Landrum lost to Gaffney 48-39 in the second round of the Bojangles Holiday Bash, but head coach Deon Brice looked a lot happier after this game.
The Lady Cardinals competed with the 4A Lady Indians on Tuesday and showed flashes of what to expect down the road in their region against teams their own size.
“We improved today,” Brice said. “That’s the bottom line.”
A big difference for the Lady Cardinals was the ability to score. Against Broome in the first round, Landrum just couldn’t find that spark.
Landrum battled Gaffney meanwhile tooth and nail through the entire contest, taking the lead late in the first half. Gaffney fought back and took a 28-22 lead into the half.
The Lady Indians then scored 9 unanswered points to start the second half, putting Landrum in an early hole. Gaffney opened up a 38-24 lead before Becca Burris scored two straight buckets and Taylor Jenkins added one at the buzzer. The Lady Cardinals had climbed to within 10.
The fourth quarter stayed status quo as the Lady Cardinals were only able to make up a point. Jenkins led the way for Landrum with 10 points. Macy Atkins scored 8 points. Sydney Brown scored 7 points. Burris added 6.
“Defensively, we were a lot more sound today,” Brice said. “Offensively, we got some more open shots we hadn’t been getting.”