ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. ? Senior Jonas Brown scored 20 points, but preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selection Adrian Banks netted 29 to lead Arkansas State to an 89-82 victory over ULM's men's basketball team on Saturday night in Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

ULM (6-11, 0-5 Sun Belt) dropped its second-straight home game despite scoring more than 80 points for the first time since a 96-51 win against UT-Tyler on December 22.

“There were a lot of bright spots tonight,” ULM head coach Orlando Early said. “One thing that we are lacking is that we are not doing a great job of getting stops on defense. I thought we shared the ball and made some shots.”

Arkansas State (8-8, 3-3 Sun Belt) jumped on the Warhawks early, grabbing a double-digit lead less than three minutes into the game off a 13-2 run. The ASU advantage would reach as many as 14 in the opening minutes of the first before ULM began to chip away.

Trailing 24-10 with 12:07 left in the period, Brown scored seven straight points to cut the lead in half. After a three by Banks, ULM hit back-to-back treys to cut the deficit to five points. The Warhawks continued to crawl back and, with 2:08 remaining in the half, grabbed its first lead at 37-36 on a Brown lay-up.

Banks once again gave ASU a two-point lead in the closing minute of the period before freshman Mitchell Hampton connected on a thunderous dunk in the final seconds to send the game into the lockers tied at 41-41.

ASU scored five straight out of the half to take a short-lived lead. Junior Tony Hooper scored five straight and Brown added a pair of free throws in a 7-0 ULM run that saw the Warhawks move in front 54-50 with 14:55 left in the game.

ULM was able to hold Arkansas State at arms reach over the next two minutes, but Shawn Morgan tied the game and Mike Lance hit a three to give ASU a 61-58 lead with just over 10 minutes left.

Arkansas State would build its advantage to as many as 12 points in the final six minutes and was able to fend off a ULM run to seal the game. Sophomore Brandon Roberts scored two of his nine points with 2:44 to cut the lead to 82-78, but ASU had an answer and never relinquished its lead.

Brown's 20 points came one game after the Houston, Texas native was held scoreless for the first time in his ULM career. He paced four Warhawks in double-digits as Hooper (18), senior Lance Brasher (10) and senior Jordan Payne (10) also cracked double-digits.

Banks was joined by Morgan (19), Ryan Wedel (11) and Ifeayni Koggu (10) in double-digit points for ASU.

“The road is tough, but our back is against the wall,” Early said. “We have to step up some how and find a way to do everything consistent. We have got to put it all together and hopefully we start that Thursday.”