Game 18: ULM (7-10, 1-5) vs. UT ARLINGTON (12-8, 3-4)

Saturday, Jan. 20 | 4:15 p.m. CT

Arlington, Texas | College Park Center (7,000)

 

ULM Basketball Notes: Game 18 at UTA

ULM CONCLUDES SUN BELT ROAD SWING AT UTA –

ULM (7-10, 1-5 Sun Belt) looks to end its three-game losing skid at UT Arlington on Saturday, Jan. 20, with tipoff set for 4:15 p.m. The Warhawks also are seeking their first road win (0-7) of the season.

 

The Warhawks lead the all-time series, 50-18, including a 19-10 record in games played in Arlington. UTA has won six of the last 10 meetings. The Mavericks swept the regular-season series a year ago, winning 71-55 in the College Park Center and 72-57 in Monroe.

 

THE STARTING FIVE –

• ULM's playing rotation features three double-figure scorers, in Sam McDaniel (15.4 points per game),  Travis Munnings (14.5 ppg.) and Marvin Jean-Pierre (10.8 ppg.). All three of those players rank among the Sun Belt's Top 25 in scoring: McDaniel (10th), Munnings (13th), and Jean-Pierre (25th).

 

• ULM leads the Sun Belt in three-point field-goal percentage (.382) and ranks among the league leaders in

free-throw percentage (third at .741), assists (third at 14.1 pg.), assist-to-turnover ratio (third at 1.1), three-point field goals made (fourth at 8.6 pg.), turnover margin (fourth at +1.1 pg.), scoring defense (fifth at 67.3 points per game), offensive rebounding percentage (fifth at .319) and steals (fifth at 6.7 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 36.9 percent of ULM's scoring (146 three-pointers made; 438 of 1,186 points). The Warhawks have attempted at least 20 three-pointers in 10 of 16 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 –

San Marcos, Texas (Jan. 18, 2018) – Michael Ertel scored 16 of his game-high 18 points in the second half as ULM tried to rally from a 14-point deficit, but Texas State made enough plays down the stretch Thursday to extend its Sun Belt winning streak to six games, 55-52. Nijal Pearson and Tre'Larenz Nottingham combined for 33 points to pace the Bobcats.

 

ULM jumped out to a 6-1 lead on Sam McDaniel's 3-pointer from the left wing in transition with 16:47 left in the first half. Texas State (13-7, 6-1 Sun Belt) claimed its first lead at 13-12 on Pearson's 3-pointer from the right wing with 8:42 remaining in the first half. The Warhawks regained the lead at 14-13 on Marvin Jean-Pierre's jumper in the lane at the 6:53 mark, but ULM missed its next six shots from the field and went scoreless for the next 4:56 as Texas State moved out to an 18-14 lead. Kiir Deng's rebound basket at the first-half buzzer cut ULM's deficit to 23-21 at the intermission.

 

Texas State opened the second half with an 8-3 spurt to take a 31-24 lead on Pearson's 3-pointer from the top of the circle. Nottingham's 3-pointer from the left wing sparked a 13-4 run as the Bobcats extended their lead to 44-30 on Isaiah Gurley's 3-pointer from the left baseline with 12:00 remaining. Texas State equaled its largest lead at 46-32 on two free throws by Eric Terry with 10:56 on the clock. ULM (7-10, 1-5) answered with a 16-4 run and pulled to within two at 50-48 on Jean-Pierre's 3-pointer from the left corner with 4:16 left. Ertel scored nine-straight points and accounted for 11 total during that 6:25 stretch. McDaniel missed a potential game-tying jumper from the top of the key on the Warhawks' next possession. Texas State got back-to-back layups from Immanuel King and Alex Peacock to push its lead back to six at 54-48 with 1:16 remaining. ULM made only 1-of-4 free-throw attempts in the final 12 seconds.

 

Pearson led the Bobcats with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from behind the 3-point arc. Nottingham hit 5-of-7 3-pointers and finished with 16 points.

 

Ertel matched his season-high with 18 points (previous vs. Southeastern Louisiana) on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor. Two other Warhawks scored in double figures, as McDaniel and Jean-Pierre added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

 

UT ARLINGTON SCOUTING REPORT –

UT Arlington (12-8, 3-4 Sun Belt) has won three of its last five conference games (86-76 vs. Troy; 91-67 vs. South Alabama; and 97-71 at Arkansas State). The Mavericks are 7-2 in the College Park Center this season.

 

UTA's starting lineup features four double-figure scorers, in forward Kevin Hervey (20.6 ppg.; 8.6 rpg.), guard Erick Neal (14.1 ppg.; league-leading 7.6 apg. and 2.4 spg.), center Johnny Hamilton (12.2 ppg.; 7.8 rpg.) and guard Kaelon Wilson (11.9 ppg.). Hervey, who has recorded a school-record 32 career double-doubles including seven this season, ranks second in the Sun Belt in scoring and third in rebounding. Hamilton leads the league in blocked shots (42) and ranks fourth in offensive rebounds (2.8 pg.).  

 

As a team, UTA ranks among the league leaders in scoring offense (second at 78.3 ppg.), field-goal percentage (second at .461), assists (second at 16.3 pg.), blocked shots (third at 4.2 pg.), steals (third at 7.9 pg.), field-goal percentage defense (fourth at .409), assist-to-turnover ratio (fourth at 1.0), scoring margin (fifth at +6.1 ppg.), three-point field-goal percentage (fifth at .351), three-point field-goal percentage defense (fifth at .332) and rebound margin (fifth at +2.3 pg.).

 

ULM/UT ARLINGTON SERIES NOTES –

Saturday's game marks the 69th meeting between ULM and UT Arlington. The Warhawks lead the all-time series, 50-18, including a 19-10 record in games played in Arlington. UTA has won six of the last 10 meetings.

 

The Mavericks swept the regular-season series a year ago, winning 71-55 in the College Park Center and 72-57 in Monroe.

 

THE LAST MEETING –

UT Arlington 72, ULM 57 (March 2, 2017, in Monroe, La.) – Jalen Jones scored a game-high 23 points to lead UT-Arlington to a 72-57 victory over ULM in Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

 

There were four ties and 12 lead changes in the first half. UTA jumped out to an 11-5 lead on a 3-pointer from Jones with 15:13 left. ULM put together a 9-2 run to take a 14-13 lead on a 3-pointer from Travis Munnings with 12:51 remaining. Marvin Jean-Pierre's 3-pointer gave the Warhawks their largest lead at 28-24 with 5:11 to play. The Mavericks closed out the first half with a 7-2 spurt and Kevin Hervey's jumper sent UTA to the locker room with a 31-30 advantage.

 

UTA opened the second half with a 10-0 run and took a 41-30 lead on Jorge Bilbao's layup. ULM scored six-straight points and pulled to within five at 50-45 on Prince Cooper's layup with 9:30 left. The Mavericks answered with an 11-0 spurt to extend its lead by to 16 at 61-45 on a 3-pointer from Jones. Faith Pope's 3-pointer gave UTA its largest lead at 72-55 with 21 seconds remaining in the game.

 

The Mavericks shot 53 percent (16-of-30) from the field in the second half, including 4-of-8 3-pointers, while outscoring the Warhawks, 41-27.

 

Jones paced a well-balanced UTA attack, hitting 9-of-12 field-goal attempts including a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range. The Mavericks also got 12 points from Erick Neal, 11 from Pope and 10 from Hervey, who finished with a double-double (game-high 12 rebounds).

 

Munnings led ULM with 17 points, with 11 of those coming in the first half. Marcus Washington recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards while Nick Coppola added 11 points.