Monroe girls sweep Monday play date

ALBANY — The outcome had long since been decided when freshman Nalani Lanisky brought the Monroe bench to life.

With seconds remaining in Monday’s summer matchup against Cook, the young guard buried a 3-pointer.

Then she hit another.

As her teammates jumped up and down in celebration, Monroe coach Jennifer Acree got a glimpse of exactly what summer basketball is supposed to provide — signs of growth, signs of depth and signs that the Lady Tornadoes may once again have the pieces to make a deep postseason run.

Monroe rolled past Cook 65-9 before defeating crosstown rival Westover 50-34 during a summer play date at Monroe High School.

“The goal was to get our rhythm going and look to see if our girls have gotten better through the training we’ve been through with weights and the AAU ball,” Acree said. “Yes, I am seeing progress, but I need to see more. I’ve really got to see more from our younger players.”

The opener against Cook provided plenty of opportunities to evaluate those younger players.

Monroe quickly established control and never looked back, allowing the Lady Tornadoes to empty the bench and give valuable minutes to several developing players. Lanisky’s late shooting display became one of the afternoon’s most memorable moments as her back-to-back 3-pointers energized both her teammates and the home crowd.

If the first game showcased Monroe’s future, the second highlighted the Lady Tornadoes’ present.

Westover provided a much tougher challenge and showed flashes of promise despite the loss.

The Lady Patriots battled Monroe evenly through the opening minutes and pulled even at 11-11 when Sydney Donaldson knocked down her second 3-pointer of the game. Donaldson continued to provide offensive punch throughout the afternoon, helping Westover stay within striking distance.

Monroe answered with the experience and firepower that helped carry the Lady Tornadoes to the Class AAA Final Four last season.

Kie’Aundria Acree, Maleyah Hines and Taylor McKinzy helped Monroe gradually create separation, turning a competitive contest into a double-digit advantage. The Lady Tornadoes closed the first half on a strong run and carried a 30-19 lead into the locker room.

Monroe put the game away early in the second half.

McKinzy found her shooting touch as the Lady Tornadoes opened the third quarter with a 12-4 run that stretched the lead beyond 15 points. Donaldson later connected on another 3-pointer to spark the Westover offense, but Monroe maintained control the rest of the way.

Westover’s effort featured contributions from Savannah Donaldson, Amarise Idlett and Ja’Niyah Brown, while freshman Armani “Big Baby” Hatcher turned heads with an impressive performance.

Hatcher’s energy, physical play and confidence provided an encouraging glimpse of the future for the Lady Patriots as they continue to build chemistry during the summer months.

“Considering the little time we’ve had together, I thought our chemistry looked promising,” Westover coach Derek Pace said. “There is a lot to build on from this point.”

While summer basketball victories do not count in the standings, both coaches left the gym with valuable information.

Monroe saw continued growth from its veteran leaders while gaining experience for younger players expected to take on larger roles in the future. Westover continued the process of building chemistry and identifying contributors ahead of the upcoming season.

And while no championships are won in June, both programs saw enough Monday afternoon to believe the work being done now could pay dividends when winter arrives.