MONROE, La. ? Brandon Davis didn't miss while scoring a career-high 30 points to lead South Alabama to a 90-57 win over the ULM men's basketball team Thursday night inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, La.
Davis was 11-for-11 from the floor while teammate Domonic Tilford scored 22 points and DeAndre Coleman added 12 points of his own. Both Davis and Coleman finished with a double-double in the game.
An eight-minute cold stretch at the end of the first half and into the second without a field goal doomed the Warhawks. ULM (5-10, 1-3 Sun Belt) stayed cold throughout the game and shot just 27.3 percent from the floor and hit on only five field goal attempts in the second period.
South Alabama (10-6, 3-2 Sun Belt) shot 64.3 percent from the floor and took control from the start of the second half.
“They just came in here and flat-out beat us,” head coach Orlando Early said. “They were better in every area of the game, and when that happens you get a game like we did tonight.”
Sophomore Lawrence Gilbert and junior Jarvis Hill led the Warhawks with 16 and 14 points, respectively. The Warhawks made more 3-point field goals than 2-pointers as they made 10-of-21 from downtown.
Gilbert was on fire early as he connected on his first four 3-point attempts and scored 14 of his 16 points in the opening frame as the Warhawks trailed by just five, 42-37, at the halftime break.
The score remained close throughout the first half despite South Alabama shooting 60.7 percent from the floor. The two squads traded leads eight times in the first half as neither squad could seize momentum. Neither team led by more than five.
ULM struggled late in the first stanza, not able to score a field goal in the last four minutes. The Warhawks kept it close by connecting on 11-of-12 free throws and out rebounding the Jaguars 16-14.
South Alabama came out strong to start the second half, going on a 17-4 run to open up its lead to 59-41 with 15:36 to play. The lead would continue to grow as ULM could not mount a rally. The Warhawks mustered just 20 second half points.
The Warhawks will be back in action this weekend in Denver, Colo. for a Sunday afternoon tilt with Sun Belt foe Denver. The first game of a doubleheader is scheduled for 2 p.m.
