Basketball Game Preview: Manning Monarchs vs. Mullins Auctioneers

The Manning Monarchs are taking a road trip to take on the Mullins Auctioneers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Manning is headed into the matchup having just suffered their biggest loss since November 25, 2024 on Wednesday. They lost 70-49 to Atlantic Collegiate Academy. It was the first time this season that the Monarchs let down their fans at home.

Meanwhile, Mullins was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Tuesday as they fell 57-51 to Lake City. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Auctioneers came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 37th, while the Panthers are ranked 156th).

Despite the defeat, Mullins saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Dakarai Worley went 6 of 9 en route to 15 points in addition to six rebounds and four steals. Worley's evening made it four games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Christian Cornejo-Garcia, who posted four points.

Mullins' loss dropped their record down to 14-3. As for Manning, their defeat ended a seven-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 11-4.

Manning didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Mullins when the teams last played on January 7th, but they still walked away with a 57-53 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Worley, who dropped a double-double on 29 points and 13 boards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Manning still be able to contain Worley? There's only one way to find out.