The Manning Monarchs waltzed into Saturday's matchup with three straight wins but they left with four. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat East Clarendon 61-29 at home. Given Manning's advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 49th, while East Clarendon is ranked 183rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Manning's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Lovell Stevenson led the charge by scoring 15 points along with 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Jordyn Thompson was another key contributor, scoring 16 points.
Manning's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-1. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.5 points per game. As for East Clarendon, they still haven't won a game yet this season and fell to 0-3.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Manning will face off against Crestwood at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Crestwood will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak. As for East Clarendon, they will head out on the road to face off against Latta at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
