Basketball Game Preview: Mauldin Mavericks vs. J.L. Mann Patriots

Mauldin is on a five-game streak of home wins, while J.L. Mann is on a six-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Mauldin Mavericks will welcome the J.L. Mann Patriots at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are at an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2019, but likely not for long.

On Wednesday, Mauldin strolled past Woodmont with points to spare, taking the game 41-24. Given the Mavericks' advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 19th, while the Wildcats are ranked 87th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, everything came up roses for J.L. Mann against Hillcrest on Tuesday as the team secured a 67-28 win. The Patriots have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven matchups by 27 points or more this season.

Mauldin better focus on containing Jade Hailstock and Olivia McKinney as the pair were huge in J.L. Mann's win. Hailstock went 8 of 15 en route to 19 points and six rebounds, while McKinney went 7 for 17 on her way to 17 points and seven steals. McKinney is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last eight games she's played. Imari Richardson was another key player, putting up eight points in addition to five boards and five steals.

Mauldin has been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 12 games, which provided a nice bump to their 14-3 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 51.8 points per game. As for J.L. Mann, their victory bumped their record up to 12-6.

Mauldin was able to grind out a solid win over J.L. Mann in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, winning 55-42. Does Mauldin have another victory up their sleeve, or will J.L. Mann turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.