Albany makes inside-outside game work against Pequot Lakes

For all of the scouting and game-planning teams undertake preparing for a state tournament game, Pequot Lakes boys basketball coach Rich Spiczka didn't even attempt to give an in-depth breakdown of his team's 69-53 loss to Albany in a Class 2A semifinal Tuesday at Williams Arena.

He boiled it down to its most basic.

"We were doing all the things we were supposed to do, but basketball is hard when the ball doesn't go in the basket," he said.

Pequot Lakes made just eight of 27 shots in the first half, falling behind Albany 27-18 at halftime.

Albany, one the other hand, was getting a stellar effort inside from 6-6 sophomore post Sam Hondl, who was able to find space in the interior of the Pequot Lakes zone for his soft, 12-foot turnaround shots. He made five of eight in the first half, not only staking the Huskies (30-1) to an early lead but allowing the rest of the team time to find its shooting legs.

"In a state tournament like this, playing in a big venue like this, the shooter's eye is a little bit different than a high school gym," Albany coach Cory Schlagel said. "We got the ball to the middle of the zone and this kid here [Hondl], when you give him space like that, I thought he was very, very good."

Albany maintained control for the rest of the game, save for a short stretch when Pequot Lakes cut the lead to nine, 34-25, with 13 minutes left in the game.

A little more than four minutes later, Albany had restored its lead to 19 on a Tysen Gerads three-pointer, and the Huskies coasted home from there.

Hondl finished with 20 points and Gerads 19, 15 after halftime.

Pequot Lakes' Grant Loge led all scorers with 23 points.