MONROE, La. – Priscilla Mbiandja collected her third
double-double of the season and Jordan Rawson had a career-high 10 rebounds on
Senior Night to lead the ULM women's basketball team to a 70-55 victory over in-state
and Sun Belt Conference rival UL-Lafayette Saturday night in Fant-Ewing
Coliseum. With the win, the Warhawks end the regular season with a 15-14 record
and a 9-7 mark in Sun Belt play.
All three seniors made huge contributions on the floor as Mbiandja
fell two points and one rebound shy of matching her season-highs with a
game-high 17 points and 10 rebounds on the night after going 5-for-10 from the
field including a 6-for-9 performance from the free throw line. Mbiandja also
added a team-high three steals.
Senior Rawson grabbed seven rebounds in the second half to
eclipse her career-high of eight rebounds and also contributed a team-high-tying
two blocks. Senior Sannisha Williams fell just one rebound shy of her sixth
double-double of the season as she collected nine rebounds and 10 points in
6-for-12 performance from the field. Elizabeth Torres contributed a game
second-best 15 points and a team-high six assists.
As a team, ULM nearly doubled the Ragin' Cajuns in rebounding
with 60 rebounds compared to 39 by UL-Lafayette. The Warhawks also outshot them
36.6 percent compared to 26.8 percent.
After the Ragin' Cajuns forced a tie 38-38 with 14:40 to
play in the second half, a layup and two free throws by Mbiandja sparked an unanswered 10-point
spree by the Warhawks including six points by Mbiandja to take a 48-38
advantage with 12:07 left in the game.
UL-Lafayette's Lyndra
Bell made two shots from the charity stripe to end the run before ULM continued
on with a 10-6 spree for its biggest lead of the game 58-45 with 5:55 to play.
The Ragin' Cajuns mounted a 9-4 run to answer the Warhawks
and trail by eight (62-54) at the 2:05 mark. ULM would hold UL-Lafayette to
just one point during the final two minutes of the game as Alexar Tugler,
Elexar Tugler and Williams each scored to seal the 70-55 victory for the
Warhawks.
UL-Lafayette grabbed an early 4-2 lead to begin the first
half before ULM responded with three-straight baskets to take a 9-4 advantage
at the 17:14 mark. A 7-4 run by the Ragin' Cajuns brought them within two points
13-11 before the Warhawks used a 6-0 streak including baskets by Torres and
Mbiandja to take its biggest lead of the half 19-11 with 11:55 to play.
The Warhawks maintained their advantage for much of the
first half with an even 8-8 run over six minutes to lead 27-19 with 5:49 left
before the break. UL-Lafayette started to close in with a 6-1 spree to trail 28-25
at the 2:15 mark before Nicole Tucker answered with a 3-pointer to extend ULM
out to a 31-25 lead.
The Ragin' Cajuns came back with an unanswered three baskets
over a minute and a half to force just the second tie of the game 31-31 with 39
seconds remaining before halftime. A Mbiandja basket from downtown would end
the half with the Warhawks leading 34-31.
ULM took a 4-2 start to the second half to lead 38-33 before
a free throw by Jasmine Barnes sparked a 5-0 run for the Ragin' Cajuns to knot
the score 38-38 with 14:31 to play.
Three Ragin' Cajuns scored in the double-digits for the
night as Mercedes Johnson, D'Mya Clay and Barnes each contributed 10
points. Johnson, Clay and Krystal Motley grabbed a team-high five rebounds
while Motley and Johnson each also had a team-high two assists.
With the conclusion of the
regular season against UL-Lafayette, the Warhawks will begin postseason play
next Saturday when they travel to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the
first round of play against an opponent still to be determined.
