The Austin girls basketball team lost a tough one when it fell to Mankato East (3-3 overall, 3-1 Big Nine) in overtime by a score of 55-53 Thursday.

The Packers (3-4 overall, 1-2 Big Nine) had a chance to force a second overtime but Merideth Fritz’s running jumper rimmed out as time expired. Austin forced the first overtime when Sydney Murphy found Alex Hansen for a lay-up and Fritz almost won the game for the Packers when she stole the in-bounds pass, but couldn’t convert a buzzer beating shot.

“It was a great effort by the kids,” Austin head coach Todd Johnson said. “We’re a young team and we’re learning how to win. We’ll keep working.”

The Packers led by as many as 12 in the second half, but the Cougars got hot from the 3-point line and it ended up being a back-and-forth battle in the last five minutes of regulation.

Austin scoring: Mer Gach, 17; Merideth Fritz, 11; Shayley Vesel, 9; Alex Hansen, 7; Sydney Murphy, 4; Ruth Koang, 3; free throws: 43 percent (12-for-28)