Johnson-Savannah boys beat Monroe

SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Monroe Tornadoes put up a fight on the road but came up short in a 65-52 loss to Johnson-Savannah in the first round of the GHSA Class AAA state basketball tournament. Jordan Taylor led the way with 18 points, followed by Kyler Hughes with 15.

Ulysses Williams had three fouls in the first quarter and was contained in a box-and-one defense. The rest of the team stepped up and kept the game close until the final two minutes.

From there, Monroe coach Keith Hayes said a few costly mistakes ultimately prevented them from capturing the lead. He said his team showed fight in his first season and that, coupled with their experience, gives him hope for next year.

“I feel pretty good because a lot the guys got the opportunity to play,” he said. “That’s a positive. They won’t be new to it like they were this year. It should them to cut down on some of the mistakes that they made this year.”