Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Brian Pitts
Enterprise Record

Emmie Burris might have a flashy nickname – she’s known as “Big Bucket Burris” – but she has a modest personality. The sophomore is perfectly content being in the shadows, but this year the spotlight is on her whether she likes it or not.
Now if coach Lindsey Adams can only get Burris to embrace it.
She displayed a cat burglar’s touch in two games last week, scoring 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting as Davie’s varsity girls basketball team defeated North Iredell and Central Davidson. Now if Adams can only get Burris to shoot more.
“She has the potential, but she always wants somebody else to do it,” Adams said. “She doesn’t like being the star of the show. She’s OK being a role player. As long as the team is winning, she’s fine with it.”
Davie 68, N. Iredell 18
The War Eagles were infinitely better than rebuilding North Iredell at home Nov. 26. After opening the season with a loss to Alexander Central, they evened their record by demolishing a North team that beat Davie by 12 last year.
It was 15-0 before the Raiders got on the board, with Davie getting early points from Avarie Martin, Burris, Gracie Shore and Vivian Vaughters. North scored after missing its first eight shots, and the running clock (40-point lead) began at the 3:10 mark of the third quarter.
Burris drilled 7 of 9 field goals to put up 18 points. Martin had 10 points and four steals. Bailey Aderhold, Madison Daugherty and Shore had eight points apiece, while Makenzie Gentry and Olivia Smith had six each.
“We have so many offensive threats that you never know whose night it is going to be,” Adams said. “Most teams are dialed in on Avarie and they don’t even know who Emmie is, and she’s been our leading scorer for two games. We have players coming off the bench who could be starters on about any team, and it’s still hard for me to decide who I want to start.
“Olivia came off the bench and gave us a huge spark in the second quarter.”
To Adams, the best part of the night was Davie holding North to 15-percent shooting (6-38). By contrast, Davie shot 48 percent (26-54).
“We’re really dialing in big on team defense,” she said. “Vivian may not have the most points, but I think she has the most important job. Her job is to contain the other team’s best player. Emmie and Makenzie gave us a big spark. They are our interceptors. Their job is to read and react.”
Davie 49, C. Davidson 40
The visiting War Eagles didn’t have much trouble handling Central on Nov. 29, but Adams was not happy that they let an inferior opponent hang around longer than it should have.
“We played terrible,” she said. “I don’t know if it was the days off, but we’ve had days off before. I don’t really know what it was. We did not play well together.”
Londyn McDowell took over during a stretch that resulted in a 22-11 lead. She converted inside off a pass from Shore. She scored off a feed from Vaughters. She took an inbounds pass from Burris and scored. McDowell finished with 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting and added seven rebounds.
“Londyn started in the first two games, but she went in a slump,” Adams said. “She came out of it when others were not producing.”
While Davie was less than stellar, it did answer every Central charge. It was 26-22 in Davie’s favor before Martin drove for two. It was 32-29 before McDowell scored in the paint on a pass from Smith. The Spartans nailed 4 of 7 3-pointers to cut Davie’s lead to 34-32, but a three-point play by Aderhold kept Davie in control.
Davie all but put Central (0-2) away with a 6-0 run to open the fourth. Vaughters found Burris, who finished inside with her left hand. Burris pulled up and sank a 15-footer. Martin attacked and scored off the glass. Gentry ran a fast break and dished to McDowell, who made it 45-36.
Davie improved to 2-1 despite going 1 of 15 from the 3-point line.
Burris matched McDowell with 10 points by draining 5 of 8 field goals. She also grabbed six rebounds. Martin had 10 points and Aderhold seven. Gentry and Shore had six each, and Shore added nine rebounds and three assists.
Davie 68, N. Iredell 18 – Emmie Burris 18, Avarie Martin 10, Bailey Aderhold 8, Madison Daugherty 8, Gracie Shore 8, Makenzie Gentry 6, Olivia Smith 6, Vivian Vaughters 2, Londyn McDowell 2.
Davie 49, C. Davidson 40 – Londyn McDowell 10, Emmie Burris 10, Avarie Martin 10, Bailey Aderhold 7, Makenzie Gentry 6, Gracie Shore 6.