help the sixth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team to a 35-32 victory over No. 11 Linn-Mar (Marion) in a Class 5A regional final on Tuesday at Centennial. The Jaguars earned a third consecutive trip to the state tournament for the first time in school history. Clark is … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Makenna Clark, Centennial girls’ hoops

State tourney preview: Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the Class 5A quarterfinals

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In recent years, the Central Iowa Metropolitan League has dominated the girls' Class 5A state basketball tournament. Waukee cruised to the title in 2021, winning its three games at Wells Fargo Arena by an average of 24 points. Then, last year, Johnston reached the championship game for the third straight year and won its second crown in that span in … [Read more...] about State tourney preview: Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the Class 5A quarterfinals

IT’S A THREEPEAT!: Centennial girls hold off Linn-Mar, earn another trip to state

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The seniors on the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team got one last chance to play on their home court Tuesday night. They didn't want it to be their final game. Kennedy White scored 11 points, Averi Porter dished out six assists and Makenna Clark made a pair of 3-point goals to help the sixth-ranked Jaguars to a 35-32 victory over No. 11 Linn-Mar … [Read more...] about IT’S A THREEPEAT!: Centennial girls hold off Linn-Mar, earn another trip to state

Jaguars rout Urbandale again, will host Linn-Mar for trip to 5A state tournament

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team has never qualified for the state tournament in three consecutive seasons. The sixth-ranked Jaguars moved a step closer toward doing just that with a 60-19 victory over visiting Urbandale in a Class 5A regional semifinal on Saturday. They raced out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, built a 43-4 advantage at … [Read more...] about Jaguars rout Urbandale again, will host Linn-Mar for trip to 5A state tournament

Centennial girls knock off Wolves, earn 3rd-place finish in CIML Conference

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team used a strong third quarter to pull away for a 54-45 victory at Waukee Northwest in its regular-season finale on Friday. The sixth-ranked Jaguars held a 26-23 lead at halftime. They then outscored Northwest in the third period, 16-9, to build a 42-32 advantage. The Wolves closed the gap to 44-41 in the … [Read more...] about Centennial girls knock off Wolves, earn 3rd-place finish in CIML Conference

‘I’ve been feeling it lately’: Porter’s late flurry lifts Jaguars to victory at S.E. Polk

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Ankeny Centennial's Averi Porter has made a lot of big shots in her high school basketball career. On Tuesday night, the senior guard connected on a few more. Porter erupted for 10 points in the first 3 minutes of the fourth quarter as the sixth-ranked Jaguars pulled away from a 33-33 tie to post a 52-46 victory at No. 9 Southeast Polk. She finished … [Read more...] about ‘I’ve been feeling it lately’: Porter’s late flurry lifts Jaguars to victory at S.E. Polk

‘We didn’t quite deserve it’: Jaguars lose late lead, fall at No. 2 Johnston in OT

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A week ago, the Johnston girls' basketball team suffered its first loss in 43 games, proving that the second-ranked Dragons are beatable. On Friday, the defending state champions nearly took another loss--this time on their home court. No. 6 Ankeny Centennial built a 49-42 lead with 2 minutes 51 seconds left, but Johnston used a 10-3 run to force … [Read more...] about ‘We didn’t quite deserve it’: Jaguars lose late lead, fall at No. 2 Johnston in OT

No. 6 Centennial girls roll past Waukee for their 7th victory in last 8 games

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After a rare Friday night off, the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team returned to the court on Tuesday and put together a complete performance. The sixth-ranked Jaguars placed four players in double figures and rolled past No. 14 Waukee, 55-36, in a CIML Conference game at Centennial. It was their second 19-point win over the Warriors, who had … [Read more...] about No. 6 Centennial girls roll past Waukee for their 7th victory in last 8 games

Jaguars avenge loss to No. 4 Valley, move into 3rd-place tie with Tigers

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When the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team suffered a loss at Valley last month, the Jaguars were held to a season-low 40 points. On Tuesday night, that same offensive output was enough to produce a 40-34 victory in a rematch between the two teams at Centennial. "Valley's been a top-five team all year long," said Centennial coach Scott DeJong. … [Read more...] about Jaguars avenge loss to No. 4 Valley, move into 3rd-place tie with Tigers

With a chip on their shoulder, Jaguars romp to 77-28 victory at Urbandale

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Each time the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team has suffered a loss this season, the Jaguars have bounced back with a resounding victory. Seventh-ranked Centennial did it again on Friday with a 77-28 win at Urbandale. The Jaguars are now 4-0 in games after a loss--with an average winning margin of 35.8 points. "You hope when you're coming off a … [Read more...] about With a chip on their shoulder, Jaguars romp to 77-28 victory at Urbandale

FOUL PLAY: Jaguars adjust slowly to ‘tighter whistle’ in loss at No. 8 Dowling

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Some early foul trouble proved to be disastrous for the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team on Tuesday. The fifth-ranked Jaguars fell behind in the first quarter at No. 8 Dowling Catholic, 22-10, and could never recover. The Maroons went on to post a 57-40 victory. "We just didn't play well enough," said Centennial coach Scott DeJong. "The foul … [Read more...] about FOUL PLAY: Jaguars adjust slowly to ‘tighter whistle’ in loss at No. 8 Dowling

‘It was a great win’: Centennial girls use late rally to knock off No. 6 S.E. Polk

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In the latest Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union basketball rankings, Ankeny Centennial moved up one spot to No. 5 in Class 5A, trading places with CIML rival Southeast Polk. Perhaps the IGHSAU officials can predict the future. On Friday, the two teams battled down to the wire before Centennial escaped with a 54-52 victory on its home court. The … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great win’: Centennial girls use late rally to knock off No. 6 S.E. Polk

‘We sure didn’t show any rust’: Clark, Crawford lead Jaguars past Waukee NW

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There was no holiday rust for the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team. The sixth-ranked Jaguars jumped out to a 23-7 lead and rolled to a 44-30 victory over No. 7 Waukee Northwest in a CIML Conference game on Tuesday at Centennial. "We've been having great practices throughout the break so we were ready to finally get back out on the court and … [Read more...] about ‘We sure didn’t show any rust’: Clark, Crawford lead Jaguars past Waukee NW

Crawford, Centennial girls get off to fast start, cruise to road victory at Waukee

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team led from start to finish en route to a 48-29 victory on Friday at Waukee. The eighth-ranked Jaguars jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and held a 27-19 advantage at halftime. The No. 12 Warriors couldn't rally in the second half, when they scored just 10 points. "We definitely wanted to get out … [Read more...] about Crawford, Centennial girls get off to fast start, cruise to road victory at Waukee

‘We kept battling back’: Jaguars’ upset bid falls short against No. 2 Johnston

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Ankeny Centennial's Averi Porter was hoping to celebrate her birthday with a huge victory. Unfortunately, the Jaguars' upset bid came up just short. The second-ranked Johnston girls' basketball team scored the game's final seven points and escaped with a 46-40 win at No. 6 Centennial on Tuesday. The defending Class 5A state champion Dragons extended … [Read more...] about ‘We kept battling back’: Jaguars’ upset bid falls short against No. 2 Johnston