NATCHITOCHES, La. - Jesse Carrier scored a
career-high 27 points on Friday night, as the ULM women's basketball team took
a 68-57 victory over Northwestern State inside Prather Coliseum.
Carrier rebounded from a pair of sub-par
shooting performances to begin the season, as she finished a perfect 7-for-7 at
the free throw line and 2-for-2 from behind the 3-point arc. ULM ended the contest
with a 12-5 scoring run over the final five minutes, after falling behind by as
many as eight points in the second half.
"I spent a lot of time in the gym this week,"
Carrier said. "We came out strong tonight and played hard when things weren't going
our way. We played as a team and my teammates kept their faith in me."
Sannisha Williams recorded her fifth career
double-double, 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Larrie Williams tallied 12
points on 6-of-7 shooting off the ULM (2-1) bench. Elizabeth Torres finished
with four points, six rebounds, and five assists.
"I saw a different side of our team tonight
that I am very pleased with," ULM head coach Mona Martin said. "I thought we
stayed composed during the second half when were down. The bench was a big part
of our team tonight, especially Larrie Williams and Jordan Rawson."
Jessica McPhail led Northwestern State (1-2)
with 14 points, while Anna Cate Williams recorded 13 points and finished with three
steals. Sherrion Thomas hauled in seven rebounds and Brittiany Houston scored
nine points.
ULM jumped out to a 9-4 lead in the first
five minutes behind a 3-pointer and jumper from Carrier. Northwestern State
answered with a pair of buckets in the paint to cut the Warhawks lead to one,
9-8, with 12:32 to play in the opening half.
On the ensuing possession, Carrier was fouled
on a 3-point attempt and sent to the free throw line. At the charity stripe she
converted the unconventional three-point play to extend the Warhawks lead back
to four, 12-8. During the next 10 minutes both teams exchanged buckets until
the Lady Demons ended the half with a 9-0 run over a two-minute span.
Northwestern State took a 33-28 lead into the
locker rooms at the intermission. Williams led the Lady Demons at the half with
10 points, while Carrier paced the Warhawks with 15 points.
In the opening period, Northwestern State
converted on 12-of-14 free throws, compared to ULM's 4-of-5 performance at the charity
stripe. The Warhawks were whistled for 15 fouls to the Lady Demons seven.
After Northwestern State opened the second
period with a jumper and three throw, ULM responded with a 7-0 run to get within one,
36-35. The Warhawks run included three free throws from Priscilla Mbiandja, her
first points on the game.
During a 6:36 stretch in the middle portion
of the second half, Carrier scored 10-of-15 Warhawk points, to give ULM a 54-53
advantage with just over six minutes to play in the contest.
McPhail knocked down a wide open 3-point play
from the right wing to knot the score at 56-56 with 5:08 to play, before
Sannisha Williams began a Warhawk 8-0 run with a six-foot jumper in the paint.
Williams also added a pair of three free throws and another jumper, as ULM took
a 64-56 lead with 1:51 remaining.
ULM will open its home portion of the
schedule on Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. against Centenary. The contest is the first
portion a doubleheader with the Warhawk men's team, as they host Grambling
State at 7:30 p.m. Both games will be played inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
