ABOVE: Fairmont's Gwyneth Schultz goes up for a shot over a reaching New Ulm defense Tuesday night in a Big South Conference girls basketball game Tuesday night in Fairmont.

FAIRMONT – The Fairmont Cardinals girls basketball team fell to the fast-paced New Ulm Eagles’ offense 85-59 in a Big South Conference girls basketball game Tuesday night.

“We have things we need to work on, we always do,” said Fairmont girls head basketball coach Sara Junkermeier. “I thought our intensity picked up in the second half and it gave us a little spurt, but we can’t wait for the second half of that intensity to pick up.”

Leading the Cardinals was Brylee Miller with 25 points and Gwyneth Schultz with 12 points. Ellie Ortega had 10 points, while Kennedy Becker and Bria Williamson each had 4 points.

Scoring leaders for the Eagles were Brooklyn Lewis with 15 points and Betsy Joyce with 14 points. Morgan Hulke added 14 points and Maddie Backer had 11 points.

The opening frame of the game got off to a quick start with Makayla Lowry draining the first bucket for the Cardinals. Lewis and Joyce got things going for New Ulm to gain its first lead of the night, 5-2. Schultz and Miller both connected from inside the paint to cut into the Eagles’ growing lead with just over 14 minutes in the half, 12-8. Moments later Miller drew a foul and hit both free throws, while on the next possession Ortega spun by two defenders on the baseline to hit a layup to pull Fairmont within 2 points, 14-12.

The Eagles responded with a deep shot off the hand of Hulke, extending the lead back to 5 points and prompting a Cardinals’ timeout with the score sitting at 17-12. The Eagles then went on an 8-0 run, jumping further out in front 26-12. Miller continued to try and get the offense of the Cardinals going, finding a lane and driving to the basket for a layup, but the Eagles went on a 10-0 run courtesy of Backer, Hulke and Lewis putting the Eagles up 43-16. With the clock about to expire, Makayla Lowry sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to close out the half with the Eagles up 45-21.

The Cardinals’ offense came out shooting to open the second half, going on an 8-0 run to help close the gap 49-31. Ortega, Bria Williamson, Miller, and Schultz got going to help keep the Cardinals in the game, while the Eagles’ outside shooting held the Cardinals at bay. With just under 10 minutes left in the game, the score sat at 61-47. The Cardinals put up 12 more points in the half before the Eagles closed things out.

The Cardinals’ next game is against Jackson County Central at 7:15 p.m. Friday at home.