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The Austin boys basketball team got off on the wrong foot as it trailed for most of the night in a 75-52 loss to Faribault that snapped the Packers’ three-game home winning streak in Ove Berven Gym Tuesday.

Austin (9-9 overall) was within 35-29 after Cole Hebrink hit a three-pointer with 14:40 left when the Falcons bounced back. Nolan Vogelsberg hit back-to-back threes to make it 41-29 with 12:40 left and Hebrink, who finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, seven steals and three assists, hit another three to bring Austin within 48-40. However, the Falcons ran away with the game down the stretch.

“Overall, in our last few games, the effort and discipline has been poor and the energy has followed with that effort and discipline,” Austin head coach Jamaal Gibson said. “Ultimately, that falls on me and quite frankly if you’re not doing things right on the defensive end and you’re not playing smart on the offensive end, you’re not going to get a lot of good looks.”

Faribault (13-5 overall) was led by its 6-foot, 10-inch center Ryan Kreager, who poured in 27 points.

Gibson said the Packers will have to step up their game in practice before they are able to improve on game nights.

“It comes back to practice where we are not going as hard as we need to be. We need to make sure that first, practice changes and hopefully it transfers to games,” Gibson said. “You can only use the inexperience excuse for so long. It’s February now and we’ve got to be better.”

Faribault 31  44 –  75

Austin 22  30  –  52

Austin scoring: Cole Hebrink, 16; Xzayveun Severin, 10; Ohlaani Omot, 8; Banyaan Omot, 5; Rob Lillis, 4; J’dan Stevens, 3; Micah Christopherson, 3; Mady Kwot, 2; Garlo Gee, 1