Calhoun advances to play Shelton State today, championship games slated for Friday

HUNTSVILLE – The Calhoun Community College Lady Warhawks Basketball team won its first game in the ACCC (Alabama Community College Conference) Basketball Tournament on Wednesday against the Bishop State Community College Wildcats with a score of 83-74. The tournament will be held all week at the Alabama A&M University Event Center.

Eight women’s and men’s teams from across the state of Alabama are competing in the ACCC playoffs, which started Tuesday, March 7, with championship games on Friday, March 10, to close out the tournament. The win allowed the Lady Warhawks to advance in the tournament and compete against the Shelton State Community College Pirates from Tuscaloosa at noon today, March 9.

After a 21-year hiatus, Calhoun announced the return of men’s and women’s basketball. “We are beyond excited that our first season back competing, our Lady Warhawks have made it to the state tournament,” commented Candace Byrd-Vinson, Calhoun Women’s Head Basketball Coach. “We finished the regular season with a 13-6 conference record, and I am extremely proud of the hard work and dedication these young ladies have put in to make it this far,” added Byrd-Vinson.

In addition to the big win Wednesday, the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) named Byrd-Vinson “Coach of the Year” for the northern division. The Tanner, AL native was also a 4-time All-State player and 2A State Player of the Year at Tanner High School in Limestone County. She played college hoops at Birmingham Southern and had coaching stints at East Lawrence High School and R.A. Hubbard High School, where she led Hubbard to a Class 1A State Championship in 2017. In 2018, Coach Byrd-Vinson was inducted into the Limestone County Sports Hall of Fame.