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By Brian Pitts
Enterprise Record

In the first round of the 4-A playoffs, Bailey Aderhold of Davie’s girls basketball team entered the magic realm that few shooters enter.
The junior’s laser-accurate shooting in an 81-39 annihilation of Asheville was earth-shattering: 10 of 11 on field goals and 7 of 8 from the 3-point arc. Davie, seeded ninth in the West Region, hosted the No. 24 Cougars on Feb. 25.
“Oh my gosh, it was so exciting,” Aderhold said after scoring 27 points. “But I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and their trust in me. No shooter can be successful without great passes from teammates. We came out with energy and teamwork. We were excited and ready to go. We knew we had to focus so we could advance, and luckily my shots were falling. The win was definitely because of our great teamwork.”
Madison Daugherty nailed a 3 at the beginning of the game and Emmie Burris’ steal/layup staked Davie to a 6-0 lead. But the Cougars hung tough in the first quarter, trailing 21-15.
“I knew they could hit some 3s,” coach Lindsey Adams said. “They’ve shot over 500 3s as a team. They have four girls who have shot more than 100 3-point attempts, and Bailey is the only one on our team who has shot over 100 (105 to be exact). So I knew they were not going to be scared to launch it.”
Aderhold’s explosion began in the first quarter when she scored on a 3-pointer, a 15-footer and an eight-footer. In the second quarter, she made a 10-footer before banging a couple of 3s. Davie was absolutely dominant after the first, leading 40-21 at halftime and 63-31 at the end of the third.
“Pressing and playing fast is when this team is the most successful,” Adams said. “We’re ten times a better team when we’re defending, not thinking about offense and just letting it flow naturally.”
After a 15-point first half, Aderhold resumed her blistering performance in the second. Before this outing, her season high was 18 and her career high was 21.
“After I hit the first few, I definitely felt like I was in a rhythm,” Aderhold said. “My teammates kept finding me in good spots, and once I saw a couple go in, the confidence just kept building. It felt like every shot I took was going in.”
It was the most points by a War Eagle since Kenadi Gentry’s 28 in a 58-22 win at Reynolds in 2022-23.
Aderhold led the CPC in made 3s last year as a sophomore, but “her percentage is higher this year, and a lot of that is better shot selection,” Adams said. “Last year we did not have as many offensive threats, we didn’t have a true point guard and getting open shots was a lot harder, and sometimes she would force them and rush them. She is very smart on her shot selections, which allows her to do other things for us. She’s extended her game a lot. She does a lot more for us than just shoot the 3. She’s one of our toughest defenders. She leads us in charges. She can attack the rim when they close out hard.”
Daugherty had a game to remember as well. The sophomore registered 14 points for the third time to match her career high while making 4 of 6 3s.
But everyone was involved in the first playoff win in 10 years, the third 80-point outburst of the season and the first 20-win moment in 22 years. Avarie Martin (8 points), Olivia Smith (7 points, 5 rebounds), Makenzie Gentry (6 points, 6 rebounds), Gracie Shore (6 points, 4 assists, 3 steals), Burris (5 points, 6 assists, 4 steals) and Londyn McDowell (4 points, 4 assists) helped Davie run its record to 20-7.
Notes: Asheville finished 13-14. … This was Davie’s first playoff win since a 51-34 decision over Porter Ridge in 2014-15. It’s the first 20-win season since Davie went 21-7 in 2002-03. … Davie shot a sizzling 56 percent (30 of 53, including 11 of 20 from 3). … Davie was the only CPC team to survive the first round. Mt. Tabor lost 57-30 to McDowell, Reagan lost 78-50 to South Meck and East Forsyth lost 41-31 to Northwest Guilford. … Along with being a standout in tennis and basketball, Aderhold is ranked No. 1 academically in the junior class. “She’s a very, very dedicated athlete,” Adams said. “I don’t know how much free time she actually has. She puts the team first no matter which team she’s on. She’s constantly giving her all, along with taking college classes. She just has a lot going for her, and she’s very self-motivated and driven.” … Did you say anything to Aderhold as she was burning the nets? “It’s like when a pitcher is about to throw a no-hitter, you just don’t say anything about it,” Adams said with a laugh.
Davie 81, Asheville 39 – Bailey Aderhold 27, Madison Daugherty 14, Avarie Martin 8, Olivia Smith 7, Makenzie Gentry 6, Gracie Shore 6, Emmie Burris 5, Londyn McDowell 4, Lexi Mickey 3, Vivian Vaughters 1.