Lopsided contests are most common in the first round of the playoffs. One of those lopsided get-togethers occurred in the 2A bracket when Strom Thurmond traveled to face Landrum. With a 26-point outburst from Fortner, The Cardinals successfully defended The Cage to the tune of a 73-18 victory over the Rebels. As one of the state’s premier sharpshooters, one would expect for 3-pointers to be aplenty. Fortner had six of them and Landrum as a team connected on 10 of its attempts from behind the arc. Fortner already has participated in one state championship game two years ago and is in search of one more state berth in her senior season. Next up for Fortner and her Cardinals is a second-round matchup against Saluda. 

Fortner’s 2A Landrum team is heading into region play the way any team would want to – in the throes of a winning streak. That winning streak included winning its Battle at the Border tournament – and at the expense of a previously undefeated 5A Division 1 Spartanburg team to do so. Prior to the win over the Vikings, the Cardinals earned an 83-54 victory over 3A Broome – one that saw Fortner tally 31 points and become the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Landrum program. The senior two guard will lead her Cardinals into region battle one more time beginning Tuesday as Blacksburg pays a visit to 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. 

The Land was successfully defended against Spartanburg Christian in large part thanks to the heroics of the 2A Cardinals’ star combo guard. Fortner put smiles on the faces of her home fans as she put 31 points on the board to power Landrum to soar to victory. Fortner connected on five of her 3-point attempts. She particularly had the hot hand in the third quarter as she tallied 16 of her 31 in that third frame. Fortner understands when to score and when to distribute. When she has the ball in her hands, she is not only possessing leather but a great deal of quickness as well. Fortner as a defender also make things difficult for opposing ball carriers and can trap to force a turnover.