It was tempting for coach Karol Hansen to look at the foul discrepancy as the reason the Albert Lea High School girls’ basketball team lost a tough one Friday night.

But she couldn’t.

&uot;The refs didn’t lose the game for us,&uot; said Hansen. &uot;You can’t fault them for 21 turnovers.&uot;

That was the Tigers’ turnover total in a 54-48 setback to Faribault in the ALHS gym.

The Falcons’ free throws, though, were just as damaging. They made 19 for 30 for the night, including nine of 15 in the fourth quarter, to overcome a 36-32 Albert Lea lead.

Still, Hansen was encouraged by what she called one of the Tigers’ best overall performances of the season.

The Tigers were especially strong defensively in the first half, when Faribault made only five of 30 field goal attempts.

&uot;For as inconsistent as we’ve been at times, it was probably one of our most consistent performances as far as a solid effort every quarter,&uot; said Hansen. &uot;I can’t compliment the girls enough on how they handled their defensive responsibilities tonight. Defense has kept us in a lot of games, and it shows a lot of desire and heart on the part of the girls to go out and play that hard on defense every night, many times against bigger, physical opponents. These girls just don’t back down.&uot;

After an 8-8 tie at the end of the first quarter, Faribault led 19-18 at halftime. Hansen said the fourth quarter was not a case of the Tigers playing &uot;not to lose&uot; the game.

&uot;It was just a time when we didn’t do what we had been doing to get in the situation we were in,&uot; said the coach.

The Tigers made 19 field goals to 17 for Faribault, but they were only 7-for-16 on free throws.

Albert Lea’s individual leaders: Jenny Hovendick 15 points, five rebounds, four assists; Danielle Rankin 15 points, seven rebounds; Amy Ravenhorst 10 points, seven rebounds, six steals; Amber Edwards four rebounds; Jess Hanson three rebounds, three assists; Heather Stegenga six rebounds; Nicole Rafdal two rebounds.

The Tigers, 1-13 in the Big Nine and 3-17 overall, play at Rochester Mayo Tuesday.

&uot;We’re making progress,&uot; said Hansen. &uot;At this point, the girls are working toward getting better every day, continuing to be more competitive and, hopefully, give somebody a surprise one of these days.&uot;