WELLS – It seemed like the Albert Lea Tigers were in control most of the night.

Saturday, December 01, 2001

WELLS – It seemed like the Albert Lea Tigers were in control most of the night.

The United South Central Rebels just refused to let it get out of hand.

The Tigers beat the Rebels 46-40 in a nonconference boys’ basketball game at Wells Friday night, winning their season opener and their first game under new head coach Matt Addington.

&uot;For a first game, I thought we did a nice job, and it’s always nice to get a win,&uot; said Addington. &uot;USC’s got a scrappy bunch of kids. They made us work for every one of our 46 points. I can’t say we played a bad game. USC played us tough.&uot;

The Tigers took the lead early and never trailed, though they never led by more than six.

Cole Iverson hit a three-pointer inside the final two minutes to pull the Rebels within three at 41-38 but the Tigers put it away with free throws, four by Ben Woodside and one by Tyler Young.

Woodside, a 5-foot-10 sophomore guard and the Tigers’ only returning starter, led all players with 16 points, adding three steals and two assists. Josh Kasper scored 14. Jordan Skophammer, a 6-7 junior, had six point, six rebounds and three blocked shots. Young had five points and six rebounds, Tim Benesch two points and six rebounds.

Iverson’s eight points led the Rebels. Ben Wetzell scored seven, Mitch Forderer six, Dusty Niebuhr five.

The Tigers were 17-for-35 from the floor and 13-for-20 on free throws, USC 16-for-44 and 5-for-11. Both teams had 30 rebounds.

&uot;There are some things we need to get a lot better at, especially on the offensive end,&uot; said Addington. &uot;We seemed a little bit out of synch in the first half. We finally settled down into a little bit of an offensive rhythm in the second half.&uot;

But Addington was glad to see the win finished off by the Tigers, who haven’t had a winning record since the 1991-92 season.

&uot;These kids have really got to learn how to win, and tonight was a step in the right direction,&uot; added Addington. &uot;We had to call time out a couple times to slow their momentum, but I thought we were in control of the game. It was a great game to have for the opener.&uot;

Both teams have their conference opener this week, with the Tigers hosting Owatonna Tuesday and the Rebels traveling to Fairmont on Friday.