Basketball Recap: Dontez Walker Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Mauldin

J.L. Mann lost to Mauldin back in February of 2024, but they didn't allow them the same satisfaction on Friday. The J.L. Mann Patriots walked away with a 71-63 victory over the Mauldin Mavericks. The win was all the more spectacular given the Patriots' disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 108th, while the Mavericks are ranked 28th).

J.L. Mann's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Dontez Walker, who almost dropped a double-double on 21 points and nine rebounds. Walker's evening made it seven games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Kam'Ron Williams, who posted 17 points in addition to six assists and five boards.

J.L. Mann smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in ten consecutive contests.

Despite the loss, Mauldin still got an impressive performance from Alverez Smith, who went 7 of 11 on his way to 19 points. Eli Saint-Amour was another key player, putting up ten points and five rebounds.

J.L. Mann pushed their record up to 7-13 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 74.3 points per game. As for Mauldin, the loss snapped their winning streak at four games and leaves them with a 15-6 record.

J.L. Mann will face off against T.L. Hanna at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. J.L. Mann knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past four games -- so hopefully T.L. Hanna likes a good challenge. As for Mauldin, they will venture away from home to square off against Greenville at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Greenville will roll in looking for their 12th straight win, something Mauldin surely won't give up without a fight.