Albert Lea junior Alik Smed called it the “senior roll” which helped explain some of the inexplicable events that took place Tuesday, and everything else seemed serendipitous for Tigers senior Colby Strileaff and Damian Montes.

Strilaeff and Montes have experience the brunt of the Albert Lea boys’ basketball team’s woes through the past three years but on senior night against Rochester Century in their final game inside Albert Lea High School the two were left with one lasting image as the Tigers knocked off the Panthers 54-52 for Albert Lea’s fourth victory of the season.

It was also just the fifth win the two have had on home court in the past three years and second victory against a Big Nine opponent.

“It was an unbelievable feeling to go out like that as a senior and to win the last home game,” Strilaeff said. “You couldn’t ask for much more.”

The victory left Montes stunned after Century missed a last-second shot.

“I kind of stood there in awe after he missed because I was like, ‘This is it. We won?’ I was shocked it took me about five seconds to recover from it,” Montes said.

Strilaeff led the Tigers with 15 points. Strilaeff hit three 3-pointers in the first half, including one off the backboard.

Call it the senior roll.

Montes finished with eight points, but Smed helped keep the Tigers up in the second half on two, acrobatic shots. Smed scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half.

With 6 minutes, 23 seconds left to play and the score tied at 41 Smed drove to the basket and forced up a shot with his back to the hoop. It went in and gave Albert Lea a lead it never lost.

“I had to put it up otherwise I’d be called for a travel so I tried to get it out of my hands and it went in,” Smed said. “I don’t know how. It must be a senior night roll even though I’m not a senior.”

Strilaeff followed with a pair of free throws to make it a four-point game and Smed delivered again. Strilaeff had a 3-point attempt blocked by Century’s Ater Manyang, but Smed collected the loose ball and drove to the basket to extend the lead to six points.

Dan Fleissner and Manyang responded on the other end to make it a one-point game with 2:17 left, but another Smed layup and two more free throws from Strilaeff helped seal the victory.

Century (11-11) took a brief lead prior to Smed’s spurt when Dan Fleissner made a free throw to give the Panthers a 38-37 lead. But before the next attempt Century received a technical foul for having too many players on the court. Fleissner made his second attempt but the technical gave Albert Lea two free throws, which junior Aaron Klatt made to tie the game.

Earlier in the season Albert Lea lost 72-31 to Century in Rochester, but better rebounding and defense kept the Tigers in the game Tuesday.

Albert Lea held the Panthers to 28 percent shooting and Century missed a number of layups throughout the game.

The Tigers switched between a 2-3 zone and man-to-man defense, which seemed to keep the Panthers off balance.

“We needed to make them play half-court defense,” said Albert Lea head coach Lucas Kreuscher. “We needed them to run their half-court offense, make them earn everything.”

Sophomore Kyle Ooms led Albert Lea with 11 rebounds and Klatt added eight.

The Tigers conclude the regular season Friday against second-ranked Winona in Winona.

Albert Lea 54, Century 52

Century 23 29 — 52

Albert Lea 27 27 — 54

Century scoring: Dan Fleissner 18, Ater Manyang 13, Nate Kruisselbrink 9, Jared Malone 4, Josh Gentling 4, Carson Fossum 2, Bryce Duncan 2.

Albert Lea scoring: Colby Strilaeff 15, Alik Smed 14, Aaron Klatt 10, Damian Montes 8, Kyle Ooms 7.