MONROE, La. – The ULM men's basketball program dropped a 57-53 decision to Georgia Southern to close out the weekend on Saturday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
Legendary former head coach Mike Vining was honored at halftime with the raising of a “402” banner which represents the total number of regular season and postseason victories at ULM over 24 seasons at the helm. To read the full release, click here.
Senior Tylor Ongwae posted a double-double with 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore Nick Coppola also reached double-figures with 10 points.
The Warhawks (12-8, 6-3 SBC) were neck-and-neck with the Eagles (13-4, 6-2 SBC) the whole way, but couldn't overcome a cold shooting night from beyond-the-arc as they went 2-19 (.105).
Eric Ferguson led GS with a game-high 19 points. Jelani Hewitt pitched in with 15 points including a trio of three-pointers.
An early seven points from junior Majok Deng got ULM ahead, 14-8 in the first half. The Eagles came back with a 10-0 run to take an 18-14 lead, forcing a ULM timeout at the 7:48 mark.
ULM was still down 24-21 when it went on a 6-0 run, including a fast-break lay-up by junior Mack Foster, to go up 27-24 with 1:03 remaining. GS scored the final five points of the half, capped a three-pointer in the closing seconds by Ferguson, to take a 29-27 edge into the intermission.
The Warhawks trailed 38-35 in the second half when the Eagles made a jumper and three-pointer to go up 43-35 with 9:55 to go. A jumper by junior Jamaal Samuel and a big dunk by Ongwae forced GS to call timeout with a 43-39 lead at the 9:13 mark.
After the Eagles pushed their lead back up to nine, 52-43, ULM answered with lay-ups from Samuel, Williams and junior Justin Roberson to make it a 52-49 game with 3:31 left. GS was able to close it out with big baskets from Ferguson and Mike Hughes in the closing minutes.
The Warhawks will be back in action on Thursday when they travel to Troy for a 7:30 p.m. tip. ULM returns home next Saturday to face South Alabama at 4:00 p.m. at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
NOTES
- ULM moved to 8-2 all-time against Georgia Southern and 4-1 at home. It was the first-meeting since Feb. 27, 1982 when the schools were members of the Atlantic Sun Conference
- The Warhawks are now 8-2 at home this season and 398-170 all-time in Fant-Ewing Coliseum
- Ongwae notched his 37th career double-figure scoring game and the 13th this season. It was the eighth time this year he led the team in scoring. Ongwae tallied his third double-double of the season and sixth of his career
- Coppola registered his 18th career double-figure scoring game and the ninth of the season
- Deng, who came in as the team's leading rebounder and shot blocker, pulled down seven boards and rejected a pair of shots
- The Warhawks outrebounded the Eagles, 38-29. ULM also held a 30-22 edge in the paint and 11-0 in second chance points
- It marked the fifth game in nine days for ULM
- The 2898 in attendance was the largest on the season at Fant-Ewing Coliseum
- ULM remained as the only team in the SBC that has not allowed 75 points in a single game this season
