The Riverland Community College men’s basketball team is flying high right now and the team’s backcourt has been a big part of that.

While Jace Klinkner, a freshman from Woodbury, Minn., has put up all of the big numbers, Darius Bell, a sophomore from Bloomington, Minn., has had an even bigger impact on the team with his leadership.

Headed into Wednesday’s upset win over No. 1 ranked Anoka-Ramsey, Klinkner was ranked fifth in the MCAC South in scoring (19.8 points per game), three-point shooting (36.3 percent) and field goal shooting (48.9).

Bell was averaging 13.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, while shooting 45.2 percent from the field, but his leadership has been the biggest asset he’s provided to the Blue Devils.

“Darius has been a two-year captain for us and he’s been a mentor for everybody,” RCC head coach Derek Hahn said. “Our practices are very competitive and that’s something I wanted to emphasize when I took over. A lot of the freshmen learn from Darius in different ways.”

Klinkner and Bell have very similar styles on the court and they’ve developed a knack for playing off each other with efficiency. They both like to drive to the hoop and they are both very gifted at being able to score with contact in the paint. Klinkner said he’s learned plenty by playing with Bell.

“Darius taught me a lot when I came here. I picked up a lot from him,” Klinkner said. “Those guys get me the ball when I’m open and I can make my shots.”

Bell has taken the leadership role in full stride as he’s always telling the younger players to stay hungry and to keep working hard.

“I try to lead by example and they’re good at listening and following. I just try to teach them to work hard,” Bell said.