After flying high against Barnwell on Tuesday, Hampton County came back down to earth. The Hurricanes fell 53-45 to the Whale Branch Warriors on Friday. The Hurricanes were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Warriors apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in February of 2025.

Lyric Jones
| 01/16/26 @ Whale Branch | 28 |
| 01/13/26 vs Barnwell | 25 |
| 01/09/26 vs Lake Marion | 16 |
When it comes to explaining why Hampton County lost, don't look at Lyric Jones. Despite the final result, she shot 40% from the field on her way to 28 points along with five rebounds and four steals. Jones' big performance that evening made it three games in a row in which she has scored at least 16 points. Faith Brooks was another key player, putting up two points and 16 boards.
Whale Branch found their leader in freshman Harmony Prejean, who posted 25 points in addition to eight rebounds and six steals. Prejean has been hot, having posted four or more steals the last five times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Kelis Fields, who scored 11 points along with six boards and five blocks.
Hampton County's defeat dropped their record down to 10-4. As for Whale Branch, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-4 record this season.
Hampton County will welcome Bridges Prep at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Whale Branch, they have already played their next game, a 28-17 win against Ridgeland Secondary Academy Of Excellence on the 17th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps