Austin senior Duoth Gach netted his 1,000th career point as the Packers beat Forest Lake (6-2 overall) 77-68 in the Lakeville North Tournament Thursday.

Austin (7-0 overall) trailed 36-33 at the half, but it opened the second half on an 8-0 run. The Packers led by as many as 17 points.

Gach, who had 19 of his 22 points in the second half Thursday, is now the fifth Packer in the last 21 years to surpass the 1,000 point mark. Austin’s other 1,000 point scorers over that stretch include Brian Elwer in 2000, Connor Gunderson in 2010, Joe Aase in 2013 and Zach Wessels, the school’s all-time leading scorer in 2014.

Austin head coach Kris Fadness said its been a joy to watch Gach mature over the years.

“I think the most impressive thing is how much he’s grown as a person and player,” Fadness said. “It’s been fun to watch him mature and develop. He’s always been a great shooter and a high flyer, but he’s really developed as a leader and he’s preserved through some things.”

Austin will at Lakeville North, which is ranked No. 3 in Class AAAA, Friday.

FL 36  32  —  68

Austin 33  44  —  77

Austin scoring: Duoth Gach, 22; Tate Hebrink, 14; Moses Issa, 12; Dongrin Deng, 8; Ngor Deng, 7; Nyagoa Obany, 7; Agwa Obang, 4; Medi Obang, 3; free throws: 68 percent (15-for-22)