Landrum basketball fans might have wondered how many times the varsity Cardinal men could erase leads by Blue Ridge on Tuesday evening, Dec. 13. 

The answer was clear: as many times as they needed, as the Cardinals, aided by a late burst of defense and scoring, stopped the visiting Fighting Tigers, 76-70. The Cardinals proved that if one refuses to lose, winning is easier. Still, their win was anything but easy, as they moved to 4-2.

 In women’s varsity action, the Cardinals are 8-0, after topping Blue Ridge, 57-40, on Tuesday.

 This evening, Cardinal women and men visit Spartanburg Christian Academy. Their games are set to begin at 6 and 7:30 p.m., respectively.

 In Tuesday’s men’s game, after Blue Ridge had taken leads of 17-15 and 40-36 after the first and second quarters respectively, the Cardinals outscored their guests, 22-18, in the third period to tie the game at 58 after three. 

Near the start of the third quarter, Trey Smith hit a three pointer and was fouled. Smith, who led all scorers with 32 points, cashed in his chance, making it a four-point play to tie the score at 40. Moments later, Smith fed a racing Manny Gonzalez, who scored a season-high 12. Gonzalez dunked the ball, to cut Blue Ridge’s lead to 49-46. Smith canned a two-pointer to make it a one-point game.

With the Cards down, 58-56, and time running out in the third quarter, Landrum’s Foster Bridges (17 points) laid one up and in at the buzzer.

 As the final period got underway, Bridges hit a long two to put Landrum ahead, 60-58. Blue Ridge eventually went ahead, 70-68. The Fighting Tigers didn’t know, of course, but that was the end of their scoring for the evening. Landrum, however, had more to give, and the Cardinals gave it freely.

 Smith was 2-for-2 from the stripe, to put the Cards up, 72-70. Bridges then fed Smith for two more points underneath.

 “We could have easily folded,” head coach Lyn Smith remarked, “but they came back.” Though  as Smith noted that the Cardinals are largely “young and inexperienced,” they played well.

 “I was really proud of them.”

 Turner Ussery added 11 points for the winners. 

Cardinals’ women’s head coach Deon Brice has seen his team carve an 8-0 record, without having put together many great four-quarter efforts.

 Still, against Blue Ridge, the Cardinals did what they had to do and then some, taking a 14-9 lead after eight minutes, and leading 31-24 at the half. As if to prove Brice correct about the quest for four-quarter excellence, Landrum managed only a 7-to-7 third quarter (cold shooting for both teams), but outscored the Fighting Tigers, 19-9, in the fourth.

 Lindsey Hardin’s 15 points led everyone, while Cardinal teammate Ellen Boatwright added 14. Kayley Huntley contributed 11 for the Cards.

 In the fourth quarter, Boatwright helped the Cardinals pull away by making both ends of a 1-and-1, to boost the winners’ lead to 44-33. With less than 1:30 left in the game, Huntley hit a two-pointer, to make it 53-36.

 Especially late in the game, the Cardinals out-rebounded their guests.

 While Brice knew his team had room for improvement, he observed after the game, “When you win, and it’s not pretty, you’re doing something right.”

 On Dec. 21-23, the men’s varsity will compete in the Smoky Mountain Classic in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Both teams will host the Dec. 28-30 Battle at the Border tournament.