Warhawks Fall to Bishop on Sophomore Night, 73-65
Decatur, AL – On Sophomore Night inside Kelley Gymnasium, Calhoun women's basketball battled hard but ultimately fell to Bishop State 73–65 in the regular season finale Thursday evening.
With the night dedicated to honoring the program's sophomore class in their final home game, the Warhawks showed plenty of fight throughout the contest but were unable to close the gap late against the visiting Wildcats.
Calhoun started the night with strong energy, powered early by sophomore standout Jasmine Ervin. The Warhawk frontcourt established itself immediately, with Ervin pouring in 10 points in the opening quarter to help keep Calhoun within striking distance. Bishop State managed to hold a narrow three-point edge after the first period, but the Warhawks were firmly in the fight.
The first half remained a back-and-forth affair for much of the opening 15 minutes. Calhoun's interior play continued to create opportunities offensively, and the Warhawks matched the Wildcats possession for possession. However, the final five minutes of the half proved costly. Bishop State used a late run to swing the momentum and carried the lead into the halftime break.
Coming out of the locker room, Calhoun responded with one of its strongest stretches of the night. The Warhawks' frontcourt imposed their will on both ends of the floor, controlling the paint and generating scoring chances through a balanced inside-out attack. The surge allowed Calhoun to reclaim the lead during the third quarter as the offense began to click and the defensive pressure intensified.
Despite the momentum shift, Bishop State answered in the final period. A handful of defensive miscues from the Warhawks allowed the Wildcats to regain control late in the game. Bishop capitalized on those opportunities down the stretch, creating enough separation to secure the 73–65 victory.
Ervin once again led the way offensively for Calhoun, finishing with a dominant performance of 26 points and 10 rebounds to record a double-double in her final home appearance. Farrah Buckner added 12 points, while Gabrielle Stigger and Jamya Glover each contributed 11 points to round out a balanced offensive effort for the Warhawks.
Following the game, head coach Candace Byrd reflected on the night and the impact the sophomore class has had on the program. "I'm definitely disappointed in the result because I know how much these players wanted to finish their home careers with a win," Byrd said. "But I couldn't be more proud of the work these sophomores have put in and what they've meant to this program over the last two years. They've grown so much as players and as people, and they've helped lay a foundation that we can continue to build on."
With the regular season now complete, the Warhawks will turn their attention to postseason play.
Calhoun (13–16, 4–10) will await their seeding for the upcoming ACCC/Region 22 Tournament.
