Monroe holds off Valdosta rally to win 57-51 in MLK Classic
Joe Whitifeld
By Joe Whitfield
Sports Editor
ALBANY — The Monroe Golden Tornadoes built a 15-point lead in the third quarter and then had to hold off a late rally by the Valdosta Wildcats to win 57-51 in the final game of Monday’s MLK Classic at Monroe High School.
The Tornadoes opened up an 8-2 lead in the first quarter but the Wildcats roared back at the beginning of the second and got the crowd excited with a huge slam dunk and then a long three to take a 9-8 lead. Monroe responded with slams by Jveyin Vicks and Justin Burns to help the Tornadoes lead 25-17 at the half. The Tornadoes continued to add to their lead in the third and after Lorenzo Still danced his way through traffic in the paint and lobbed two points over the defender Monroe led by 13. Valdosta came alone in the final quarter with several three-pointers and outscored the Tornadoes 22-15 and closed the gap to just four points before Justin Burns hit two late free throws.
Justin Burns led the Tornadoes with 16 points, Vicks followed with 10 and John Burns added seven.
The win improves Monroe’s record to 12-5 on the season while Valdosta drops to 9-8. The Tornadoes will be at home in a region battle against Carver Friday night.
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