There’s something working for Ankeny girls basketball this season, and it’s paid off on the scoreboard.The Hawks eased past Centennial, 55-39, on Dec. 5, helping Ankeny to an undefeated start through its first four games.Ankeny jumped out to a 15-6 lead in the first quarter, and Centennial couldn’t do anything to catch up completely – despite junior Lizzie Beam scoring a game-high 18 points, including 14 points in the second half that kept the Hawks from moving even further out of reach.“Any road win in the (Central Iowa Metropolitan League) means a lot,” said head coach Nathan Tobey postgame. “It was nice to see us get out to that lead. I think we could’ve done some things to extend it, but credit to Centennial.“They’ve gotten so much better in the last week or so since their first game, and they’re just going to keep getting better.”The Jaguars’ roster looks a little different this season, since Centennial graduated all five starters – plus four more seniors – from last season’s state semifinalist squad.Ankeny, on the other hand, looks overwhelmingly familiar.The Hawks’ starting lineup is loaded with senior talent this season. Reagan Baldwin, Ainsley Kiene, Kyla Schaapveld and Jayla Williams – all seniors – fill out four of the starting five spots. Those four have played a lot of basketball together but, against Centennial, the seniors looked even more connected than in years past.“We have a lot of players that are just so selfless and are always looking for each other, and they’ve gained so much experience now,” Tobey said.But it wasn’t any of the seniors who stole the show, despite Kiene and Williams each contributing 14 points, and Baldwin and Schaapveld combining for three 3-pointers.No, the standout of the game – and not just for her 6-foot frame – was freshman Aliyana Aguirre.She led all Ankeny shooters with 16 total points, including a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter. Aguirre scored from all of the court, and she piled on the defense on the other end, as well.“She’s just such a worker as a freshman, and she’s just all about winning,” Tobey said. “It’s just so great having so many threats on the floor.”It’s still early in the season, and a lot can happen over the next few months.But this Ankeny team looked connected in a rivalry matchup that always involves some extra emotions, and the Hawks could be a team to pay attention to as the season progresses.“There’s some thing that we clearly need to get better at after this game,” Tobey shared. “But it’s just nice to have the spotlight on (this win) and have some time to work before we face another tremendous opponent.”Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ankeny girls basketball eases past Ankeny Centennial in CIML matchup