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Scott DeJong

‘We were real, real close’: Jaguars’ late rally falls short in Class 5A quarterfinals

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Waukee girls' basketball coach Dani Franklin-Printy breathed a sigh of relief on Monday at Wells Fargo Arena. It's never easy to beat a good team three times, and that's what the fourth-ranked Warriors discovered in the Class 5A quarterfinals against CIML Conference rival Ankeny Centennial. The No. 5 Jaguars overcame a 10-point deficit in the second … [Read more...] about ‘We were real, real close’: Jaguars’ late rally falls short in Class 5A quarterfinals

‘We fought as hard as we could’: Jaguars lose heartbreaker to Waukee, 46-44

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Scott DeJong will have to wait until next season to earn his 700th career coaching victory. The fifth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team lost a heartbreaker to No. 4 Waukee, 46-44, in the Class 5A quarterfinals of the state tournament on Monday at Wells Fargo Arena. The Jaguars finished the season with a 14-9 record. "We fought as hard as … [Read more...] about ‘We fought as hard as we could’: Jaguars lose heartbreaker to Waukee, 46-44

‘Our kids really stepped up’: Jaguars roll past S.C. East, earn another trip to state

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team is headed back to Wells Fargo Arena. The fifth-ranked Jaguars advanced to the state tournament for the fourth consecutive year by defeating No. 10 Sioux City East, 53-25, in a Class 5A regional final on Tuesday at Centennial. This time, coach Scott DeJong's squad didn't have to sweat out a close game in the … [Read more...] about ‘Our kids really stepped up’: Jaguars roll past S.C. East, earn another trip to state

Martin, Crawford lead No. 5 Jaguars past Sioux City North in postseason opener

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Ava Martin wasn't going to let a gash on her head take her out of the lineup for the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team. The junior guard made 4-of-7 3-point shots and scored 12 points to help the fifth-ranked Jaguars to a 64-30 victory over visiting Sioux City North in a Class 5A regional semifinal on Saturday. She wore a bandage across her … [Read more...] about Martin, Crawford lead No. 5 Jaguars past Sioux City North in postseason opener

‘It was a hard-fought game’: Jags edge Waukee NW, end regular season at 12-8

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(Story by Gabe Ploeger) In a game that never lacked competitive spirit, the fifth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team closed out the regular season on Friday with a 48-44 victory over visiting Waukee Northwest, the No. 12 squad in Class 5A. The Jaguars outscored Northwest in the fourth quarter, 13-9, to break away from a 35-35 tie. “It … [Read more...] about ‘It was a hard-fought game’: Jags edge Waukee NW, end regular season at 12-8

Crawford avoids major injury, scores 18 points in Jaguars’ victory over S.E. Polk

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Many of the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball fans held their breath when standout guard Mya Crawford suffered an injury Tuesday during a game against visiting Southeast Polk. Crawford hyperextended her knee with 2 minutes 38 seconds left in the second quarter and was helped off the court. "It didn't look good," said Centennial coach Scott DeJong. … [Read more...] about Crawford avoids major injury, scores 18 points in Jaguars’ victory over S.E. Polk

‘She’s a clutch player’: Blackmore’s late trey seals Jaguars’ win over Ankeny

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There's something about the Ankeny girls' basketball team that brings out the best in Ankeny Centennial's Finley Blackmore. The fifth-ranked Jaguars were clinging to a 47-45 lead on Friday at No. 8 Ankeny when Blackmore, a junior guard, made a 3-point goal from the left corner with 1 minute 15 seconds left. Her squad went on to post a 53-45 … [Read more...] about ‘She’s a clutch player’: Blackmore’s late trey seals Jaguars’ win over Ankeny

‘We’ve improved’: Centennial girls suffer another close loss to top-4 opponent

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The gauntlet continued on Monday for the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team. Facing a top-four opponent for the third time in a week, the fifth-ranked Jaguars got off to a slow start on their home court and eventually dropped a 51-45 decision to No. 3 Dowling Catholic. "We played hard enough, but we've just got to play a little bit better," said … [Read more...] about ‘We’ve improved’: Centennial girls suffer another close loss to top-4 opponent

‘It was a great game’: Jaguars take No. 1 Johnston down to wire before falling

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team has significantly closed the gap on the state's top-ranked squad. The No. 5 Jaguars battled visiting Johnston down to the wire on Friday before dropping a 64-59 decision. The Dragons had won the first meeting, 64-37, on Dec. 12. "It was a great game," said Centennial coach Scott DeJong. "Our team has really … [Read more...] about ‘It was a great game’: Jaguars take No. 1 Johnston down to wire before falling

Waukee girls lead from start to finish, snap Jaguars’ 6-game winning streak

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The fifth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team just couldn't get over the hump on Tuesday at No. 4 Waukee. The Warriors scored the game's first seven points and led all the way en route to a 60-53 victory. The loss snapped Centennial's six-game winning streak. "We didn't come out well at all, and it was disappointing," said Centennial coach … [Read more...] about Waukee girls lead from start to finish, snap Jaguars’ 6-game winning streak

Martin’s big first half sparks Centennial girls to 47-25 victory over Urbandale

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On most nights, the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team can rely on double-figure scoring from the duo of Mya Crawford and Jaeden Pratt. Against visiting Urbandale on Thursday, the fifth-ranked Jaguars got an unexpected spark from junior guard Ava Martin. Martin scored 13 of her 15 points in the first half and also grabbed seven rebounds to lead … [Read more...] about Martin’s big first half sparks Centennial girls to 47-25 victory over Urbandale

Jaguars avenge earlier loss to Valley, extend their winning streak to 5 games

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The last time the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team played CIML Conference rival Valley, the Jaguars simply couldn't find the bottom of the net. Tuesday's rematch at Valley was a different story. Fifth-ranked Centennial pulled away in the second half for a 40-30 victory over the No. 9 Tigers. The win avenged last month's 35-24 loss, when the … [Read more...] about Jaguars avenge earlier loss to Valley, extend their winning streak to 5 games

‘Our rebounding was really good’: Jags dominate boards in victory at S.E. Polk

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A fast start ignited the fifth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team to a 51-40 win at No. 11 Southeast Polk on Friday. The Jaguars jumped out to an 18-2 lead at the end of the first quarter and eventually built a 44-23 advantage after three periods. They cruised to their fourth straight victory. "It's never an easy place to play, and they … [Read more...] about ‘Our rebounding was really good’: Jags dominate boards in victory at S.E. Polk

‘We finished it out strong’: Centennial girls hold off Wolves’ rally for road victory

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It's never easy to win on the road. The sixth-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team built a 17-point lead and then held off a furious rally by No. 12 Waukee Northwest to escape with a 52-45 road victory on Tuesday. The Wolves, who never led, closed the gap to 44-42 in the fourth quarter before Centennial ended the game with an 8-3 … [Read more...] about ‘We finished it out strong’: Centennial girls hold off Wolves’ rally for road victory

Centennial girls pull away from No. 3 North Polk, head into 2024 with 5-5 mark

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team may have turned its season around prior to the holiday break. After ending a five-game losing streak with a win over their crosstown rival three nights earlier, the sixth-ranked Jaguars evened their overall record at 5-5 with a 58-43 victory over visiting North Polk in a non-conference game on Dec. 22. "We … [Read more...] about Centennial girls pull away from No. 3 North Polk, head into 2024 with 5-5 mark

‘It was a whole team effort’: Centennial girls hold off Hawkettes in rivalry thriller

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Mya Crawford and her teammates on the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball squad didn't want to go into the holiday break with another CIML Conference loss. Crawford scored a game-high 18 points and forced a big turnover in the final seconds as the Jaguars held on for a 50-49 victory over visiting Ankeny on Tuesday. The win allowed sixth-ranked Centennial … [Read more...] about ‘It was a whole team effort’: Centennial girls hold off Hawkettes in rivalry thriller

Jaguars battle No. 3 Davenport North to the wire before dropping 40-37 decision

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A late rally by the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team came up short on Saturday when the Jaguars simply ran out of time. Sixth-ranked Centennial held No. 3 Davenport North scoreless over the last 4 minutes, but the Jaguars managed just five points during that stretch and couldn't get the ball back in the final seconds, resulting in a 40-37 loss in … [Read more...] about Jaguars battle No. 3 Davenport North to the wire before dropping 40-37 decision

Pratt’s foul trouble proves costly as Jags fall to Waukee for 4th consecutive loss

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When Ankeny Centennial's Jaeden Pratt went to the bench with her third foul during the first half of Friday's game against visiting Waukee, the CIML Conference girls' basketball contest started to slip away from the sixth-ranked Jaguars. No. 5 Waukee extended its lead to 27-18 at halftime and went on to post a 51-37 victory over Centennial, which has now … [Read more...] about Pratt’s foul trouble proves costly as Jags fall to Waukee for 4th consecutive loss