AUSTIN &045; It was another character test for the Albert Lea Tigers, and they passed.

Coming off a disheartening 84-48 loss to Mankato East, the Tigers bounced back by beating arch-rival Austin 74-57 in a Big Nine boys’ basketball game on the Packers’ court Friday night.

&uot;I knew we had this in us,&uot; said Albert Lea coach Matt Addington. &uot;Our guys just really played with spirit and emotion. There seemed to be some real chemistry there tonight. The guys played very relaxed and within themselves.&uot;

&uot;We were real relaxed tonight,&uot; said senior forward Tyler Young. &uot;I think it was kind of a statement that we can bounce back after Mankato East and show that we can play.&uot;

But the Packers played the Tigers close in the first half. It was tied at 15 at the end of the first quarter, and Albert Lea was up just 29-27 at the intermission.

A 21-12 third-quarter run made it 50-39 Tigers entering the fourth.

Ben Woodside had another big game for the Tigers, scoring 32 points while making 10 of 20 shots from the floor and 10 of 15 free throws, including five of six down the stretch. He also had seven steals and five assists.

Stephen Thorn had 12 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in what Addington called his best varsity game to date.

&uot;Stephen does so much blue-collar stuff that you can’t coach,&uot; said Addington. &uot;He’s the type of player every team has to have to be successful, and he does it for us.&uot;

Mike Behrends scored 12 points, Young had eight points and six rebounds, including a fourth-quarter slam dunk. Ryan Moore scored five, Tom Munden four, Marcus Thorstad one, Matt Duncomb one.

A key, according to Addington, was offensive rebounding, where the Tigers had a big 21-8 advantage. Overall, the Tigers outrebounded the Packers 38-23 and had 11 turnovers to Austin’s 15.

Albert Lea was 24-for-51 from the floor, 3-for-9 on threes, and made 23 of 26 free throws. The Packers were 23-for-47 on field goals, only 1-for-9 on threes, and 10-for-12 at the line.

&uot;I’m just real proud of our effort,&uot; said Addington, whose team improved to 2-5 in the Big Nine and 6-5 overall.

The Tigers are off until this Friday, when they host Winona.