Once Waukee settled down, the Warriors took care of business – though it did get tense at the end.
Waukee overcame a shaky start that resulted in an early 10-point deficit and turned back Ankeny Centennial 46-44 to reach the Class 5A semifinals. The fourth-seeded Warriors got back into it with their 3-point shooting, then relied on their defense in the closing minutes to nail down the victory.
They’ll move on with a 19-4 record and will face a major challenge in the next round against top-seeded and unbeaten Johnston, which rolled past West Des Moines Valley 60-31 in the tournament’s first game. Johnston beat Waukee 72-54 during the regular season. The rematch comes at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Waukee had balance up and down the lineup. Kirsten Hauck and Maryne Szalo led with 10 points apiece, Emilie Sorensen and Sophia Hope each scored nine and Mara Yokiel added seven. Hauck made all three of her 3-point shots while Hope went 3-for-5 from deep and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Centennial, with an all-junior starting lineup, got 22 points from Illinois State commit Jaeden Pratt. Tillie Smith added eight points and Mya Crawford, who has committed to Drake, finished with seven points, nine rebounds and five of the team’s 12 steals.
The Jaguars forced 18 turnovers, which they turned into 16 points, but could not overcome their 27.5 percent shooting. Waukee shot 45.7 percent and went 8-for-17 from 3-point range.
With the loss, Centennial coach Scott DeJong will have to wait until next season to collect his 700th career victory. He’s 699-182 in a 36-year career that has produced a record seven state championships. The Jaguars, who did not have a senior on the roster, finished 14-9.
For a while, it looked as though DeJong wouldn’t have to wait on No. 700. The Jaguars opened a 10-0 lead and were up 12-3 when Pratt scored inside with 3 minutes left in the first quarter. Waukee missed three shots and turned it over five times during C’ntennial's early run, then got going when Szalo converted a three-point play off a drive.
She followed that with a jumper, Hope knocked down a 3-pointer and Hauck banked in a 3 from the top of the key just before the buzzer to cap an 11-0 run that pulled the Warriors into a 14-12 lead.
Pratt’s six points helped Centennial go up 21-19 before Waukee rattled off nine straight points, including back-to-back treys by Hauck, for a 28-21 halftime lead. The Warriors pulled ahead by as many as 10 before Centennial crept back and eventually took a 44-43 lead when Pratt worked her way inside for a bucket with 2:54 left.
The Jaguars had the game their preferred pace at that point, but they did not score again. Yokiel’s two free throws and another by Gentry Williams made it 46-44 and Centennial got a final chance when Crawford ran down the rebound after Waukee missed a 3-point shot in the closing seconds.
Crawford charged up court and found a lane to the basket but her shot did not fall and Waukee had the victory.