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By Brian Pitts
Enterprise Record

The Davie varsity boys basketball team was not spectacular in the first half against Reynolds, but the War Eagles brought fireworks to the third quarter and brushed off the visiting Demons 57-51 and earned a tie for first place at the midway point of the CPC race.
Earlier in the week at home, the War Eagles had a walk in the park against Glenn, 78-51. They raced to a 40-24 halftime lead and kept pulling away in the second half.
Davie shot 50 percent overall and buried 12 3-pointers. No one was better offensively than Asher Tolbert, who enjoyed a season-high 16 points by hitting 4 of 5 3-pointers. Jackson Powers (12) and Bryson Mickey (10) joined him in double figures. Elliott Erlandsson, Ethan Driver (6 rebounds, 5 assists) and Isaac Swisher scored eight each as Davie defeated the Bobcats (5-11) for the sixth time in a row.
Davie 57, Reynolds 51
Two nights later, the War Eagles were a big favorite again, although you couldn’t tell it for awhile as Reynolds went toe to toe with them in the first half.
The War Eagles went 3:19 without a point, only managed eight second-quarter points and held a skinny 23-22 halftime lead.
But boy did the War Eagles answer the bell in the third quarter. Mickey, the ultra-reliable point guard, did Mickey things, like hitting three triples in a span of 88 seconds. His first 3 was from the right corner, the second one from the left corner and the third one from the right wing. Powers, Driver and Tolbert assisted the bombs.
“We have improved at finding the guy who is making shots,” coach Josh Pittman said. “We found Bryson three times. That’s a nice thing to watch.”
The electrifying flurry was not over. Driver sank a 3 from the left corner and Powers did the same from the right corner to cap a stretch that saw Davie bang five 3s in the first 5:21 of the third. The decisive part of the game – Davie went on a 19-8 run to take a 42-30 lead – included a driving basket by Landon King and an inside bucket from Erlandsson.
“We made an adjustment at halftime to get into our zone play and setting screens, and that made the passes a little more clearer and they arrived better in the shooting pocket,” Pittman said. “And then the shots were better. We were getting good shots before, but it seemed like it was always off of a jump pass or a forced pass or something like that.”
Erlandsson had a game to remember with 17 points and 16 rebounds. “Elliott played really well,” Pittman said. “That’s one of his best games, period.”
Mickey (15 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds) and Powers (14 points, 10 rebounds) played big roles as Davie overcame subpar overall shooting (37 percent).
“Point guard-wise, I think (Mickey’s) at the top of the conference,” Pittman said. “He’s a player that can get you 15-20 points on any given night and also 5-6 assists and 4-5 rebounds. I don’t see too many other ones doing that.”
Pittman said seniors King and Cam Owens also deserved some credit. “Landon and Cam played really well and picked up the rhythm and the attitude, especially in the third quarter,” he said.
Notes: It could be a milestone week for Powers, who enters Friday’s home game with 991 career points and 799 career rebounds. There are 11 1,000-point scorers in Davie’s 69-year history. … The Demons shot 31 percent and dropped to 5-10. … Davie has won five of six meetings with Reynolds. … Davie moved to 13-3 overall. … East Forsyth knocked off West Forsyth 59-55 on Jan. 15 to help Davie regain a share of first. The week started with West and Davie at 6-1 and Mt. Tabor/East a game back at 5-2.
Davie 78, Glenn 51 – Asher Tolbert 16, Jackson Powers 12, Bryson Mickey 10, Elliott Erlandsson 8, Ethan Driver 8, Isaac Swisher 8, Adam Brown 6, Ben Reid 5, Landon King 3, Cam Owens 2.
Davie 57, Reynolds 51 – Elliott Erlandsson 17, Bryson Mickey 15, Jackson Powers 14, Landon King 5, Ethan Driver 3, Isaac Swisher 2, Cam Owens 1.