Owatonna holds off ALHS boys

Staff

Published Sunday, January 30, 2005

By Jim Lutgens, Tribune Sports Editor

The free throw was off the mark, but Mike Behrends was there for the rebound.

The big senior took it right back to the hoop for a slam dunk. It bounced off the back of the rim. Owatonna answered with a three-point basket.

For the Albert Lea Tigers, it was all too typical of the night.

Too many miscues by the Tigers and big plays by the Huskies led to a 67-60 loss for the Albert Lea High School boys' basketball team in a Big Nine game at ALHS Friday night.

"We spent the entire night reacting to them," said a frustrated Tigers coach Matt Addington. "We had a pretty good package put together but we didn't have a chance to try any of it because we spent the whole night reacting to what they were doing."

The Tigers never led after the first quarter, trailing 18-12, 31-24 and 48-37 at the breaks.

Down by as many as 14 points in the fourth period, the Tigers refused to fold. They scrapped back within five in the final minute but could get no closer.

Ryan Moore scored 18 points to lead four Tiger scorers in double figures. Parker Skophammer netted 15 points, Travis Klatt 12, Behrends 11. Skophammer had a team-high 10 rebounds.

Cory Bird, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, led Owatonna with 23 points. Drew Lundberg, a 6-1 sophomore guard, scored 21.

The Tigers were 19-for-52 from the floor, including 4-for-17 on three-pointers, and 18-for-22 at the line. Owatonna was 17-for-38 from the field, 8-for-15 on threes and 25-for-28 on free throws. Albert Lea outrebounded Owatonna 34-23 but had 16 turnovers to the Huskies' 10.

Owatonna improved its record to 6-4 in the Big Nine and 11-5 overall.

The Tigers, 3-8 in the conference and 9-8 overall, play Tuesday at Winona.

(Contact Jim Lutgens at tribsports@albertleatribune.com or 379-3437.)

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