Basketball Recap: Mauldin Falls Despite Big Games from Zara Leamon and Zaria Jones

Mauldin has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They fell 50-40 to the T.L. Hanna Yellow Jackets on Friday. The Mavericks were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Yellow Jackets apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in January of 2024.

Zaria Jones and Zara Leamon certainly did their best on Friday to avoid the loss. Jones posted 12 points and five steals, while Leamon earned 14 points and eight rebounds. Mauldin is 7-1 when Jones posts three or more steals, but 1-2 otherwise.

T.L. Hanna found their leader in sophomore Harmoni Earl, who went 6 of 11 on her way to 21 points and seven rebounds. Earl has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more steals the last ten times she's played. Jamyllah Handy was another key player, putting up five points and four steals.

Mauldin's loss dropped their record down to 8-3. As for T.L. Hanna, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 6-2.

Mauldin and T.L. Hanna should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps South Carolina Rankings. Mauldin (ranked 19th) will meet Easley (ranked 203rd) at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Meanwhile, T.L. Hanna (ranked 35th) will meet Hillcrest (ranked 188th) at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday.