SHREVEPORT, La.?Jesse Carrier led three ULM
players in double figures as the Warhawks defeated Centenary 76-60 Tuesday night
in non-conference action at the Gold Dome in Shreveport, La.
The sharp-shooting junior netted 14 points on
5-of-9 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-8 from beyond the 3-point line. The
Warhawks' lone senior Lottie Moore added 13 points and freshman Larrie Williams
dropped in 10.
ULM's (1-1) high-pressure defense forced 27
Centenary (0-2) turnovers on the night, which the Warhawks turned into 38
points. ULM also dominated the glass outrebounding the Ladies 48-34, including a
24-15 advantage on the offensive end, which led to 38 second-chance points.
Cierra Bush led Centenary with a game-high 16
points. Anna Farrell added 13 points and nine rebounds, while Ashley Jackson
had 12 points and seven rebounds.
After opening the second half hitting on just
one of their first seven shots, the Warhawks connected on five of their next
six attempts ? including a pair of Carrier 3-pointers ? to stake a 52-44 lead
with just over 11 minutes to play.
The hot shooting turned into a 25-7 run to
give the Warhawks a 65-48 lead with 8:06 to play in the game.
ULM had a balanced rebounding effort with
five players pulling down four or more rebounds in the game. Moore and junior Shannon Davis paced the
Warhawks with seven each, while sophomore Sannisha Williams grabbed six boards.
Williams finished the game with nine points,
while freshman Sumar Leslie had eight points, six steals and five assists.
A pair of Bush free throws closed out a 25-10
Centenary run to give the Ladies the lead, 41-40, for the first time since a 5-3
advantage two minutes into the game. It
would also be the last time Centenary held the lead.
The Warhawks broke a 13-13 tie with a 17-3
run midway through the opening half. Carrier, Leslie and sophomore Kassie
Courtney all hit 3-pointers during the run as the Warhawks jumped out to a
30-16 lead with 5:09 to play.
Centenary closed the half on a 17-8 spurt cutting
the ULM lead down to a manageable five points, 38-33, at intermission.
The Warhawks continue their four-game road
trip to open the season this weekend at the Third Fifth Classic in Huntington,
W. Va. ULM opens the tournament against Morgan State (3-0) on Friday at 5 p.m.
and will play either Tennessee State (1-1) or Marshall (2-0) on Saturday.
