Top-ranked Southeast Polk is on its way to the Class 4A semifinals and a showdown with the only team that beat the Rams this season.

Southeast Polk held unranked Ames to just two field goals in the first half and cruised to a 56-37 victory to complete the opening round of the 2012 tournament. It was the second victory over Ames this season for the Rams, who'll take a 24-1 record against fourth-ranked Ankeny in a semifinal game at 1:45 p.m. Friday.

Ankeny beat Southeast Polk 33-29 at midseason, a loss the Rams avenged with a 55-31 victory in the regular-season finale.

Southeast Polk had good balance against Ames, getting 12 points from Whitney VanWyk, 11 from Megan Bianchi and 10 from Caitlin Ingle. Ingle also notched five assists with some alert passing, while VanWyk grabbed six rebounds and knocked down a couple of 3-pointers.

Jenna Power's 12 points led Ames, which made the tournament for the fifth time in seven years. Shaya Kellogg added eight points and nine rebounds and Cheyenne Pritchard scored seven for the Little Cyclones, who finished 16-8 in a season that included victories over Ankeny and another state tournament qualifier, Waukee.

Southeast Polk hit Ames with a 17-0 run in the first half to open a 23-4 lead and was in control the rest of the way. The Rams led 25-11 at halftime and increased their lead to 20 when VanWyk hit a 3-pointer from the left corner midway through the third quarter.

Ames fought back with a 12-2 run that included a pair of 3-pointers from Power to cut the lead to 37-27 at the start of the fourth quarter. But the Rams scored seven of the next eight points to stretch the lead to 44-28 and end the Little Cyclones' comeback hopes.