MONROE, La. – For the second time this season, the ULM women's basketball team held UT Arlington to under 40 percent shooting from the field as the Warhawks collected their second win in a row, this time a 56-51 victory over the Lady Mavericks on Thursday night in Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
Two weeks prior to Thursday's game, the Warhawks (7-10, 3-5 SBC) limited UTA (9-8, 3-5 SBC) to just 38.9 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from the three-point range as they came back from a halftime deficit to capture a victory. Tonight, the ULM defense held the Lady Mavericks even lower as the visitors scored just 31.7 percent from the field and 17.4 percent from beyond the arc.
“There's a lot more confidence in this team,” said head coach Jeff Dow. “Confidence was huge in winning this game. I think another thing that was critical was that even when they took the lead and we had our offensive struggles, we kept defending and rebounding. They lead never got away from us. A one-point deficit didn't become five or six. For this team, this program and where we are at right now, this win is huge.”
Daja Chase led ULM with 12 points and five rebounds on the night, while Sharnice Brooks chipped in nine points and five rebouns.
Christina Gray, Alayshia Hunter and Chelsea Tieuel each garnered five points. Gray also grabbed five rebounds.
Rebekah Van Dijk scored a game-high 20 points to lead the Lady Mavericks.
UTA's Amara Wainwright opened the scoring for the evening as she hit a three-point shot, but Chase hit two from the charity stripe to cut the lead to one (3-2) with 16:42 left in the half.
The Lady Mavericks continued to try to gain a bigger lead, but the Warhawks battled hard and never let the advantage stretch beyond three points.
Chase's jumper, followed quickly by a three-pointer from Journee Beard, gave the home team their first lead of the game with 12:00 remaining in the half.
The Warhawks extended the advantage to six points (17-11) as Gray and Brooks hit back-to-back baskets with 6:57 before the break.
The Lady Mavericks cut the lead to two, but ULM used four free throws in a row to re-gain their six point lead (21-15) with 3:04 remaining in the half.
The Warhawks took their largest lead of the game as Hunter was fouled on a jumper with three seconds left in the half. The junior sank the and-one to give ULM a nine point advantage, 26-17, heading into the locker room.
ULM stretched the lead out immediately out of the break as Chase sank a layup for a 28-17 lead.
UT Arlington then used a 14-2 run to re-gain the lead, but Hunter's layup gave the home team a 34-33 advantage with 13:34 remaining.
The lead changed four more times before Wharton's free throws stretched the Warhawks' lead to four (43-39).
The Lady Mavericks then scored five points in a row to take the lead with 5:10 remaining, but Gray hit two free throws with 2:22 left to take the lead back for the Warhawks (47-46).
UT Arlington hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to just two, but Ashley Aune drove through the lane and hit a clutch layup to extend the lead, swinging the momentum back towards the home team.
After the Lady Mavericks missed a three-point attempt on the other end, Chase was fouled and sank both free throws to give UULM a 54-48 lead with 30 seconds left.
UTA threatened the comeback as Chaun Williams scored a three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining, but Tieuel hit two from the charity stripe to seal a 56-51 victory for the Warhawks.
ULM take the court again on Saturday when they face Georgia Southern in Fant-Ewing Colisuem at 2:00 p.m.
