The Albert Lea boys’ basketball team held off a late rally by Rochester Century to win 61-60.

The Tigers built an eight-point lead at the half.

“We played one of our best first halves of the season,” Albert Lea head coach Lucas Kreuscher said.

In the second half, the Tigers extended their advantage to 13 points.

However, Rochester began to cut into its deficit, while Albert Lea fell cold from the field.

In the end, the Tigers’ defense stepped up to preserve the win.

“This is the second time in three games where we needed to get a stop, and we got it,” Kreuscher said.

Five days earlier, Albert Lea beat United South Central 57-56 in a similar situation.

 

Albert Lea 61, Rochester Century 60

AL 29 32 — 61

RC 21 39 — 60

AL stats: Tyler Shaw 5 points, 2 rebounds; Makael Lunning 1 point, 4 rebounds; Goding Wall 4 points, 4 rebounds; Tyler Vandenheuvel 21 points, 4 rebounds; Jorge Sena 10 points; Tesloch Kuey 1 point, 7 rebounds; Miles Erdman 13 points, 7 rebounds; Cody Scherff 6 points, 3 rebounds.