Jackie Klinkner puts up a shot over the extended arms of a Giants defender. To see more photographs of this event, log on to http://cu.faribaultcountyregister.com

Although they never trailed – and eventually won by 19 points – the Blue Earth Area girls basketball team had quite a battle for the first part of their sub-section game against Le Sueur-Henderson on March 6.

Eventually the Bucs pulled away, and won the game 53-34, advancing to the finals.

It was a game of streaks.

The Bucs started off the game with a 9-0 run against the Giants, and they seemed to be unstoppable.

LSH battled back and tied the score at 15-15. Neither team scored again for several minutes, until BEA cut loose with five unanswered points and took a 20-15 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, the Bucs increased their lead to 13 points, with a commanding 31-18 advantage.

That lead was short-lived as the Giants went on a 10-0 run of their own. It started and ended with 3-point baskets, and put the score at 31-28.

The Bucs clung to a small five-point lead, 37-32, with just over eight minutes left in the game. That is when the Bucs defense shut down the Giants for the next seven minutes, and the Bucs offense put on a spectacular display of ball handling as they went into a stall.

Over those seven minutes, BEA scored 12 points, many on free throws, while the Giants were shut out.

Finally, with less than a minute and a half left in the game, LSH scored their final two points of the game, putting the score at 49-34.

BEA scored three more, and the final was 52-34.

Kate Hassing led the Bucs with 15 points, along with grabbing 11 rebounds.

Jackie Klinkner and Ashley Olson each scored 10 points for the Bucs. Olson was 3 of 7 from beyond the arc. Klinkner had 10 rebounds, five assists and six steals.

Morgan Dickman added eight points for BEA, and Haley Pirsig seven.

BEA controlled the boards with 31 rebounds to LSH’s 25. The Bucs shot 16 of 25 free throws to the Giants’ 4 of 9.