There were plenty of positive points for the Albert Lea High School girls’ basketball team.

Wednesday, January 24, 2001

There were plenty of positive points for the Albert Lea High School girls’ basketball team.

The final score just wasn’t one of them.

The Tigers played some of their best basketball of the season in stretches Tuesday night but couldn’t keep pace with Austin in the second half, dropping a 59-46 decision in a Big Nine game at ALHS.

Albert Lea’s record fell to 1-8 in the Big Nine and 3-8 overall. Austin improved to 5-6 and 4-5.

While the Packers pulled away and were never threatened in the fourth quarter, the first two and most of the third were filled with heated end-to-end action befitting a rivalry as intense as Albert Lea and Austin.

The lead changed hands four times in the opening period, which ended in a 13-11 Austin advantage.

The Tigers went on a 6-0 run to start the second quarter and led 23-18 inside the final minute. Then the Packers provided a preview of the second half, hitting a free throw and a three-point basket to pull within 23-23 at the intermission.

The Packers remained hot in the third quarter, but the Tigers maintained the lead until Austin tied it at the midway point at 33 with a three-pointer.

A rebound basket by Amber Sickels with 2:55 left in the third put the Tigers on top 37-36. It was their last lead. The Packers closed out the quarter with a 6-2 run, taking a 48-39 edge into the final period. Austin also scored the first seven points in the fourth to go on top 55-40.

Sickels led the Tigers with 23 points, making nine of 11 free throws. Also scoring were Holly Larson with six, Jenny Vanderploeg five, Amie Hartman four, and Beth Kolling, Afton Delger, Aubree Page and Libby Berg two apiece.

The Tigers are home again Friday to face Mankato West in a 7:30 p.m. Big Nine game. The Tigers’ only conference win of the season was in the season opener at West, where Sickels scored a school-record 35 points.