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Hooper Sets Record as Men?s Basketball Drops Heartbreaker at Louisiana-Lafayette

Hooper Sets Record as Men?s Basketball Drops Heartbreaker at Louisiana-Lafayette

Men's Basketball Feb 21
LAFAYETTE, La. – Junior forward Tommie Sykes scored a career-high 27 points but the ULM men's basketball team fell, 73-71, on Saturday night (Feb. 20) at Louisiana-Lafayette. In the contest, senior guard Tony Hooper recorded the 203rd career steal of his career, breaking the all-time ULM record. Hooper entered the game tied with Anthony Jones (1988-91) with 202.

Senior guard Dynile Forbes added 12 points for the Warhawks.

Louisiana-Lafayette (13-14, 10-6 Sun Belt) held a slim lead early until a five-point burst by the Warhawks gave ULM its first advantage, 13-11, on a pair of free throws by Sykes with 14:15 to play in the first half. A triple by the Ragin' Cajuns gave the hosts back the lead, but four-straight points by Sykes swung the lead back to ULM. Sykes scored 10 points in the first seven minutes of the contest.

After Louisiana-Lafayette reclaimed a two-point lead, ULM (11-17, 6-11 Sun Belt) used an 11-3 burst to take a six-point lead, 28-22, with seven-and-a-half minutes left in the half. Hooper started the spurt with a pair of baskets before junior forward Lawrence Gilbert scored the final five, capping the run with a trifecta from the left wing.

Louisiana-Lafayette made a push to end the first half and took a one-point lead into the intermission, 39-38. Sykes led the Warhawks with 12 points at the break. Louisiana-Lafayette was led by 14 points from Randell Daigle. The Ragin' Cajuns made eight three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes which featured eight ties and 10 lead changes.

Early in the second half, Louisiana-Lafayette used an 8-2 run to take a 49-43 lead two-and-a-half minutes into the second stanza. ULM pulled back within a pair, but the Ragin' Cajuns responded with an 8-0 run, taking a 10-point lead, 57-47, with 12:27 to play in the second half, forcing a ULM timeout.

Still trailing by 10, the Warhawks used an 11-3 run to pull back within a pair, 63-61, with just under eight minutes to play. Hooper's record-breaking steal came during the run as he created the takeaway near mid-court and set up Sykes for an alley-oop jam.

Trailing by six, 70-64, ULM went on a 7-0 run to take a 71-70 lead with 2:47 to play. Sykes scored the first four of the run before a triple from Forbes gave the Warhawks the lead.

Louisiana-Lafayette scored the next three points, all from the free-throw line, to take a 73-71 lead and hang on for the victory.

Tyren Johnson led Louisiana-Lafayette with 27 points.

The Warhawks will return home next Saturday (Feb. 27) when they host North Texas in the final game of the regular season. Game time against the Mean Green is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Sun Belt Network.
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