Super-State: Cascio Jensen's complete game sets her apart

And at some point in her career, the 5-foot-10 Fremont senior guard and this year’s honorary captain of the Lincoln Journal Star Super-State team has used every item in that vast array.

As a freshman at Bellevue East, she was the facilitator, contributing any way she could to an experienced Chieftain squad that qualified for the state tournament. Cascio Jensen’s ballhandling and passing skills became even more valuable after her family moved to Fremont her sophomore year and she became Jessica Shepard’s teammate.

The only criticism Fremont coach Tony Weinandt had about Cascio Jensen when she first became a Tiger was that she didn’t shoot enough. But Cascio Jensen is a coach’s daughter (former Bellevue East girls coach Scott Jensen is her father), and getting the ball to a 6-foot-4, four-time Super-State post player averaging more than 30 points per game and shooting 65 percent from the field made more sense to her than standing outside and putting up three-pointers.

All of that changed on Dec. 29, 2014, when Shepard’s high school career ended with a torn ACL nine games into Cascio Jensen’s junior season. All of a sudden, Cascio Jensen went from sidekick to the starring role.

It didn’t take long for her to settle in to her new responsibilities. The next day, Cascio Jensen scored 28 points and hit two free throws with 1.8 seconds left to give Fremont a 62-61 win over Lincoln East in the Heartland Athletic Conference tournament semifinals.

The defender, passer, ballhandler and rebounder had finally added scorer to her list of titles.

“It was really hard losing Jess, and I knew I had to step up to lead,” Cascio Jensen said, looking back. “My teammates allowed me to take control, and I was fortunate we had multiple threats on the floor so I didn’t feel pressure of having to do all of the scoring.”

As unfortunate as Shepard’s injury was, it gave Cascio Jensen a head start on her senior season, and the South Dakota recruit hit the ground running as Fremont’s showcase player. Her countless hours of individual work on her game as well as regular, rigorous workouts with a personal trainer also made a difference.

“It allowed me to be more comfortable in my game and showed me I was capable of things I didn’t think I could do before,” Cascio Jensen said.

The entire arsenal was on display as the Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year led the Tigers to a 21-7 season and a spot in the Class A state tournament. She not only led the Tigers in scoring (22 points per game average), but she was also the team leader in rebounds (7.4 per game), assists (3.6 per game) and steals (2.6 per game).

Cascio Jensen knocked down three-pointers at a high rate (41 percent from beyond the arc), broke down defenses driving to the basket and hit free throws in close games (78 percent from the stripe). At one point this season, she hit 34 straight foul shots, a Class A state record.

While Cascio Jensen looked to score, she never forgot to get her teammates involved. Fellow senior Meghan Luper also evolved into a scoring threat, averaging just under 14 points per game, and Shepard’s younger sister, sophomore Sam Shepard, netted almost 10 per game.

“Rylie can do so much and is such a team player. That’s why kids love playing with her,” Weinandt said.

And Cascio Jensen was at her best when it mattered most. She had 30 points in a 21-point win over eventual state champion Lincoln East in the HAC finals, then scored 22 points in a four-point road win at East 10 days later.

Cascio Jensen had 11 games of 25 or more points, including a career-high 33 against Bellevue West in February.

But her real value might’ve shown most in a game she scored 13 points. Cascio Jensen sat out much of the first half in foul trouble against Lincoln Northeast late in the season, and the Rockets built a 19-point lead with her out. Cascio Jensen returned in the second half, Luper scored 24 and the Tigers bounced back for a two-point win.

“She understands what it takes to win a game, and she doesn’t have to pick up big numbers to be happy,” Weinandt said.

Cascio Jensen is joined on the Super-State first team by Skyler Snider of Kearney, Chloe Akin-Otiko of Bellevue West, Payton Brotzki of Platteview and Lincoln East's Grace Barry.