Five Takeaways: No. 5 Ankeny 58 vs Centennial 50
Ankeny — It was a blitzkrieg by the Hawks to start the game, they were quicker, sharper and more skilled than their crosstown rival in the first quarter, allowing them to race out to a whopping 21-3 lead. Things normalized…
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Continue ReadingAnkeny — It was a blitzkrieg by the Hawks to start the game, they were quicker, sharper and more skilled than their crosstown rival in the first quarter, allowing them to race out to a whopping 21-3 lead. Things normalized after that, and, actually, the Jags would outscore Ankeny by 10 the rest of the way, but it wasn’t enough to get out of the massive hole.
At one point in the second quarter, Ankeny led 28-4, it took a lot for the Jags to get back into the game from that point, but gradually, they were able to.
Keaton Gray gave the Jags a boost off the bench defensively, and Cody McCullough was sensational while helping come all the way to within four at one point in the fourth quarter. But the Hawks, led by a balanced scoring attack, never trailed in this one. Four is as close as the Jags could get.
The fifth-ranked Hawks have been red-hot to start their 2018-19 campaign, and move to 4-0 with the win. Centennial has played a tough schedule, they drop to 2-4.
Team Scoring
Centennial — 3 12 23 12 — 50
Ankeny — 21 12 16 9 — 58
Individual Scoring
Centennial: Cody McCullough 24, Micah Johnson 7, Tyler Rogders 5, Lathan Brandt 5, Preston Kelling 3, Keaton Gray 2, Ben Breeding 2, Brady Petersen 2.
Ankeny: Jordan Kumm 13, Jaxon Smith 12, Braxton Bayless 10, Dillon Carlson 10, JaRon Crews 9, Nolan Otten 3, Drake Bennet 1.
Five Takeaways
Unselfish Hawks
The ball was like a hot potato for the Hawks early in the this game, and that’s a big reason why they were able to race out to the insurmountable lead. The assists numbers in this one will be healthy, and it’s clear to see that this season’s edition of the Hawks doesn’t care who gets the buckets, but just that they get them. Despite scoring a team-high 13, Jordan Kumm was among the most unselfish tonight; he admitted after the game that the guys were young and selfish last season, they were aware of that, and have worked to correct that this season They’ve done a complete 180.
Cody McCullough has always been a Class of 2020 guy that’s been on our radar. He’s 6-foot-7 and has a versatile set of skills. But he’s now squarely on the stock-risers radar after dropping a tough 24 points in this one. He was a beast on the boards, especially the o-glass. And his nine field goals were by far the most from anyone in this game; Kumm and Bayless were the next closest with five each. McCullough was timid at times last season, this season he’s aggressive and mean, it’s working.
Another guy who is firmly on the stock-risers radar is Ankeny junior guard Jordan Kumm. He got the start tonight after dropping 20 in the Hawks’ win over Des Moines Lincoln earlier in the week, and was the catalyst of the 21-3 outburst in the first quarter. He’s playing with supreme confidence, and why not, especially when you’re quicker and more athletic than the guy guarding you. The 3-ball was falling, he was getting to the rack, the assists numbers will be plenty, and his defensive instincts were on point. It was quite the showing for this much-improved junior guard.
They were being embarrassed through the first quarter, and after seeing that, it wouldn’t have surprised us if the game ended up a massive blowout. But the Jags, did, not, quit — not even close. Cody McCullough was the driving force behind the gradual comeback. And unsung hero Keaton Gray got a swipe and steal of Ankeny’s Jordan Kumm late in the third quarter when his team was down 16. That steal, which occurred out by mid-court and moments after he had been crossed-over by Kumm, got the Jags and crown ultra-amped. It would spur a 13-2 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters. eventually, after the Jags had cut the lead to four, 54-50, the Hawks would settle into the win. But it was an impressive and gritty comeback for the Jags. One that will surely make the Hawks think, and gives the Jags confidence going into the next game, at their place, on Jan. 11.
Hawks Flying High
A win over then-No. 2 Des Moines North got the Hawks on the map. They took care of business after that, winning their next two over Fort Dodge and Des Moines Lincoln. This is another win, especially the 21-3 start, that will turn some heads. The Hawks are now 4-0, and will be considerable favorites in their next two games at Southeast Polk and at Urbandale. That will set up back-to-back tough road games against Ames and Johnston, we’ll learn a lot more about the Hawks over that four game road-span, especially the last two.