Warhawks Fall in Shootout Despite Scoring 106 at Northwest

Senatobia, MS — Calhoun men's basketball found themselves in the middle of a track meet on Thursday night, but despite pouring in 106 points on the road, the Warhawks couldn't keep pace with Northwest Mississippi's explosive second-half surge, falling 118–106 at Howard Coliseum in Senatobia. The matchup quickly turned into one of the highest-scoring games of the young season, with both teams trading haymakers from the opening tip.

Calhoun came out blazing, racking up 12 fast points in the first few minutes and dictating the early tempo. The Warhawks' aggressive downhill attack and efficient shot-making allowed them to sustain that pace for the full first half, entering the locker room with a 52–46 lead. Every time Northwest threatened to make a run, Calhoun had an answer, whether it came from its guards pushing in transition or its wings knocking down timely perimeter looks.

The second half, however, belonged to the Rangers. Northwest caught fire from deep and never cooled off, hitting 10-of-15 from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes alone. They finished the night with 16 made threes at a 46% clip, while also shooting 54% from the field and converting 80% of their free throws. Despite Calhoun hanging 54 more points on the board in the second half, maintaining their efficiency at 51% shooting for the game, including 42% from three, the Rangers' long-range onslaught ultimately swung the outcome.

Jordan Johnson once again led the Warhawks with a dynamic all-around performance, posting 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting while leading the team in rebounds (7) and assists (4). The balanced scoring continued behind him, as five other Warhawks reached double figures in a game where the offense rarely faltered.

Still, the defensive end told the story.

"It turned into a shootout tonight, and we ended up on the wrong side of it" remarked Head Coach Derrick Powell. "We've got to close out harder and run guys off the line, but credit to Northwest, they shot the lights out in that second half. Giving up 16 threes is tough to survive. Our offense did its part, but now we've got to raise our PRICETAG on defense and demand more from ourselves on that end."

Calhoun (4–6) returns home Monday, December 8, to host Motlow State (TN) at 6 p.m.