MONROE, La. – Michael Ertel and Travis Munnings combined for 43 points to lead ULM to a 76-71 victory over Troy Thursday (Jan. 25) in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. ULM (8-11, 2-6 Sun Belt) outscored the Trojans, 50-30, over the final 18:20 to erase a 15-point second-half deficit and snap a four-game losing streak.
 
Troy (9-12, 3-5) jumped out to a 12-2 lead and never looked back en route to building a 14-point halftime lead at 38-24. Alex Hicks and Jordon Varnado combined to score 23 first-half points for the Trojans, hitting 9-of-14 shots from the field including a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the 3-point arc. The Warhawks shot 27 percent (9-of-33) from the floor in the first 20 minutes, including 3-of-12 3-pointers, and were outrebounded, 25-16.
 
B.J. Miller's three-point play gave Troy its largest lead at 41-26 with 18:56 left in the second half. ULM responded with a 14-0 run and pulled to within one at 41-40 on a 3-pointer from Munnings with 16:12 remaining. The Warhawks took their first lead at 47-46 on three free throws by Sam McDaniel with 13:11 on the clock. There were five ties and three lead changes in the second half. ULM took the lead for good at 56-54 on a layup by Munnings with 9:55 left. An offensive putback by Munnings sparked an 8-0 spurt as the Warhawks built their largest lead at 71-61 on McDaniel's layup off a touch pass from Jordon Harris with 2:17 to play. McDaniel converted 5-of-6 free-throw attempts in the final 27 seconds to ice the game.
 
ULM shot 50 percent (15-of-30) from the field in the second half, including 5-of-12 3-pointers, and outrebounded Troy, 26-15. The Warhawks finished with a 42-40 advantage on the glass.
 
"That was a tremendous win, and those players in the locker room needed it me than me," ULM head basketball coach Keith Richard said. "With the four-game losing streak, the players felt like they were carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. I'm so happy for the team. Those guys played a great second half.
 
"We really struggled on both ends of the floor in the first half, and it wasn't effort related. We were struggling to score because their length really bothered us at the rim. Defensively, we struggled with match-ups because Troy's post players are hard to defend.
 
"We were getting killed inside in the first half by Alex Hicks and Jordon Varnado, so we decided to go small and start five guards in the second half," Richard continued. "Those guys wore us out inside, so we decided to double the post in the second half and scramble out to contest their 3-point shooters. Fortunately, the move worked for us. We were lucky because Troy started missing some open 3s, but we also rebounded really well in the second half even with the small lineup.
 
"The decision to go with five guards also allowed us to spread the floor offensively. We scored 52 points in the second half because we were able to drive and kick for open 3s, but we also were effective attacking the basket at times."
 
Ertel led ULM in scoring for the third-straight game, finishing with a season-high 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field, including 2-of-6 3-pointers.
 
Munnings scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half while McDaniel recorded his first double-double of the season and seventh of his career with 18 points and 10 rebounds. McDaniel posted 15 points during ULM's second-half comeback.
 
"Michael Ertel continues to do a lot of good things," Richard said. "We're happy with the progress he's made driving the ball. Michael has displayed the ability to pull-up and hit the mid-range shot or drive and finish at the rim.
 
"Travis Munnings and Sam McDaniel both made some tough plays is the second half. Travis was aggressive and drove the ball to the basket, and that's something we haven't seen from him in a long, long time. And Sam did what you'd expect from a senior, he made some big shots in the second half and hit some key free throws down the stretch."
 
The Warhawks also got nine points and a career-high 16 rebounds from Marvin Jean-Pierre.
 
"Marvin Jean-Pierre's rebounding was a huge factor in the second half," Richard said. "With the small lineup, we needed to be able to hold our own on the backboards, and he did as good of job as I've seen in a while. Marvin grabbed 10 defensive boards in the second half."
 
With 22 points, Wesley Person became Troy's all-time leading scorer with 1,887 career points. Hicks produced his eighth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 boards. The Trojans also got 14 points from Miller and 13 from Varnado.
 
ULM continues its three-game homestand against South Alabama on Saturday, Jan. 27, with tipoff set for 2 p.m.
 
"Heading into tonight, we talked about playing with confidence and a swagger, especially with five out of the next seven games at home," Richard said. "We needed a win. Hopefully, we can carry some confidence and momentum into Saturday's game against South Alabama."