Albert Lea boys’ basketball team still looking for first season win

The Albert Lea boys’ basketball team came into its game Tuesday night looking for its first win of the season, when Northfield came to town.

The Tigers were unable to find the offensive momentum and the defensive stop in order to beat the Raiders, as they fell 100-53.

The Tigers were able to get on the board early to keep it close for the first few opening possessions. Senior Sean Wadding and junior Spencer Doyle scored the Tigers’ first two baskets.

The Raiders would then go on a 16-point run with the Tigers down by a score of 22-6. The run was stopped when sophomore JJ Owens went to the line, making both free throws and then a driving layup just a few possessions later.

The Tigers would add a few more points to their total before the halftime buzzer, and they would go to the locker rooms down by a score of 16-60.

Albert Lea came out for the second half much more aggressive on offense, making smart passes and hitting open shots. The team was able to match its point total from the first half in the first eight minutes of the second. A large portion of those scores came from Doyle, who scored five of the team’s first seven second-half points.

Head coach Lucas Novosad talked about the team’s halftime discussions.

“We talked about spacing and knowing where everybody is at on the floor,” he said. “They’re good basketball players; we’re basketball-savvy kids. We’re getting better with those things that we stress everyday at practice.”

The Tigers would keep their scoring momentum going through the rest of the game, but it would be too late, as the Raiders gained too much of a lead. The second half was much better for the Tigers, as they were only outscored by three points.

“We are making steps, but we’re not there yet — the key word is ‘yet,’” Novosad said. “We’re getting there, and sometimes the scoreboard isn’t going to reflect that, but the kids aren’t quitting. They wanted to get back to work and practice right now; that’s the type of team we’ve got.”

Albert Lea falls to 0-2 on the season and will be back in action at home Friday night when the Owatonna Huskies come to town.