Frontcourt Powers Warhawks Past Tigers, 72-62

Decatur, AL — Calhoun women's basketball delivered a standout and complete performance on Thursday night, defeating Northeast Mississippi 72–62 behind a dominant fourth-quarter surge. The win snapped a brief skid and showcased a renewed energy on both ends of the floor.

The game opened at a deliberate pace, with both teams grinding through a low-scoring first quarter that ended tied 9–9. The Warhawks found their rhythm in the second frame, spreading the scoring across five different players and erupting for 20 points to take a 29–26 lead into halftime. The third quarter mirrored the back-and-forth nature of the night, as Northeast edged Calhoun 22–21 behind a strong offensive stretch to cut the Warhawk lead to 50–48 entering the fourth.

Sophomore guard Mekera Standridge was electric throughout, but especially in the third quarter, where she kept Calhoun in front with 10 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting. She served as the steadying force the Warhawks needed as the Tigers heated up offensively.

From there, Calhoun took over.

The Warhawk defense clamped down in the final period, holding Northeast to just 25% shooting from the field and 11% from three. Calhoun, meanwhile, put together its most efficient offensive quarter of the season, shooting 82% from the floor and hitting 80% at the line. Jamya Glover fueled the closing run with 11 of her 18 points in the fourth, going 5-of-7 in the quarter to help put the game out of reach.

The box score reflected the all-around effort, with Mekera Standridge leading Calhoun scorers with 19 points on 70% shooting. Jasmine Ervin turned in a gritty double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, nine of them on the offensive glass, and Jamya Glover, coming off the bench, posted a massive 18-point, 14-rebound, 5-block outing.

Head Coach Candace Byrd praised her team's response: "I'm really proud of our effort on both ends of the floor tonight. We emphasized grit after our last few performances and talked all week about controlling our effort, and that showed up tonight. We still have areas to clean up, but the fight we played with was exactly what we've been asking for. Jaz pulling down nine offensive rebounds embodies the commitment we want to have as a team."

Calhoun (6–5) will return to action Saturday, December 13, hosting Volunteer State (TN) at 2 p.m. at Kelley Gymnasium.