Despite having the third-best record in Section 1AAA, the Albert Lea girls’ basketball team was voted by section coaches as the No. 4 seed in the postseason tournament.

The Tigers will enter the playoffs after giving the Big Nine Conference champs all they could handle in the regular-season finale.

The Tigers lost 66-61 Friday at home against the Huskies (23-2 overall, 17-0 Big Nine Conference) at Albert Lea.

Statistics are in the Scoreboard: Feb. 28 post.

However, Albert Lea (10-16 overall, 7-11 Big Nine Conference) led 31-30 at halftime, and Bryn Woodside scored a game-high 25 points.

The loss marked three straight setbacks for the Tigers, all of which were by five points or fewer. That came on the heels of a four-game winning streak.

The Tigers showed improvement in the final seven games of the season. They avenged two losses earlier in the year: an overtime loss at Mankato West and a 13-point home loss to Winona. Albert Lea also won 67-51 at Stewartville and swept the regular-season series against Rochester Century.

Kasson-Mantorville (22-5 overall, 15-2 Hiawatha Valley League) earned the No. 1 seed and will host No. 8-seed Stewartville (2-22 overall, 2-15 Hiawatha Valley League) at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Albert Lea will host No. 5-seed Waseca (13-12 overall, 7-3 South Central Conference) at the same time. The winners will play each other in the section semifinals.

The Tigers played at Waseca on Jan. 20 and won 52-51.