The class 4A quarterfinal round is complete at the Girls’ State Basketball Tournament.Ankeny’s surprising run to the state championship last year was built on defense and that element was on display in the opening round. The third-ranked Hawkettes held fourth ranked North Scott scoreless for a nearly eight-minute portion of the first half to take command in a 46-33 victory. North Scot’s game plan of ball control against the bigger Ankeny team worked early as the Lancers had an 8-4 lead midway through the opening quarter. but they managed to score just four points in the next 15-minutes of play and by that time Ankeny had built the lead to 15 midway through the third. Ankeny coach Scott DeJong on the defensive effort of his team. North Scott coach Ken Slater says they have to walk out with their heads high after a great season. He says they didn’t have their best game today.Waterloo West survived an early barrage by Elisha Turek from Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln as the Wahawks stunned the second-ranked Lynx 47-40 and earned another trip to the semifinals. Turek scored 11-points in the first six minutes of the game as Abe Lincoln built a six-point advantage. West made the adjustments though and Turek was held to just four points the rest of the way.Senior forward Natalie Tarkett led West with 15-points and called Turek an awsome player. The Wahawks advance to Thursday’s semifinals to take on Ankeny, the team that upset West in last year’s title game. Tarkett says it’s “awesome” to come back to state after she says most people underestimated them.Fifth-ranked Norwalk survived a sluggish first quarter and a late Spencer rally for a 53-39 win in the opening class 3A quarterfinal. Norwalk coach Brent Walker says the three-pointers weren’t going in, so he told his team to pick it up defensively. Spencer cut a ten point Norwalk lead to two in the fourth qarter but a Jill Martin rebound basket with just over five minutes remaining triggered a nine-oh Norwalk run to put the game away. Martin finished with a game high 24-points. Spencer coach Don Martindale says Martin was too much for them to handle.
