Albert Lea won consecutive games for first time since 2006

Tyler Wichmann and Kyle Ooms scored 19 of the Albert Lea boys’ basketball teams first 21 points Tuesday as the team won consecutive games for the first time in five years.

The Tigers 82-60 win over the Rochester John Marshall Rockets Tuesday paired with Friday’s 79-74 win at Faribault is the program’s first back-to-back wins since they won three straight March 3-11, 2006.

“We talked about it in pregame,” Tigers coach Lucas Kreuscher said. “It was a nice thing for them to accomplish.”

The game was tight early as the two teams traded baskets through the first six minutes.

Ooms scored an and-1 layup to put the Tigers ahead 12-8 with 11:40 left in the half before Wichmann made three consecutive 3-pointers to pull away 21-10. Wichmann had 12 first half points, all on 3s in the game’s first nine minutes and forced the Rockets to move defensively from a zone to man-to-man.

“He’s got the green light,” Kreuscher said. “If he’s open he shoots. He was getting clean looks, his feet were set and he was squared.”

Wichmann knocked down a fifth 3-pointer and scored 15 in the second half en route to a career-high 27. He also had three and-1 layups in the second half and knocked down all three free throws.

“In transition he does a good job of keeping his eyes up,” Kreuscher said, of Wichmann. “He was just a lot more aggressive tonight.”

The Tigers led 34-23 at halftime and opened the second half on a 14-4 run.

After Aaron Klatt knocked down one of the Tigers’ seven 3-pointers to pull Albert Lea ahead 39-25, Wichmann scored the Tigers’ next 11 points and helped them to a 50-29 lead.

The Tigers had their biggest lead at 56-33 with 10:12 left in the second half and led 62-40 after back-to-back dunks by Ooms and Alik Smed erupted the Albert Lea High School gym and forced the Rockets to call a timeout.

“We have the same guys scoring but in different ways,” Kreuscher said. “Everybody’s looking for Kyle (Ooms) on the inside now, Wichmann is shooting the ball well and Smed can get out and run.”

The Rockets pulled within 67-56 with 3:43 left in the second half, but the Tigers went on a 15-4 run to end the game.

“Now that they’re starting to accomplish things they’re walking out there with a lot more confidence,” Kreuscher said, of his team. “That’s huge.”

Ooms finished with 18 points and nine rebounds and Smed had 15, 11 in the second half. Klatt and Silas Randall chipped in seven and six points, respectively.

The Tigers play again at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Mankato East.