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By Brian Pitts
Enterprise Record

The Ellis girls basketball team overcame an admirable effort from North Davie on Jan. 20 at North. Ellis shook off North’s lead at the end of the first quarter and outlasted the Wildcats 48-36.
Both teams were just glad to be on the court. It was Ellis’ first game in 35 days, North’s first in 42 days.
“It was good to be able to finally played the rescheduled game,” Ellis coach Susan Jones said. “It was a closer game than the score shows. Coach (Trish) King is a coach I admire and a friend, so I always look forward to playing against them and expect a good game.”
It was a considerably tougher game for Ellis than the first meeting, when the Jaguars punished North 50-20, marking the most points in Ellis’ 15-year history.
In the rematch, North went toe to toe with Ellis, leading 12-10 after the first quarter behind the offensive work of Madison Lewis and Avarie Martin.
“I anticipated a completely different game than the first matchup, and I was correct,” Jones said.
The Jaguars gained control in the second quarter as Bailey Aderhold and Emmie Burris pushed them to a 24-16 halftime lead. In that seven-minute span, Ellis was “stronger with the ball, pressuring the ball at every turn and driving the lanes more,” Jones said.
But North never wilted. Lewis’ six-point third kept the Wildcats in contention at 35-27. Lewis (15 points), Martin (14) and North played a fearless game.
“Avarie played really well as always,” Jones said. “She is a force to be reckoned with, and I truly look forward to seeing her play as she progresses through Davie in the coming years. Madison also played really well, pretty much hitting every basket she shot if she was left open.”
And then: “I never felt comfortable at any point. Had we not pressured the ball and made steals, it could have resulted in a completely different outcome.”
It was the dynamic Aderhold – of course it was Aderhold – who cemented the Ellis win, scoring eight of her team’s 13 points in the fourth. She finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and three 3-pointers. She has 44 points in two games against North and a 16.5 season average.
“As always, Bailey was a driving force on both ends of the court,” Jones said. “(Besides the points and rebounds), she gathered multiple steals.”
But Jones was thrilled to see the supporting cast make important contributions to Ellis’ first win since Dec. 7. Burris and Kayden Richardson had seven points each. Madison Daugherty had five and Olivia Smith four. Gracyn Coleman and Kate Nicholson had two.
Ellis (4-3) entered Christmas break on a three-game losing streak, and this was its first game since Dec. 16.
“Emmie, Madison, Olivia and Kayden all had a great night offensively and defensively,” Jones said. “Kayden was a beast on the boards with double digits in rebounding.
“I also want to recognize Gracyn. She is really coming along in confidence, filling in as our relief guard whose job is to use the bulldog-type defense I have come to expect from her. She added a bucket, had multiple steals and was much more confident in handling the ball.
“Kate was a constant presence under the basket. Stella Frye created constant havoc to Maddie Ratledge or anyone else handling the ball for the Wildcats.”
Ratledge (four) and Landry Parsons (three) also scored for North (0-5).