MONROE, La. – Sannisha Williams scored 17 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season to lead ULM past North Texas 76-65 Thursday night in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. The Sun Belt Conference victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the Warhawks.
A 17-3 run by the Warhawks over the final eight minutes of the first half proved too much for the Mean Green to overcome in ULM's highest scoring performance since its 83-63 win against Florida Atlantic on Dec. 29. ULM held the Mean Green scoreless during the last five minutes of the half as it went on a 10-0 spree featuring baskets by Elizabeth Torres, Larrie Williams and Marion Zollicoffer to give the Warhawks a 13-point advantage 37-24 at halftime.
Three other Warhawks joined Williams in double-figures as Torres scored a season-high 15 points and a team-high three assists while Kassie Courtney and Larrie Williams each had 11 points. As a team, ULM shot 45.3 percent from the field.
Kellum, the reigning
Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week, had a game-high 19 points for
the Mean Green. Brittney Hudson scored 18 points while Kasondra Foreman
contributed 11 points and a team-high three assists. Ash'Lynne Evans
grabbed eight boards for North Texas. As a team, North Texas was
outrebounded by ULM 43-38 and shot 38.7 percent from the field.
ULM (9-10, 3-3 SBC) dominated North Texas in the paint scoring 46 points to 32 while the Warhawks also took the advantage in scoring off turnovers with 22 points to the Mean Green's 11.
ULM's 13-point advantage entering the second half made the difference as both teams were nearly even in scoring, 41-39, after the break. The Warhawks took their biggest lead of the game 54-36 off back-to-back free throws by Torres at the 11:11 mark and did not allow the Mean Green to come closer than nine points the entire second half.
North Texas (5-15, 2-5 SBC) made a late 8-2 run over the last two minutes of play as a free throw by Denetra Kellum put the Mean Green within nine 74-65 with 22 seconds remaining. A final layup by Ashleigh Simmons ended the game, ULM winning 76-65.
ULM took an early 10-4 lead over the first four minutes of the first half with six quick points by Priscilla Mbiandja before North Texas used a 9-4 run to take the lead for the first time 15-14 with 12:11 left. A defensive battle began from there featuring four lead changes in four minutes before the Mean Green's Desiree Nelson sank a 3-pointer to give North Texas a 21-20 lead with 8:01 before the break.
ULM will begin a two-game road swing when it travels to face in-state SBC rival UL-Lafayette Saturday at 2:p.m. followed by a trip to Arkansas State Wednesday at 7 p.m.
