Monroe girls tune up for GACA Live period

ALBANY — The easy part is over.

After rolling through another pair of summer victories Tuesday, the Monroe Lady Tornadoes are about to find out exactly where they stand.

Monroe defeated Perry 60-33 and Veterans High School 44-32 during its Summer Play Day, but the focus quickly shifted from the scoreboard to the challenge awaiting later this week at the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Live Period at LakePoint Sports.

That’s where Monroe will step onto the court against some of the state’s most accomplished programs, potentially including defending state champion Sandy Creek, powerhouse Norcross, Marietta, Southwest DeKalb and Elbert County.

Just as important, dozens of college coaches will be watching.

“We are definitely looking forward to the challenge,” Monroe coach Jennifer Acree said. “It will be another great opportunity for the girls to be seen by college coaches. Last year we had over 50 Division I coaches at each of our games.”

The Lady Tornadoes, who reached the Class 3A Final Four last season with a 27-4 record, will open the event Thursday against South Forsyth, a Class 7A school from Cumming.

For Acree, that’s exactly the type of challenge Monroe wants.

Summer basketball isn’t about collecting wins. It’s about discovering weaknesses before the games begin to count.

Tuesday provided another reminder that even one of Southwest Georgia’s premier programs still has work to do.

The Lady Tornadoes cruised through their opener against Perry, overwhelming the Panthers in a 60-33 victory.

The second game offered a much different test.

Monroe appeared headed for another comfortable win after building a 17-4 halftime lead against Veterans.

Then the offense stalled.

Shots that normally fall rolled off the rim. Possessions became more difficult. Veterans took advantage, steadily chipping away at the lead while Monroe searched for answers.

Kie’Aundria Acree momentarily halted the drought with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, but the Lady Warhawks continued to battle, eventually pulling within 30-21.

For one of the few times this summer, Monroe looked vulnerable.

That’s when Taylor McKinzy delivered the shot the Lady Tornadoes needed most.

Her timely 3-pointer restored order, steadied Monroe’s offense and helped preserve a 44-32 victory.

The wins pushed Monroe’s impressive summer record forward, but Acree’s attention was already elsewhere.

The veteran coach spent Tuesday doing what she always does during June — evaluating, teaching and taking notes.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Acree said. “We’ve got to fine tune things at practice before we head to the Live Period. I’m definitely taking notes and writing things down that we’ve got to fix before the season … and we will.”

That’s a scary thought for the teams waiting at LakePoint.

Because while Monroe continues to win games, Acree believes the Lady Tornadoes are still far from their best basketball.

The next few days will reveal just how much higher the ceiling might be.