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Scott DeJong

‘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

‘We had a real matchup problem’: No. 1 Johnston hands Jaguars 3rd straight loss

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The search for more offensive production continues for the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team. The fifth-ranked Jaguars shot just 31.8 percent (14-of-44) and dropped a 64-37 decision at No. 1 Johnston on Tuesday, suffering a third straight loss for only the third time in program history. They have averaged just 31.7 points over the last three games, … [Read more...] about ‘We had a real matchup problem’: No. 1 Johnston hands Jaguars 3rd straight loss

‘We struggled to get points’: Jaguars tumble to No. 2 Valley in defensive battle

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team just couldn't find the basket. The fifth-ranked Jaguars shot just 21.7 percent from the field (10-of-46) and lost to No. 2 Valley, 35-24, in a CIML Conference game on Friday at Centennial. It was the team's lowest offensive output in program history under coach Scott DeJong. The previous low was 26 points in … [Read more...] about ‘We struggled to get points’: Jaguars tumble to No. 2 Valley in defensive battle

‘Give Dowling credit’: No. 6 Maroons hand cold-shooting Centennial its first loss

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(Story by Gabe Ploeger) The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team just couldn’t get the shots to fall. Sixth-ranked Dowling Catholic outscored No. 2 Centennial in all four quarters and cruised to a 60-34 win over the visiting Jaguars on Friday. The Maroons bounced back from a 55-42 loss to No. 5 Valley on Tuesday, which could be a sign of things to … [Read more...] about ‘Give Dowling credit’: No. 6 Maroons hand cold-shooting Centennial its first loss

Centennial girls dominate boards, force 26 turnovers in victory at Urbandale

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On a night when the shots weren't falling at a high rate for the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team, the Jaguars found other ways to dominate their opponent. Fifth-ranked Centennial racked up a 48-19 rebounding advantage and also forced 26 turnovers en route to a 75-33 victory at Urbandale in its CIML Conference opener on Tuesday. The Jaguars … [Read more...] about Centennial girls dominate boards, force 26 turnovers in victory at Urbandale

‘This was a huge win’: Late rally allows Jaguars to knock off No. 2 Pleasant Valley

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This wasn't just another November victory for the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team. The fifth-ranked Jaguars scored the final nine points of the game and rallied to beat No. 2 Pleasant Valley, 44-40, on Saturday in Cedar Rapids. The contest was part of the 19th Rivalry Saturday held on the campus of Kirkwood Community College. "To go to a … [Read more...] about ‘This was a huge win’: Late rally allows Jaguars to knock off No. 2 Pleasant Valley

Hot-shooting Jaguars rout Roosevelt, will face No. 2 Pleasant Valley on Saturday

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The Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team won't have many games like Tuesday's season opener against visiting Des Moines Roosevelt. Perhaps the fifth-ranked Jaguars won't have any like it. Centennial raced out to a 54-6 halftime lead and rolled to a 73-18 victory over the Roughriders in a non-conference game. "We shot the ball well. We were … [Read more...] about Hot-shooting Jaguars rout Roosevelt, will face No. 2 Pleasant Valley on Saturday

‘They have lots of abilities they bring to the table’: Pratt, Crawford to lead Jaguars

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When the Ankeny Centennial girls' basketball team opens its season on Tuesday with a non-conference game against visiting Des Moines Roosevelt, the Jaguars will start a lineup consisting of five underclassmen. That's because there are no seniors on the squad's roster. "I do think we have had (this situation) before, but rarely," said Centennial coach … [Read more...] about ‘They have lots of abilities they bring to the table’: Pratt, Crawford to lead Jaguars

‘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