ALBANY — Monroe Comprehensive High School hosted the 2026 MLK Classic on Monday, featuring five basketball games to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The tournament began with girls basketball action as Fitzgerald faced Early County. The Lady Canes bounced back from two straight region losses with a dominant performance.

Fitzgerald dominates Early County

Senior Kianti McDuffie led Fitzgerald’s hot start, knocking down three triples in the first eight minutes. The Lady Canes made five three-pointers as a team in the first half.

London Sherman contributed eight points for Early County, working the offensive glass. Layla Means led the Lady Cats with eight points in the first half.

Tai’kya Powell scored 15 points in the first half for Fitzgerald, all at the rim. The Lady Canes led by 24 points at halftime and maintained control throughout the second half.

“It’s a holiday. So my whole thing today was, you know, we’re going to start off with a lot of energy,” said Fitzgerald head coach Sherard Reynolds. “So we’re going to go full court press and we’re going to stay in the whole game.”

Lee County upsets Monroe

In the second girls game, Lee County defeated Monroe 46-34 despite Monroe featuring all-time leading scorer KJ Acree.

Monroe led 17-16 at halftime, but Lee County made adjustments in the locker room. The Trojans opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run.

Camya Hutcherson found freshman Zhiyah Black for a pull-up jumper to start the second-half momentum. Jada Ridley scored eight of her 12 points in the third quarter.

“They have priorities. They have Taylor and they have KJ,” said Lee County head coach Tonya Davis. “They are extraordinary players and we just had to make sure that you focus on those players.”

Boys games feature close finishes

In boys action, Dougherty defeated Valdosta 46-44 in a comeback victory. Valdosta led early behind Jake Reid’s corner three-pointer.

Dougherty built an 18-point lead with an 18-5 run spanning the second quarter and early third quarter. Mikel Roberts and Ernest Townsell hit three-pointers during the surge.

Valdosta rallied behind Shawn Evans, who scored 19 points in the second half and 25 total. The Wildcats cut the lead to three with a 17-2 run.

David Burgess gave Dougherty the lead with a basket off the window with under two minutes remaining. Evans’ final shot attempt for Valdosta fell short.

“We got a young team, so things like this is nothing but a growing pain,” said Dougherty head coach Terrance Noel.

Monroe defeats Early County

In the final game, Monroe defeated Early County 68-58. The Golden Tornadoes controlled the game for 32 minutes.

Brayden Burns led Monroe’s offensive attack, driving baseline for a reverse layup. Isaiah Rivers connected with freshman Robert Adams inside for easy baskets.

Kameron Jones added a fast-break dunk for the Green and Gold. Jimmy Jones scored a putback for Early County, which managed only four points in the first quarter.

Monroe led by 17 points at halftime and maintained control despite fourth-quarter tensions.

“Well, we’ve been doing a better job defensively and also getting a better job of executing and sharing the ball a lot more,” said Monroe head coach Maichael Hoffpauir. “But it did help that Brayden Burns got hot and knocked down a bunch of threes.”

The two Albany schools will face each other Tuesday when Monroe takes on Dougherty. The boys game between Lee County and Bible Baptist was canceled.

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