Mavericks’ comeback bid falls short
The struggles continued for the Anderson County High School boys basketball team in its return to the hardwood Friday night.
The new year didn’t reverse the Mavericks’ recent fortunes, as a late rally came up short in a 60-58 loss to Lenoir City in their first game of the 2026 calendar year.
The game — the second meeting between Anderson County and the Panthers this season — was tightly contested early. The teams were tied 11-11 after the first quarter, and Lenoir City held a slim 24-22 lead at halftime.
But the Panthers opened the second half with a burst, scoring the first nine points of the third quarter to seize momentum.
Anderson County (4-9) never fully recovered. The Mavericks clawed back late and trimmed the deficit to one after back-to-back 3-pointers by Elijah Johnson in the closing seconds, but couldn’t complete the comeback.
“We’re a young team and the kids fight hard,” Anderson County Head Coach Jordan Jeffers said. “But we’ve just got to get more consistent scoring.”
Jeffers, who has led the Mavericks to three straight District 4-AAA titles, pointed to Lenoir City’s early second-half run as the difference.
“I hate to say it, but for us, that was the ballgame,” he said. “We can’t give up runs like that and expect to win.
“We’re not good enough offensively or good enough in any facet of the game to beat really good teams, and we didn’t get enough offense.”
Cam Lawson returned from injury and led the Mavericks with 19 points. Johnson added 11 — including three 3-pointers — and kept Anderson County within striking distance late. Reese Russell chipped in nine points.
The Mavericks opened district play Tuesday at Scott High School, but results were unavailable at press time.
