The Tigers just didn’t have enough ammo Tuesday night against Fairmont in a 74-71 shootout in Albert Lea.

Both teams shot better than 45 percent from the field, but the Cardinals (8-2) had a few more bullets in the second half to knock off the Albert Lea boys’ basketball team.

Fairmont finished the game shooting 47 percent from the field and was led by Justin Heinrich’s 24 points.

Heinrich and Martin Tow took over the game early in the second half and helped the Cardinals come back from being down four points to leading by 13.

Their perimeter shooting forced Tigers head coach Chad Feikema to abandon the zone defense that had worked well up to that point.

“I felt we were in control of the game until they started hitting some 3-point shots against the zone,” Feikema said. “Once they started doing that, they took the lead and then I kind of felt the game was in their hands.”

Colby Strilaeff and Sean Templeman helped mount the Albert Lea response late in the second half.

“We did a nice job responding,” Feikema said. “Once they took the lead, we didn’t quit and we made a final push.”

Strilaeff led Albert Lea with 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting, including 7-for-13 from 3-point range. Templeman was also impressive, finishing 6-for-10 from the field with 18 points.

“Colby did what we know he can do,” Feikema said. “He’s got the green light to shoot the basketball. Especially in the first half he got rolling and that changes the way team’s have to defend us. It opens up some of those other options in our offense as well.”

Strilaeff hit one of his seven 3s on the evening to give the Tigers (1-13, 0-7) a brief 41-38 lead but it wouldn’t last.

Heinrich responded with a bucket on the other end and Tow hit a layup to take a 43-41 lead.

Tow gave Fairmont the lead for good after he nailed a 3-pointer to make the game 46-41. Later, Heinrich extended the lead to 10 with a 3-pointer with 9:12 remaining as the Cardinals were in the midst of an 11-0 run to take a 13-point lead.

Albert Lea got rattled as Fairmont started to extend its lead and rushed its offensive possessions and turned the ball over twice during the Cardinals’ 11-0 run.

The Tigers didn’t quit though. Strilaeff drained another 3-pointer with 5:30 left to play and Albert Lea went on a 7-0 run to close to 59-57.

A three-point play by Justin Walters minutes later gave the Cardinals a 65-60 lead and the Tigers wouldn’t get any closer than two.

“We just need to get over that last hurdle,” Feikema said. “Some times when you’re kind of bucking tradition a little bit, it’s that last hurdle to get over.”

Albert Lea led by as much as eight in the first half, but went scoreless during the final 5:37 of the half when Fairmont switched to zone defense.

Albert Lea will host Mankato West, the No. 1 team in Class 3A, Friday.

Fairmont 74, Albert Lea 71

Fairmont 30 44 — 74

Albert Lea 32 39 — 71

Fairmont scoring: Justin Heinrich 24, Brennan Holm 18, Martin Tow 13, Justin Walters 12, Will Hawkins 5, Logan Peymann 2.

Albert Lea scoring: Colby Strilaeff 27, Sean Templeman 18, Josh Eisenbraun 8, Brandon Antl 6, Alik Smed 6, Aaron Klatt 6.