Lady Tornadoes open summer with win over Terrell County

ALBANY — It didn’t take long for Monroe’s Taylor Mckinzy to find her shooting touch.

The Lady Tornadoes’ sharpshooter buried three consecutive 3-pointers from the corner in the first half Thursday afternoon, helping Monroe race to a commanding lead on the way to a 46-34 victory over Terrell County in a summer practice game.

The final score was closer than the game itself.

Monroe dominated the opening half and carried a 33-13 advantage into the locker room before Monroe began rotating players freely in the second half. The extra playing time allowed Terrell County to settle in offensively and trim the margin against a Monroe team that reached the Class 3A Final Four last season with a 27-4 record.

For Acree, the outcome was secondary to getting her team back on the floor.

“Today was about shaking off the rust,” Acree said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but it was good to get on the floor and get some competition.”

The Lady Tornadoes return much of the nucleus that fueled last season’s deep playoff run. Mckinzy was joined Thursday by teammates KJ Acree, Maleyah Hines, Glendalys Harvey, Mariah Toye, Naraji McDowell, Jibria Butler and others as Monroe opened its summer schedule by hosting teams from around Southwest Georgia for a day of practice games. Monroe also had new faces on the floor including rising ninth graders from Radium Springs.

While Monroe showed flashes of the form that carried it to the state semifinals, Terrell County demonstrated resilience after a sluggish start.

The Lady Greenwave struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the first half against Monroe’s pressure and perimeter shooting. But after halftime, Terrell County began attacking more confidently and played much more evenly with the Lady Tornadoes.

Like Monroe, the Lady Greenwave are coming off a successful season. Terrell County finished 24-5 last year, captured a region championship and advanced to the Class A Final Four.

Head coach Tammye Jenkins Ware said Thursday’s games highlighted both the promise and the challenges facing her team.

“We lost three seniors and we really haven’t had any time to practice,” Jenkins Ware said. “I liked what I saw at times. It was good to get on the court and we played much better in our second game than we did the first.”

With a young roster adjusting to larger roles, Jenkins Ware said confidence will be a major point of emphasis throughout the summer.

“It’s all about building confidence for these girls and playing with confidence,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do and big challenges ahead of us.”

Fortunately for both programs, June basketball is designed for exactly that purpose.

The wins and losses won’t count for anything when the regular season arrives, but Thursday offered both Final Four programs an early measuring stick as they begin preparations for another run at the state playoffs.