DES MOINES - Emily Walvoord had red watery bloodshot eyes after the Xavier Saints lost to Ankeny in the state basketball tournament Wednesday, but it wasn't from crying.

Walvoord got elbowed in the eye in the first half and missed a chunk of playing time. "I was seeing triple," she said. "I can look straight ahead fine, but the side is blurry."

That summed up the day for the fifth-ranked Saints as they lost to fourth-ranked Ankeny, 39-25, in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A tournament at Wells Fargo Arena.

Things looked a little blurry for Xavier, which was held to its lowest point total of the season in its biggest game of the year. The Saints scored only three points in the second quarter and did not score during the first four minutes of the fourth period.

"What we ran into was a very experienced state tournament team," said Xavier Coach Tom Lilly. "They experienced the state tournament the last three years and they certainly knew how to respond to it and how to play on the big stage.

"Unfortunately for our kids, it was all new. And I think at times that got to us and played to their advantage."

Ankeny (21-3) will play in the semifinals Friday night.

"They have great athletes," said Lilly. "They're big and they're physical. I don't know how they got three losses."

Maddie Manning, a 6-foot-2 point guard who has signed with the Oklahoma Sooners, played a smooth game and led Ankeny with 18 points despite twisting an ankle. In a mismatch that typified the day, the Saints gave 5-foot-7 junior Kayla Armstrong the unenviable task of trying to keep Manning under control.

"It's one of those situations," said Lilly. "You just try to do the best you can and hope for the best. But you don't run into a 6-foot-2 point guard very often."

Ankeny also featured 6-foot-3 center Krista Pettepier, who has signed with the University of Pittsburgh; 6-foot forward Shayla Starkenberg, who will play softball at Iowa; and 5-8 senior Maddie Muhlenbruck, who will play basketball at Simpson.

"They're a tough team," said Xavier center Alex Bartz, a thin 6-2 senior. "They have a lot of tall girls."

The Saints forged an 8-8 tie in the first quarter and were holding their own in a defensive struggle, but then Walvoord got poked in the eye and missed most of the second period with blurred vision. That's when the Hawkettes took control.

"I think it had a big impact on the game, because at the time she went out we were playing with them a little bit," said Lilly. "When she sat down, that's when they went on a 6-0 run. And as a result of that, they spread it out right before the half.

"I'm sad for her," said Lilly. "We could have used her."

Ankeny led at halftime, 19-11. Walvoord returned for the second half and helped the Saints get within 23-17, but the Hawkettes finished the third period with a 7-0 spurt to grab a 30-17 advantage heading into the final stanza.

Ankeny scored the first five points of the fourth period to finish a 12-0 run and make it 35-17 with less than five minutes left to play. At that point, Xavier had scored 17 points in 27 minutes of basketball.

"I thought we played tough," said Ankeny Coach Scott De Jong, "and we needed to play tough to beat a good Xavier team."

Ankeny returned all five starters from its 2011 state tournament club, giving the Hawkettes a huge edge over the Saints.

"I think so," said Manning. "We know the feeling. We're just more comfortable coming on the court and playing games here. I think it gives us a big advantage."

De Jong agreed with his star player. Ankeny lost in the first round of the 2009, 2010 and 2011 state tournaments and didn't want to have it happen again.

"No. 1, it was the determination," he said. "We've been here four times, we don't want those feelings in the locker room again. That was something the kids talked about a lot."

Ankeny is playing in the state tournament for the 25th time in school history, a state record, and the Hawkettes are seeking the 11th state title in school history.

Walvoord led Xavier (18-6) with eight points and six rebounds, despite playing only 15 minutes due to the blurred vision. Bartz contributed six rebounds, five blocked shots and four points.

Bartz became the fourth member of her family to play in the girls state tournament. Amanda Bartz, a half-sister, played in the state tournament with Cedar Rapids Washington. Two other older sisters, Jordan and Shea, played in state tournaments with Xavier, and Jordan was a member of the Class 3A state championship team in 2007.

"They told me to relax and have fun, because it might be my last game," said Bartz. "They told me to play with all your heart and have fun."

Bartz plans to study biology at Iowa State and try out for the track team as a high jumper. She said she enjoyed the trip to Des Moines, despite the unhappy ending.

"It was indescribable," she said. "This was the first time that this group of girls had ever been in the state tournament.

"Walking on that floor at first was nerve-wracking, but once you're out there playing on the floor, it's an awesome feeling and it's fun."

Xavier made more field goals than Ankeny, 12-10, but the Hawkettes crushed the Saints at the foul line, 18-1. There was not a big discrepancy in total fouls - 17 by Xavier, 13 by Ankeny - but the Saints fouled shooters while the Hawkettes fouled dribblers and rebounders.

The biggest discrepancy came before either team headed to Wells Fargo Arena. Ankeny, one of the biggest schools in the state, has 2,300 students in its building. Xavier, the second-smallest school in Class 4A, has only 800 students.

"It was pretty much stacked when we walked into the gym," said Lilly. "We knew that."

Ankeny will be split into two high schools for the 2013-14 school year, which could change the equation. "We won't be as good," De Jong acknowledged.

Lilly thought his team did the best it could, considering the odds and the opponent.

"We're disappointed, but we're also happy that we had the opportunity. It's a great experience," he said. "Hopefully it energized the Xavier community and the younger kids in the program. We had a great journey."

XAVIER (25): Armstrong 2 0-0 4, Dale 2 0-0 4, Andersen 0 0-0 0, Walvoord 4 0-0 8, Bartz 2 0-3 4, Winker 0 0-0 0, Deutmeyer 0 0-0 0, Dickes 0 0-0 0, Noonan 1 0-0 2, Chute 0 0-2 0, Bertsch 0 0-0 0, Breitbach 1 0-0 2, Chorzempa 0 0-0 0, Boomgarden 0 1-2 1, Stulken 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 1-7 25.

ANKENY (39): Robson 0 0-0 0, Manning 5 8-9 18, Starkenberg 3 1-3 7, Muhlenbruck 0 1-1 1, Pettepier 0 5-6 5, Brandt 0 0-0 0, Bingham 0 0-0 0, Wanninger 0 0-0 0, Smith 0 0-0 0, Hedrick 2 2-2 7, Hetrick 0 0-0 0, Winters 0 0-0 0, Jones 0 1-2 1. Totals 10 18-23 39.

Halftime - Ankeny 19, Xavier 11. 3-point goals - Xavier 0, Ankeny 1 (Hedrick 1).

Complete Boxscore