Battle at the Border: Nine That Shined

Only a few days remain in the 2025 calendar year. For many high school girls basketball players, a worthwhile new year's resolution can be to further sharpen their games with the region schedule lurking.    Going into 2026 with plenty of momentum can begin with closing 2025 on a high note. A number of noteworthy prospects were looking to do just that at this year's Battle at the Border. Hosted at 2A Landrum, it is also a favorite tournament of many coaches given it utilizes a shot clock – a hot button topic of discussion throughout the high school sports universe.    We at Prep Girls Hoops made the trek to the mountain foothills for the first day of games. Here is our nine who shined from that first day at The Cage.     As a senior, Fortner is playing in her final Battle at the Border and it appears she saved her best for last. By virtue of a 31-point performance, the star senior two guard for 2A Landrum led the Cardinals to an 83-54 rout of 3A Broome. In addition, Fortner also set a school record for scoring in the process. Those that have watched Fortner over the years are familiar with how lethal she can be from behind the 3-point line – she was true on six of her tries from distance on Saturday night. Fortner also maintains a high level of activity even when the ball is not in her hands and defenders have to guess when she has the ball in her hands if she will attempt from deep, distribute or attack the basket.     When matching up against 2A Landrum, containing Caldwell has to be one of the top items on a wish list for a defense. The Centurions of 3A Broome could not contain Caldwell. With a 28-point outburst, Caldwell was a major catalyst in a Cardinals rout of the Centurions. Caldwell has a second gear that she can activate at will whenever she has the ball in her hands. That speed combined with her ability to find driving lanes to the basket and finish strong at the rim make Caldwell difficult to keep in check. Caldwell is one of three sophomores on this season's Landrum assembling.     The eighth-grade phenom for 5A Division 1 Boiling Springs continues to make magic happen for the Bulldogs. She has spearheaded an improved Boiling Springs effort all season and continued that with a 26-point performance to lead the Bulldogs to a 56-38 result against 3A Chapman. Kinard as a defender can make things difficult for opposing ball carriers and that can lead to said ball carriers coughing up the rock, creating additional offensive possessions for Kinard's team. She thrives as a transition playmaker but does so overall even in halfcourt sets. The attention she attracts from defenses can also open things up for teammates to make plays.     The Vikings of 5A Division 1 Spartanburg have made plenty of noise this season with its undefeated start to the 2025-26 campaign. Sims spearheaded a Vikings effort with 20 points that completely overwhelmed its adversaries of 2A High Point Academy. Sims may have had more but the contest was so lopsided that it gave her plenty of time to observe the action from the bench. Sims can display her accuracy from behind the 3-point arc but can also finish strong at the cup – either in her team's half-court offense or in transition. So much of Sims' offense is a byproduct of her defense and she also greatly bolsters Spartanburg's rebounding efforts.     The Gryphons of Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy faced one of its stiffest tests at this point in the season in the form of 4A Blue Ridge. Jones helped her Gryphons pass said test to the tune of 15 points en route to a 49-47 victory over the Tigers. While Jones can give a team productive minutes as either a one or two guard, Jones has also displayed she can play at the three. She gives a team emphatic finishes at the rim and is a skilled rebounder, passer and defender. Out of the 15 she tallied for Thomas Jefferson, eight occurred in the first half of play.     This season's Battle at the Border for 3A Broome did not begin as swimmingly as last season's did when the Centurions advanced to the championship game against 4A Blue Ridge following wins over 5A Division 1 Boiling Springs and host 2A Landrum. In spite of running in a Cardinals buzzsaw on the first day of this year's tournament, Hassan still paced her Centurions to the tune of 20 points. Hassan was particularly dangerous from distance as she connected from 3-point land on a total of five occasions. She had five of the six 3-pointers that Broome made in the matchup with Landrum. As she displayed with her long-range accuracy, her bread and butter is playing at the two even though she can also play point. Out of the 20 she scored, 13 took place in the first half of play.     The 2025-26 season for 2A High Point has featured more lowlights than highlights. That continued on the first day of this year's Battle at the Border but Yates did put forth a winning effort with 16 points. Yates had 16 of the 18 points the Grizzlies placed on the scoreboard as a unit. She displayed her accuracy from behind the 3-point line as she connected on four of her attempts from distance. Yates is listed at 5-foot-6 on the Grizzlies' roster and can play as a shooting guard. She is one of five 2027s on this year's High Point roster. Yates also had a previous stint with 5A Division 1 Dorman.     Maralit's 4A Blue Ridge team – winners of last year's Battle at the Border - faced a tough draw on the opening day of this year's tournament – a Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy team that was 8-1 entering Saturday's play. The Tigers were on the wrong end of a close defeat but Maralit's 16 points ensured Blue Ridge had a chance to win from start to finish. Maralit's court vision enables her to make accurate passes to put her teammates in the right spots to make the right plays. She makes many of the right plays as well and a number of those can be from behind the 3-point arc. Maralit had three of the six 3-pointers the Tigers connected on throughout the contest. Defense can lead to offense and good bit of that offense features her attacking the rim and finishing at the cup.     Twitty is one of four seniors on this year's 3A Chapman team. She is also one of three team captains. The Panthers may have been on the wrong end of a 56-38 decision to 5A Division 1 Boiling Springs, but Twitty made plenty of the right plays as evidenced by her 14-point effort. Twitty displays her leadership, veteran instincts and confidence by calling for the ball when she believes she can make a play. While listed as either a three or a four on the Chapman roster, Twitty has the ball-handling skills of a point guard as well as a 3-point shot more indicative of someone who plays the two.

Only a few days remain in the 2025 calendar year. For many high school girls basketball players, a worthwhile new year's resolution can be to further sharpen their games with the region schedule lurking.