After a highly competitive first half, the Austin boys basketball team ran out of gas down the stretch in a 68-54 loss to Owatonna Thursday in Packer Arena.

The Huskies rallied off a 9-0 run early in the second half to take a 54-44 lead with 11:35 left in the game and the Packers (17-7 overall, 13-5 Big Nine) couldn’t put a dent in that advantage as they scored just two points in the last six minutes.

“I may have gassed our guys out in the first half by not subbing enough,” Austin head coach Kris Fadness said. “I think we probably wore Connor (Gunderson) and a couple of those guys down by playing them so many minutes in the first half.”

Austin guard Steven Rizzi was one who felt the fatigue factor as he hit three three-pointers and scored 11 points in a first half that saw Austin trailing 43-41. He didn’t score a point in a second frame that saw Austin score just 13 points.

“My legs weren’t there in the second half,” Rizzi said. “But if we make a shot here or there in the second half, it could’ve been different.”

The first half saw five ties and nine lead changes as the the two squads battled it out. Nate Justice gave the Packers a huge boost when he hit two threes and converted a steal for a lay-up in the last 1:25 of the first half. Justice tied the game at 41 with his second three, but Owatonna’s Matt Wagner drove to give the Huskies a halftime advantage they would never give up.

“I thought our kids played hard. In the first half we played real well,” Fadness said. “I don’t know if it was so much us (not playing well). Tonight Owatonna just played real well.”

The biggest thorn in Austin’s side came from Taylor Steinbauer, a 6-foot, 8-inch Owatonna center. Steinbauer excelled in the absence of Kyle Melcher, who was out with a rolled ankle, and poured in 29 points and seven rebounds.

“We just had a hard time guarding Steinbauer tonight,” Steinbauer said. “He was a physical beast inside and his teammates did a good job of giving him looks. He looked like a different player than the first time we saw him (in a 64-59 Austin win over Owatonna).”

Austin will now focus on the postseason, which they will likely enter as a No. 3 seed. Austin will probably host Red Wing or Simley Wednesday night in Packer Gym.

“It’s a brand new season and we’ve got to put the last two behind us and come out with a win Wednesday,” Fadness said.

The Packers have now lost four out of six games.

Owatonna 43 25 — 68

Austin 41 13 — 54

Austin scoring: Connor Gunderson, 16; Steven Rizzi, 11; Marcus Gunderson, 10; Nate Justice, 10; Will Felten, 7; field goals: 36 percent (21-for-58); three-pointers: 27 percent (9-for-33); free throws: 38 percent (3-for-8); rebounds: 21 (Chris Jahr, 7; Connor Gunderson, 6); turnovers: 8

Owatonna scoring: Taylor Steinbauer, 29; Sam Peters, 11; Vaughn Thada, 9; Paul Satterlund, 7; Adam Troy, 5; Matt Wagner, 4; Brian Wagner, 2; Nate Kaffine, 1; field goals: 57 percent (25-for-44); three-pointers: 63 percent (5-for-8); free throws: 68 percent (13-for-19); rebounds: 41 (Vaughn, 10; Kaffine, 10); turnovers: 16