Faribault Girls Basketball Future is Bright

The Austin Packers defeated the Faribault Falcons 66-51 Friday night at Nomeland Gym.  A shorthanded Falcons team gave the Packers all they could handle.  In fact Faribault led every tick of the clock in the first half and took a 30-27 lead into the lockeroom at the break.  With a few minutes to go  in the half the Falcons were up by 8 with the ball and a chance to get a double digit lead.  Instead there was a turnover that led to a three point play for Austin.

The Packers came out in the second half and ratcheted up their defense to get turnover after turnover and more importantly score off those turnovers.  They often had three point plays due to fouls.  Austin took their first lead with 14:24 to go in the second half and outscored Faribault 26-9 at the free throw line which ended up being the difference in the game.

The Falcons played about as well as they possibly can in the first half.  Austin did press and Faribault handled it well with just seven turnovers while the Packers had 10 in the first half.  The Packers were 10 of 13 from the free throw line in the first half which kept them in the game.  The Falcons were  3 of 8 from the charity stripe in the first half.

Austin started the game in a zone and Faribault attacked it well.  The Falcons were without the services of junior post 6'0 Zoe Fronk (averaging double digit rebounds) and junior 5'9 Kelsie Demars who would have provided some more physicality on the floor.

These young Faribault players are developing some toughness.  Following the example of their only senior Abby Van Ryn.  Van Ryn led all scorers with 21 points and fouled out with 4:11 to go in the game.  Freshman 5'5 Evy Vettrus had 13 points with three 3 point baskets and sophomores 5'10 Bennett Wolff and 5'8 Kylie Petricka added 7 points each.  Those four were named our Faribault State Farm Insurance agents Faribault players of the game.

The Packers (7-2, 6-1 Big Nine) are an excellent team with just two losses on the season to a couple of outstanding teams in Rochester John Marshall and Stewartville.

Faribault dropped to 2-7 overall, 2-4 in the Big Nine and is off until next Friday when they host the Mankato East Cougars.  Austin plays next on January 3rd at Owatonna.

Other girls basketball Friday:

• Maple River 55 Bethlehem Academy 31
• Kenyon-Wanamingo 65  Triton 57  (Riley Dummer 27 pts, 11 reb., Julianna Boyum 23 pts, 9 reb. for K-W)
• Northfield 70  Albert Lea 34
• Goodhue 66  Kingsland 38
• Grand Meadow 70  Hayfield 59
• Houston 53  Randolph 47
• Lake City 68  Kasson-Mantorville 56
• Mankato East 63  Rochester Century 35
• Rochester Mayo 51  Owatonna 32
• Eden Prairie 81  Prior Lake 70
• Apple Valley 55 East Ridge 34
• Henry Sibley 55 Eagan 48
• Fillmore Central 66  Wabasha-Kellogg 55
• Farmington 78  New Prague 51
• Winona Cotter 55 Dover-Eyota 43
• Plainview-Elgin-Millville 69  Rushford-Peterson 65
• Burnsville 66  Park of Cottage Grove 54

Boys Friday basketball:

• Austin 84  Faribault 73
• Bethlehem Academy 46  Maple River 38
• Lake City 65  Kasson-Mantorville 43
• Triton 68  Kenyon-Wanamingo 50
• Rochester Lourdes 62  Stewartville 42
• Hayfield 62  Blooming Prairie 44
• Zumbrota-Mazeppa 78  Cannon Falls 73
• Rochester John Marshall 76 Red Wing 46  (Matthew Hurt 32 pts, 10 assist, 9 reb.)
• Kingsland 72  Houston 64
• Caledonia 61  St. Charles 56
• Rushford-Peterson 64  Plainview-Elgin-Millville 54
• Lyle/Pacelli 90  Leroy-Ostrander 65
• Lewiston-Altura 67  Southland 50
• Randolph 51  Grand Meadow 48
• East Ridge 80  Lakeville South 39
• Rosemount 82  Hastings 63
• Eden Prarie 66  Lakeville North 62
• Eagan 61  Bloomington Jeffereson 49
• Rochester Mayo 67  Owatonna 57
• United South Central 60  NRHEG 59
• Waseca 98  Blue Earth Area 60
• Minneapolis North 66  Burnsville 49
• Dover-Eyota 69  Winona Cotter/Hope Lutheran 29
• Lacrescent 78  Chatfield 59
• New Prague 57  Farmington 44