Basketball Recap: Make It Nine in a Row for Manning

Monarchs

Previous Games

01/07/25 vs Mullins	57-53
12/28/24 vs Darlington	51-49
12/27/24 vs Laurence Manning Academy	49-48
12/26/24 vs Kingstree	58-38
12/23/24 @ Bamberg-Ehrhardt	72-51
+ 4 more games

Manning had already won eight in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 15.6 points) and they went ahead and made it nine on Tuesday. They secured a 57-53 W over the Mullins Auctioneers. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Monarchs' disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 100th, while the Auctioneers are ranked 26th).

Leading Manning to victory were Taivon Carter and Lovell Stevenson. Carter went 7 for 12 on his way to 17 points in addition to seven boards and four blocks, while Stevenson dropped a double-double on 16 points and 14 boards. That's the most points Stevenson has posted since back in January of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Lovon Stevenson, who posted eight points and seven rebounds.

Manning smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mullins only pulled down nine offensive rebounds.

Despite the loss, Mullins saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Dakarai Worley dropped a double-double on 29 points and 13 boards. Those 29 points set a new season-high mark for Worley. Another player making a difference was Deyon Ford, who put up 16 points and six assists.

Manning's win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-2. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.2 points per game. As for Mullins, with the defeat, they broke their eight-game winning streak and moved their record to 12-2.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Manning will square off against Atlantic Collegiate Academy at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Atlantic Collegiate Academy is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 62.5 points per game this season. As for Mullins, they will challenge East Clarendon at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.