The Packers couldn’t survive without their starting frontcourt in a 51-48 loss to Owatonna in a girls basketball game in Ove Berven Gym Friday.

Hanna Middlebrook’s desperation game-tying three-pointer was contested with three seconds left and the shot rimmed out.

“We had a play set up, but we just didn’t execute it very well,” Austin head coach Gary Peterson said.

The Packers pulled to within 48-47 with 1:48 left after Kathryn Gavin hit two free throws, but the Huskies (2-2 overall, 2-0 Big Nine) made three out of four free throws down the stretch to pull away.

Austin had a chance to tie the game, but Bri Mayer made just one of two free throws with 40 seconds left, leaving Austin trailing 49-48.

After leading by as many as 10 in the first half, the Packers (1-2 overall, 0-1 Big Nine) hit just one field goal in the last nine minutes after Rebekah Aase and Tina Vorphal sat out the last six minutes after fouling out.

“We just gotta know how to play to stay in the game. You can’t make a dumb foul,” Peterson said.

On the night, the Packers shot 4-of-21 on three-pointers.

“We’ve gotta shoot better from the outside,” Peterson said. “We had the shots, we just gotta knock down some of those outside shots.”

Austin jumped out to an early 26-16 lead after a bank shot by Krista Viehauser— who finished 7-of-11 from the field with 17 points, seven rebounds, and five steals.

But it was the plays the Packers didn’t make that haunted them in the second half — as Owatonna pulled to within 29-27 at the break.

“We missed some easy lay-ups in the first half and we didn’t get over on the help side on Trisha Benajmin (who scored 20) and we shouldn’t be fouling her out by the free throw line,” Peterson said.

Owatonna 27 24 — 51

Austin 29 19 — 48

Austin scoring: Krista Viehauser, 17; Tina Vorphal, 10; Kathryn Gavin, 9; Rebekah Aase, 4; Hanna Middlebrook, 4; Bri Mayer, 2; Meg Brucker, 2; field goals: 33 percent (18-for-55); three-pointers: 19 percent (4-for-21); free throws: 44 percent (8-for-18); rebounds: 25 (Viehauser, 7); turnovers: 12

Owatonna scoring: Trisha Benjamin, 20; Courtney Hayford, 18; Lauren Skalla, 7; Sarah McCann, 4; Charwo, 2; field goals: 33 percent (17-for-52); three-pointers: 25 percent (4-for-16); free throws: 57 percent (13-for-23); rebounds: 38 (Benjamin, 12; Skalla, 12); turnovers: 26