CLINTON, N.C. — The 19th-ranked Catawba Valley Community College women's basketball team came up short in its regular season finale on Wednesday, falling 70-65 on the road against Region X foe Clinton.

The Red Hawks finish the regular season with a 23-5 record and 17-3 mark in conference play — currently tied for the second-best record in the league only 0.5 game behind Bryant & Stratton (23-4, 17-2).

Sherry Johnson led Catawba Valley with 18 points in Wednesday's contest, while Zharia Brown and Milequa Eason also reached double figures in scoring with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

CVCC fell behind in the early going to Clinton (8-15, 8-11), trailing 15-10 after the first quarter and 30-22 at halftime.

The Red Hawks fought back in the second half to outscore the Golden Bears in both the third and fourth quarters, but despite that effort, Catawba Valley would only gain three points on their halftime deficit and fall to Clinton by five points.

CVCC now awaits its fate as the final regular season conference games are played on Thursday.

The biggest of the games that will decide the Red Hawks' future is between Bryant & Stratton and Clinton. A home win by Clinton against Bryant & Stratton on Thursday would create a three-way tie for first place between CVCC, Cape Fear and B&S.

However, if the Bobcats are able to defeat the Golden Bears, Bryant & Stratton would secure the Region X regular season championship and top seed in the upcoming conference tournament.

For complete Region X/District O tournament updates, including pairings and schedules, be sure to visit www.gocvcc.com.