Trio among SCC’s best

The Buccaneer girls basketball team capped a successful season with a trip to the Minnesota State Girls Basketball Tournament.
In the South Central Conference they ended with a 6-4 record, and were in third place. They scored 492 points, while giving up 476.
Three of the Buc players were recently recognized for their efforts by being named to the All-South Central Conference list.
Two players, Jackie Klinkner and Kate Hassing, were on the first team. Ashley Olson was named to the honorable mention list.
Here is a closer look at the three honored Buccaneers.

Jackie Klinkner
Klinkner was the only senior on the Buc squad this year, and was a good leader, Coach Al Cue says.
“She led us in steals and assists and was the second leading rebounder,” Cue says. “She was one of our top scorers too.”
Klinkner averaged 7.8 points per game. She had 186 rebounds, or an average of 6.4 per game.
She also had 62 steals and 96 assists, playing the guard position.

“I thought Jackie really picked up her game at tournament time,” the Bucs mentor says. “She will be missed in many ways.”
Kate Hassing
Hassing was the leading rebounder on the team, grabbing 194 for an average of 6.7 per game.
She also had a nine point per game scoring average, making her one of the leading scorers on the team.
“Kate is a very hard worker,” the coach says about her. “She was our stopper on defense – always drawing the toughest assignment. She did a great job defending a bigger Division I-bound post player in our state tournament game.”
The junior forward had 10 blocked shots, 33 steals and 44 assists during the season.
Cue says Hassing struggled shooting the ball early in the season but really came on at tournament time.
Ashley Olson
A sophomore guard, Olson scored at an 8.4 points-per game-clip. That includes hitting 43 3-pointers, at a 33 percent rate.
“Ashley had to battle back from her knee injury throughout the season,” Cue says. “She kept getting stronger and stronger as the season progressed.”
The coach had high praise for Olson’s ball handling ability.
“The ball is like an extension of her hand,” he explains.
Olson had 53 steals during the season, as well as 42 assists. She shot 47 of 64 free throws, a rate of 73 percent.
“Ashley also showed a lot of poise in the tournament games, especially against Jordan’s Division I-bound point guard,” Coach Cue adds.