MONROE, La. – The ULM women's basketball team took the first steps toward the fall opener early this week as the team convened for the first practice of the season.
The Warhawks will open play on Nov. 9 with a road trip to Fort Worth, Texas, to square off against TCU. The Horned Frogs lead the all-time series 3-1 and earned a victory in the last meeting between the two teams with a 65-44 showing in 2009. ULM's lone victory in the series came in 1981 with a 102-66 romp inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
Head Coach Mona Martin returns for her 19th season at the helm of the program and the staff remains completely intact from the 2012-13 campaign as well. Eun Jung Ok will serve as associate head coach and is in her 24th year with the program after a highly-decorated playing career. Gerline Guillaume and Keith Ferguson will be back as assistant coaches, while Tim Gibson will serve as the team's graduate assistant for operations.
On the court, the Warhawks return all five of their starters from last season and nearly 95 percent of the team's scoring. Ashleigh Simmons led the squad with 12.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, becoming a double-double machine in the latter half of the year with five in her final nine games and a season-high 27 points for ULM against UL-Lafayette on March 2.
Alexar Tugler (10.8) and Jasmine Shaw (10.3) also averaged double digits in points, and Alayshia Hunter provided a defensive spark off the bench, recording just under one block per game.
More updates will follow as the Warhawks continue fall practices leading up to the season throughout the month of October.
