Landrum was missing the services of Easton Jenkins, their 6-foot-6-inch center who’d just had emergency dental surgery, but the Cardinals did have their sparkplug Trey Smith, their multi-talented Foster Bridges, and a supporting cast that turned back the visiting Blue Ridge Fighting Tigers, 89-72, in varsity basketball action on Monday, Dec. 18.

The Cardinals moved to 7-0 in dispatching yet another team that displayed slick ball-handling skills, but whose scoring fell a bit short, due in major part to Landrum’s unrelenting defense and cohesive teamwork.

Smith poured in 36 points, while Bridges added 26. Sophomore Turner Ussery scored 12, and grabbed a dozen rebounds. Landrum shot 55 percent from the floor.

Cardinal head coach Lynn Smith noted that his squad played “a little conservatively in the first half,” after which the Cards led 40-36, but added that his players broke loose in the final 16 minutes.

In that first quarter, a 2-2 tie quickly became a 7-2 Landrum lead, capped by Trey Smith’s layup. In the third quarter, the Cardinals took a 53-36 lead, after Smith’s baseline three-pointer, and a driving layup by Ussery. After three periods, Landrum held a 66-51 advantage. In the last quarter, even as Blue Ridge fought back hard, two successive three-pointers by Bridges helped keep Landrum well in front.

“We returned two All-State players,” Coach Smith remarked about Smith and Bridges, “and those two showed why they are All-Staters.”

Lyn Smith added that his players are excited about the season so far.

After a tournament in Florida late this week, the Cardinals return to compete in the 18^th annual Battle at the Border Shootout.

Next regular-season game is on Jan. 9, when the Cardinals host Chesnee in Landrum’s first region game of the season.