Region 2-A: McCormick vs. Calhoun Falls Charter

With this being the final week of the regular season, many teams across the state are jockeying for position in hopes of landing a coveted spot in their respective classification's tournament.    In the case of Calhoun Falls Charter, its contest on Monday against archrival McCormick was not only its regular season finale, but also a contest to determine a region champion. The Blue Flashes had a 10-1 region mark going into Monday's contest (11-6 overall) but had one loss compared that of the 6-0 region record for the Chiefs.    As one can guess, that one loss for Calhoun Falls was to McCormick – a 47-35 decision on Feb. 1.    The region championship was bestowed upon McCormick as they defeated Calhoun Falls Charter by a final score of 45-34.    “(I'm) wishing every team the best as they go out there, because children are children,” Chiefs coach Gena Wideman says. “But I want to see McCormick go a long way. Now, we've worked hard over the year. We've worked hard over the years and we've got to the big dance before. But we need to work harder now to get to where we want to be. And so (I) just want the girls to keep pushing and keep striving because they're better than what they think they are.”   Where Were The Fans?   Fans looking to catch the contest had to do so via NFHS Network as Monday's get-together was played sans an outside audience.    A source tells Prep Girls Hoops the decision was made because of an incident at an earlier matchup between Calhoun Falls Charter and McCormick.   Quarter-By-Quarter   Overall, the first four points for both teams were placed on the scoreboard via free throws. McCormick broke its 2-2 deadlock with Calhoun Falls Charter by embarking on an 8-0 run and ensuring the Blue Flashes finished the first quarter with only one field goal. With one complete, the Chiefs' lead was 12-4.   That McCormick lead eventually grew into the double digits in the second quarter – and it was a sign of things to come throughout the frame. With two stanzas in the books, the Chiefs took a commanding 27-11 lead over the Blue Flashes into halftime.   Improved success in the interior would see Calhoun Falls put together its best offensive frame up to that point. The gap between the Chiefs and Blue Flashes was still in the double-digits. With one quarter remaining, McCormick's lead was 37-22.   Calhoun Falls began the fourth quarter with plenty of momentum. The Blue Flashes embarked on an 8-0 run to begin the closing period. McCormick managed to hold off its arch region rival to claim this year's region crown.   Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/IMG_0135.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-850281" style="width:489px;height:auto" /></figure>   A 14-point performance courtesy of [player_tooltip player_id='850109' first='Ilyriyah' last='Monae Tate'] paved the way to victory for the Chiefs. Her 14 would lead all point-getters. She particularly found plenty of success with getting out in transition and finishing strong at the rim.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/IMG_0137.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-850282" style="width:484px;height:auto" /></figure>   McCormick also benefitted greatly from the 11 points that were put on the board courtesy of freshman Taylor Masten. She is a call-up from the Chiefs junior varsity team and entered the contest off the bench.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/IMG_0114-crop-2528x1660-1707209791.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-850284" style="width:484px;height:auto" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='387010' first='Alexis' last='Sanders'] would lead all point-getters for the Blue Flashes with 13 points. In addition to what Sanders got accomplished on the offensive end, she also made things difficult for McCormick with her defense with the number of blocked shots she compiled.   Unvailable   Sophomore center [player_tooltip player_id='975626' first='Serenity' last='Searles'], who is a major part of what the Chiefs get accomplished, was unavailable for Monday's game. Wideman says she got hurt earlier in the season.   “One of the things I have to teach them is that … you never know when you're not going to have somebody,” Wideman says. “You've got to learn to play together and work together … even if that person's not there. You've still got to keep flowing. You've still got to keep rolling.”   Up Next…   McCormick has one game left on its schedule – on Wednesday vs. Ware Shoals. Calhoun Falls Charter awaits this year's playoffs. Wideman says her team still has to fix things that may prove crucial when tournament time arrives.    “As long as we stay the course and we fix those things, (it's) the simple things that make the biggest difference,” Wideman says. “And we need to make sure we strengthen those simple things.”

With this being the final week of the regular season, many teams across the state are jockeying for position in hopes of landing a coveted spot in their respective classification's tournament.