Burton finds new home at Lenoir-Rhyne
Former Clinton Lady Dragons standout Sarah Burton has now transferred from the University of Virgin- ia-Wise to Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory, North Carolina.
Burton, a 2022 Clinton High alumnae, played her first season of college basketball in 2023-24 for the University of Virginia-Wise after redshirting during the 2022-23 campaign.
After a solid first season, Burton entered the transfer portal and will move on to Lenoir- Rhyne. But she’ll remain in the South Atlantic Conference.
One of the reasons was location, but it wasn’t to be closer to home, she said.
“At Wise, there wasn’t a lot to do and there weren’t a lot of places to eat,” Burton said.
“I liked the location in Hickory,” she said. “At Wise, you were on top of a mountain. I’ll actually be a little further away from home, but the weather in Hickory is similar to the weather here and it doesn’t snow much in Hickory. The weather is a little better in Hickory. It’s just a better location.”
She was the Lady Dragons’ all-time leading scorer with 2,129 points, eclipsing the record set by Coach Alicia Daugherty.
During her rookie season at Virginia-Wise, Burton averaged 12.5 points per game and was the team’s second-leading scorer. She was also the SAC’s 22nd-leading scorer. She logged 970 minutes on the court last season. She also shot 35.1 percent from beyond the three-point arc, good for 13th in the conference.
At Lenoir-Rhyne, Burton said she’s looking to play in a more-competitive environment.
“At Lenoir-Rhyne, the vibe is different,” she said. “There’s tradition and they compete for championships in the SAC.”
During the summer, Burton, who was a three-time all-district and all-region standout on the hardwood for the Lady Dragons, will be at home. She’s working out at CHS with Daugherty’s blessing.
“I talked to coach (Daugherty) and I’m working out with some of the girls and I feel truly blessed because they have some good young players,” said Burton.
She was an all-state player during her senior season at CHS as well as being named a Tennessee Miss Basketball Finalist.
“It’s good to be home and I’ll be playing in a pro-am league at William Blount (High School) this summer,” she said.
In Maryville, Burton, who also holds the single-game scoring record for the Lady Dragons (54 points), will compete against other college, professional and international players.
At Clinton, she also played soccer and softball, and was an all-district standout in those sports.