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Brandt Carlson

‘We just knew we were better’: Ankeny boys hold off Jags to sweep season series

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) There’s no doubt that a crosstown rivalry win was going to be important for either of the Ankeny or Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball teams. For the Hawks, Tuesday's game was a chance to bounce back from back-to-back losses, even out their record and generate some momentum for their upcoming slate. For the visiting … [Read more...] about ‘We just knew we were better’: Ankeny boys hold off Jags to sweep season series

‘They can really defend’: No. 2 Wolves shut down Ankeny boys in 64-45 victory

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A scoring drought of about 4 minutes at the beginning of each half proved costly for the Ankeny boys' basketball team. Second-ranked Waukee Northwest cranked up the defensive pressure and rolled to a 64-45 victory on Friday, handing the Hawks their fourth consecutive CIML Conference loss at home. "I think they had a lot to do with that," Ankeny coach … [Read more...] about ‘They can really defend’: No. 2 Wolves shut down Ankeny boys in 64-45 victory

‘It was just a fun game to watch’: Pargeon, J-Hawks outlast Aguirre, Ankeny boys

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The Ankeny boys' basketball team just couldn’t get a shot to fall when they needed it the most on a night where the ball didn’t have many issues finding the hoop. The Hawks were on their way to pulling off a fourth-quarter comeback on Tuesday when a scoring drought in the final 5 minutes aided visiting Urbandale in claiming … [Read more...] about ‘It was just a fun game to watch’: Pargeon, J-Hawks outlast Aguirre, Ankeny boys

‘The guys just responded really well’: Hawks end skid with win over C.R. Prairie

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A trip to Cedar Rapids may have been just what the Ankeny boys' basketball team needed. The Hawks returned from the holiday break and ended a three-game losing skid with a 67-50 victory over Cedar Rapids Prairie in the the CIML/MVC Crossover event on Saturday at the Alliant Energy Powerhouse. Ankeny (4-3) won in the event for the third straight … [Read more...] about ‘The guys just responded really well’: Hawks end skid with win over C.R. Prairie

‘We just didn’t shoot very well’: Hawks drop to 3-3 with 53-38 loss at Cedar Falls

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The offensive struggles continued on Friday for the Ankeny boys' basketball team. After being held to 46 points in a loss to Southeast Polk on Tuesday, the Hawks traveled to Cedar Falls for their final game before the holiday break and dropped a 53-38 decision in a non-conference matchup. "We're 3-3 now, and that's the reality of it," said Ankeny coach … [Read more...] about ‘We just didn’t shoot very well’: Hawks drop to 3-3 with 53-38 loss at Cedar Falls

‘It was not fun to go through’: Ankeny boys struggle offensively in 61-46 loss to Rams

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After getting off to an impressive 3-0 start, the Ankeny boys' basketball team has suffered back-to-back losses on its home court. Friday's 66-59 loss to an unbeaten Waukee squad was disappointing, but hardly a cause for concern. Tuesday's 61-46 defeat at the hands of Southeast Polk was more puzzling. "It was one of those situations," said Ankeny coach … [Read more...] about ‘It was not fun to go through’: Ankeny boys struggle offensively in 61-46 loss to Rams

‘Tonight we learned a lot’: Hawks suffer first loss as Waukee boys control 2nd half

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) By the end of the night, it was guaranteed that the CIML Conference was going to have one fewer undefeated boys' basketball team at the top of the league standings. A second-half cold streak for Ankeny opened the door for visiting Waukee to come away with a 66-59 win on Friday as the Hawks suffered their first loss of the … [Read more...] about ‘Tonight we learned a lot’: Hawks suffer first loss as Waukee boys control 2nd half

Hawks use late run to defeat Johnston, stay 1 of 4 unbeaten teams in conference

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Ankeny boys' basketball coach Brandt Carlson knows that every game on the road in the CIML Conference is going to be a grind. Fortunately, he appears to have a team capable of winning in tough environments. The Hawks used a late 13-5 run to post a 63-58 victory at Johnston on Tuesday. There were 15 lead changes and six ties in the seesaw … [Read more...] about Hawks use late run to defeat Johnston, stay 1 of 4 unbeaten teams in conference

‘We prepared for it all week’: Ankeny boys defeat Jaguars for 5th consecutive time

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The Ankeny Centennial boys' basketball team took a huge step forward on Friday night. It still wasn't enough, though, to end the Jaguars' recent losing streak to crosstown rival Ankeny. The Hawks opened the second half with an 11-0 run to take the lead for good and went on to post a 58-46 win at Centennial. It was their fifth straight triumph in the … [Read more...] about ‘We prepared for it all week’: Ankeny boys defeat Jaguars for 5th consecutive time

Newcomers Allison, Ford, Clark help Ankeny boys to 58-52 victory over Valley

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The new pieces on the Ankeny boys' basketball team made their presence felt during Tuesday's season opener against visiting Valley. Max Allison, a 7-foot-1 center, had six points, eight rebounds and four blocks in his first varsity start as the Hawks posted a 58-52 victory. Keyon Ford, a sophomore forward, added four points and four steals off the … [Read more...] about Newcomers Allison, Ford, Clark help Ankeny boys to 58-52 victory over Valley

‘We can make a run at a trophy’: Talented Hawks return Aguirre, 3 other starters

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Ankeny boys' basketball standout Rio Aguirre proved a year ago that he can carry a team. Now, the senior guard will have to do it all over again--perhaps with even more attention from opposing defenses. Aguirre is one of four returning starters from a team that posted a 10-12 record last season. The others are senior forward Kael Roush, senior guard … [Read more...] about ‘We can make a run at a trophy’: Talented Hawks return Aguirre, 3 other starters

‘What we tried didn’t work’: Cason scores school-record 46, leads DC-G past Hawks

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team was hoping to get another shot at CIML Conference rival Valley, the two-time defending Class 4A state champion. But Dallas Center-Grimes senior guard Kyle Cason had plenty of motivation to play the Tigers, too. The Valley transfer scored a school-record 46 points on 13-of-19 shooting to lead the Mustangs to a 76-69 … [Read more...] about ‘What we tried didn’t work’: Cason scores school-record 46, leads DC-G past Hawks

‘It’s frustrating’: Urbandale boys use late 12-3 run to rally past Hawks for 62-61 win

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team led almost the entire way during Tuesday's game at Urbandale. The J-Hawks led, though, when it mattered the most. Jaxson Cathcart made two free throws with 2.1 seconds left to cap off a 12-3 run, and Urbandale escaped with a 62-61 victory over the Hawks in a CIML Conference game. "I like how hard our team plays," … [Read more...] about ‘It’s frustrating’: Urbandale boys use late 12-3 run to rally past Hawks for 62-61 win

‘It just wasn’t our night’: Hawks struggle to score in 66-43 loss to Dowling Catholic

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(Story by Gabe Ploeger) The Ankeny boys' basketball team had won six of its last eight games heading into Tuesday's home contest against Dowling Catholic, including an impressive 63-48 victory at Dowling on Jan. 31. This time, however, the Maroons controlled the game through all four quarters. Dowling opened the first quarter with a 14-5 run … [Read more...] about ‘It just wasn’t our night’: Hawks struggle to score in 66-43 loss to Dowling Catholic

Hawks close in on winning season with victories over Urbandale, Iowa City Liberty

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With two more victories over the weekend, the Ankeny boys' basketball team is on the verge of wrapping up a winning season. The Hawks posted a 60-50 triumph over visiting Urbandale in a CIML Conference game on Friday, then followed with a 79-48 win over Iowa City Liberty in the State Basketball Crossover event on Saturday … [Read more...] about Hawks close in on winning season with victories over Urbandale, Iowa City Liberty

‘We wanted the win, and it hurts’: Hawks’ late scoring drought proves costly vs. NW

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The Ankeny boys' basketball team was coming off perhaps its biggest victory of the season. A win on Monday over visiting Waukee Northwest would have been even bigger. Unfortunately, the Hawks' upset bid came up short in the final 100 seconds. The fifth-ranked Wolves scored the final six points of the game to post a 68-63 win at … [Read more...] about ‘We wanted the win, and it hurts’: Hawks’ late scoring drought proves costly vs. NW

Fast start fuels Hawks past No. 9 Dowling for their 3rd victory over top-10 opponent

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As the calendar turns to February, the Ankeny boys' basketball team appears to be peaking just in time for the stretch run. One week after suffering a humbling loss on its home court to Southeast Polk, the Hawks traveled to Dowling Catholic on Friday and posted a 63-48 victory over the … [Read more...] about Fast start fuels Hawks past No. 9 Dowling for their 3rd victory over top-10 opponent

Hawks rebound from lopsided defeat by routing Indianola, even their record at 7-7

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Three days after the Ankeny boys' basketball team suffered its worst loss ever under coach Brandt Carlson, the Hawks enjoyed the other end of the spectrum. Ankeny held visiting Indianola to just 19.1 percent shooting from the field (9-of-47) and cruised to an 81-29 victory in a non-conference game on Monday. It was the Hawks' largest win ever under … [Read more...] about Hawks rebound from lopsided defeat by routing Indianola, even their record at 7-7