Attention Spann
Published 12:25 am Saturday, December 18, 2010
Aaron Klatt (11) defends Mankato West’s Des Spann Friday during the first half of the Tigers home-opening game. -- Andrew Dyrdal
West’s Spann scores 20 first half points as Tigers fall in home-opener
The Albert Lea Tigers boys’ basketball team outscored the Mankato West Scarlets 31-30 Friday in the second half of their home-opener.
What happened in the game’s first 12 minutes kept them from winning.
The Scarlets’ (1-2, 1-1 Big Nine) Des Spann scored 20 first half points and West opened the game with a 21-3 lead. The Tigers (1-2, 0-2) held Spann to a modest nine points in the second half but lost for the second time this season 58-44.
“It’s very disappointing because we knew what (Spann) would do,” Tigers head coach Lucas Kreuscher said. “We didn’t defend him.”
Spann made use of the screen and roll, penetration and pull up jump shots. Alik Smed fouled out trying to defend him, and Kyle
Albert Lea’s Kyle Ooms, left, attempts a layup Friday during the second half on a 58-44 loss to Mankato West. Ooms finished with 10 points but fouled out with just over five minutes left in the game. -- Andrew Dyrdal
Ooms fouled out trying to defend the beneficiaries of his passes in the lane.
The Tigers did pull within 11 points a number of times in the second half but the Scarlets always had an answer offensively.
“We didn’t do what we needed to do defensively,” Kruescher said. “We didn’t get enough stops.”
The Tigers pulled within 25-11 on a 3-pointer by Tyler Wichmann and ended the first half on a 10-7 run.
Smed opened the second half with an up-and-under layup that pulled the Tigers within 13 points but the Scarlets’ Konor Severns responded immediately with a 3-pointer, setting the tone for the remainder of the game.
Kruescher said he was pleased with his team offensively during the second half, but stressed his team’s inability to stop the Scarlets on defense as the difference maker.
“It’s hard to come back from that,” he said, of the 21-3 early deficit.
Aaron Klatt looked as if he was about to spark a Tigers comeback after he was fouled and flipped the ball over his right shoulder for the basket. Klatt’s free throw brought the Tigers withins 39-28 with just over 10 minutes to play but a Scarlets’ free throw and another 3-pointer by Severns stretched West’s lead back to 15 points.
Smed, Ooms and Tyler Wichmann each scored 10 points in the game, while Klatt scored six and Cameron Hove and Silas Randall each scored four.
The Tigers play again Monday, Dec. 27 against Triton (2-2, 0-0 Hiawatha Valley) in the opening-round of the Tiger Classic at
Albert Lea’s Tyler Wichmann (2) attempts to go over a screen Friday against Mankato West at Albert Lea High School. -- Andrew Dyrdal
Albert Lea High School.
It will be the Tigers’ second stretch of at least eight days without a game, concerning the Tigers’ coach.
“We’re going to have to have good practices Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday,” Kruescher said.
Triton, who won Friday against Winona Cotter 64-52, are also off until the Tiger Classic.
