LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- ULM
pushed out to an early lead on the road, but UALR used a strong second-half
performance to cruise to an 83-58 victory on Saturday evening inside the Jack
Stephens Center.
The Trojans (6-3, 2-0 SBC) used a string of runs in the second half to
wear down the Warhawks, who were playing with just nine scholarship players. The
Trojans shot 50 percent and knocked in seven 3-pointers after halftime.
ULM (0-4, 0-1 SBC) shot 38.9 percent for the game and struggled at the free-throw
line, converting just 7 of 17. Junior forward Jayon James led ULM with 15 points and four assists, while junior
guard Marcelis Hansberry came off
the bench to score 14 points. Sophomore guard Trent Mackey added nine points, including three 3-pointers.
UALR opened the second half on an 8-2 spurt to open up a 41-28
advantage at the 16:31 mark. The Warhawks responded with back-to-back
3-pointers from James and Mackey to cut deficit to seven. That is as close as
ULM would get in the second half as UALR scored eight straight points,
including four from Ben Dillard, to
build a 53-38 advantage with 11:43 remaining in the game.
The Trojans extended their lead to as many as 26 in the final minutes. Dillard
led the Trojans with 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting. James White added 14 points and Will Neighbour contributed 13 points, six rebounds and two assists
for UALR.
James scored five points and junior forward Millaun Brown added four points early as ULM pushed out to a 13-6
advantage in the first four minutes of the game. The Warhawks continued to lead
until Dillard hit his second 3-pointer of the half to give UALR a 21-20 edge
with 6:51 remaining before halftime.
The Trojans stretched its lead to 29-23 with an 11-3 spurt, capped by a
free throw from Taggart Lockhart
with 2:51 to play in the first half.
ULM got a tip-in basket from James off a miss from Brown in the final
seconds of the half to cut the Trojan lead to 32-27 at the break.
The Warhawks have a nine-day break before returning home to face
Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
