ULM Warhawks

Game 17: ULM (7-9, 1-4) vs. TEXAS STATE (12-7, 5-1)
Thursday, Jan. 18 | 7:30 p.m. CT
San Marcos, Texas | Strahan Coliseum (7,200)

ULM Basketball Notes: Game 17 at Texas State

ULM FACES ROAD TEST AT TEXAS STATE –

ULM (7-9, 1-4 Sun Belt) looks to end its two-game losing skid at Texas State on Thursday, Jan. 18, with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. The Bobcats have won five league games by a combined total of 17 points.

ULM leads the all-time series, 29-21, including an 11-11 record in games played in San Marcos. Texas State swept the regular-season series a year ago, winning 63-57 in San Marcos and 70-65 in Monroe, as well as the quarterfinal matchup in the 2017 Sun Belt Championship, 63-51, in New Orleans.

THE STARTING FIVE –

• ULM's playing rotation features three double-figure scorers, in Sam McDaniel (15.6 points per game), Travis Munnings (15.2 ppg.) and Marvin Jean-Pierre (10.8 ppg.). All three of those players rank among the Sun Belt's Top 30 in scoring: McDaniel (tied for 11th), Munnings (13th), and Jean-Pierre (26th).

• ULM leads the Sun Belt in three-point field-goal percentage (.389) and ranks among the league leaders in free-throw percentage (second at .749), assists (third at 14.4 pg.), assist-to-turnover ratio (third at 1.1), three-point field goals made (fourth at 8.7 pg.), scoring defense (fifth at 68.1 points per game), field-goal percentage (fifth at .451), offensive rebounding percentage (fifth at .322), turnover margin (fifth at +0.9 pg.)  and steals (fifth at 6.8 pg.).

 

• ULM is a perfect 5-0 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field: vs. Rust College (.603), Jackson State (.500), Millsaps College (.582), Centenary (.527) and Coastal Carolina (.500).

 

• Three-point field goals account for 36.8 percent of ULM's scoring (139 three-pointers made; 417 of 1,134 points). The Warhawks have attempted at least 20 three-pointers in nine of 15 games.

• A school-record 16 home games highlight ULM'S 2017-18 basketball schedule. The schedule features 11 games against opponents that appeared in the 2017 postseason, including three NCAA Tournament participants (SMU, Jacksonville State and Troy) and two National Invitation Tournament participants (TCU and UT Arlington). In total, ULM will play 15 games against opponents that won 20 or more games last season.

 

THE LAST TIME OUT –

Lafayette, La. (Jan. 13, 2018) – JaKeenan Gant and Frank Bartley scored 12 points each to lead Louisiana-Lafayette to an 82-48 victory over ULM last Saturday in the Cajundome. Gant, who returned to the lineup after missing two games with a hand injury, hit 5-of-6 shots from the field, including 2-of-3 3-pointers.

 

Both teams struggled offensively in opening minutes, as ULM went 1-of-7 from the floor while the Ragin' Cajuns missed their first 11 field-goal attempts. ULL (15-3, 5-0 Sun Belt) put together a 15-2 run midway through the first half to take a 21-6 lead on Justin Miller's three-point play with 6:56 left. Bartley buried a 3-pointer from the left wing at the first-half buzzer to send the Ragin' Cajuns to the locker room with a 33-15 lead. The Warhawks shot 24 percent (5-of-21) from the field in the opening half, including 0-of-7 from 3-point range, and committed 10 turnovers. ULL hit 13-of-33 field-goal attempts (39 percent), including just 3-of-16 3-pointers, but held an 11-0 advantage in points off turnovers in the first half.

 

The Ragin' Cajuns broke the game open in the second half by connecting on 12 of their first 14 field-goal attempts, including their first nine 3-pointers. Johnathan Stove's 3-pointer gave ULL its largest lead at 42, 82-40, with 3:48 left in the game. The Ragin' Cajuns shot 57 percent (17-of-30) from the field in the second half, including 73 percent (11-of-15) from behind the 3-point arc.

 

ULL's 34-point win marked its largest margin of victory over ULM (7-9, 1-4) in the 76-game history of the series.

Four Ragin' Cajuns scored in double figures, as Stove and Marcus Stroman added 10 points each.

 

ULM's 48 points marked a season-low scoring output. 

 

Sam McDaniel paced the Warhawks with a game-high 19 points, hitting 6-of-10 shots from the floor including 2-of-4 3-pointers. Travis Munnings scored all 12 of his points in the second half while Sam Alabakis recorded a career-best 10 rebounds.

 

TEXAS STATE SCOUTING REPORT –

Texas State (12-7, 5-1 Sun Belt) puts its five-game winning streak on the line Thursday against ULM. The Bobcats have won five league games in a row by a combined total of 17 points: 53-48 at Coastal Carolina; 72-69 vs. South Alabama; 57-56 vs. Troy; 73-67 at Arkansas State; and 72-70 at Little Rock. The Bobcats are 6-1 in games played in Strahan Coliseum this season.

 

Texas State's starting lineup features two double-figure scorers, in guard Nijal Pearson (14.2 points per game; 31 3-pointers; 6.1 rebounds per game) and forward Immanuel King (10.2 ppg.; 6.2 rpg.). Forward Alex Peacock, who averages 7.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, has scored two game-winning baskets in Sun Belt play, hitting a jumper at the buzzer for a 72-70 win at Little Rock and his offensive put-back with :04 left gave the Bobcats a 57-56 victory over Troy.

 

As a team, Texas State leads the Sun Belt in scoring defense (63.1 ppg.) and ranks among the league leaders in field-goal percentage (third at .461), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (third at .308), rebound margin (third at +5.3 pg.), assists (fourth at 13.9 pg.), turnover margin (fourth at +1.1 pg.), scoring margin (fifth at +6.4 ppg.) and assist-to-turnover ratio (fifth at 1.0).

 

QUOTING KEITH RICHARD

Texas State scouting report: "Coach (Danny) Kaspar teams are always very solid defensively, and this team is no exception. Texas State struggled defensively early in the year (posted a 7-6 record during its non-conference schedule), but they've found a way to right the ship.

 

"Texas State has been involved in a number of close games in league play, and they've found ways to win down the stretch, including two games at the buzzer. This team is excellent at scoring inside the 3-point line. It's an average 3-point shooting team, but they've hit some big threes in these close games, and they do a great job of getting to the free-throw line.

 

"This is a new-look Texas State team, with nine newcomers in the playing rotation. They played inconsistently early in the year, but those newcomers have settled into their roles and this team has found its identity. With the number of close wins, Texas State is playing with a lot of confidence. They've been awfully good at home (6-1 record), so we face a big challenge Thursday night. We've got to find a way to disrupt things and put ourselves in a position to steal one on the road."

On mixing up the starting lineup: "We've juggled the starting lineup, looking for a little more scoring punch. Michael Ertel has been a pretty steady scorer all season. We can't rely on Sam McDaniel and Travis Munnings to carry the scoring load every night; we really need three, four or five guys in double figures. Hopefully, Jordon Harris and Marvin Jean-Pierre can provide a little spark for us coming off the bench. We can't win without consistent contributions from Jordon and Marvin.

 

"The recent play of Sam Alabakis has been really encouraging. He's improved his post moves and scoring around the basket, and he had a career-high 10 rebounds at Lafayette Saturday night."
 

ULM/TEXAS STATE SERIES NOTES –

Thursday's game marks the 51st meeting between ULM and Texas State. The Warhawks lead the all-time series, 29-21, including an 11-11 record in games played in San Marcos. ULM has won four of the last seven meetings; however, the Bobcats have won three in a row in the series.

 

Texas State swept the regular-season series a year ago, winning 63-57 in San Marcos and 70-65 in Monroe, as well as the quarterfinal matchup in the 2017 Sun Belt Championship, 63-51, in New Orleans. 

 

THE LAST MEETING –

Texas State 63, ULM 51 (March 10, 2017, in New Orleans, La.) – Nijal Pearson scored 16 points to lead No. 4 seed Texas State to a 63-51 victory over No. 12 seed ULM in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Sun Belt Championship.

 

There were two ties and three lead changes in the first half. ULM jumped out to an 18-10 lead on a layup by Travis Munnings with 9:13 left in the opening half. A 3-pointer from Nedeljko Prijovic sparked a 20-2 run as Texas State turned an eight-point deficit into a 30-20 halftime lead. The Warhawks went 0-for-7 from the field and committed six turnovers while going scoreless over the last 7:25 of the first half.

 

The Bobcats led by as many as 24 points on three occasions in the second half. ULM outscored Texas State, 12-4, over the final 2:24 to cut the final margin to 12 at 63-51. Texas State shot 57 percent (13-of-23) from the floor in the second half.

 

The Bobcats held a 22-5 edge in points off the bench.

 

Munnings, who scored 13 second-half points, finished with a double-double, with 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Warhawks also got 15 points from Marcus Washington.