The Storylines
• ULM is aiming to avenge a 56-44 road loss to Little Rock back on Jan. 9. The Warhawks fell behind early and were unable to come back, even with an 11-0 run that spanned the third and fourth quarters. The 23 points allowed in the second half remain the second-lowest the defense has allowed in league play.
• ULM boasted a 35-24 rebounding advantage that last game against the Trojans, capping off a six-game streak of beating its opponent on the boards. Little Rock has been beaten by only one other Sun Belt team in that category (31-26 at UTA) and leads the league with a +6.9 rebounding margin in SBC games.
• The Warhawk defense also comes in with some more recent positives. ULM held UL Lafayette to one three-pointer in 12 attempts on Tuesday. It was the lowest by an opponent since Appalachian State was 1-for-16 last Valentine's Day in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. ULM has allowed just 30 makes on 121 tries dating back to the Jan. 14 game at Georgia State, excluding Texas State's 7-for-8 third quarter on Jan. 30.
• ULM also had 10 steals at Appalachian State, its most in a Sun Belt game since having 10 against UT Arlington on Jan. 8, 2015.
• Alayshia Hunter is 13 points away from becoming ULM's 18th member of the 1,000-point club. The Killeen, Texas, native has scored 13 or more in every game but four this year.
• Tip-off is set for 5:15 p.m. Fans are encouraged to wear white to the game.
The Opponent
Little Rock comes into the night with five straight wins by an average of 22 points. The Trojans rebounded from a 10-point loss at Texas State to beat UT Arlington and then sweep the Georgia and Alabama schools. They are yielding a league-low 52.8 ppg in conference play and rank fourth in the conference for three-point percentage while taking the fewest attempts. Shanity James (13.8 ppg and 6.8 rpg) ranks in the Sun Belt's top-10 for league games-only.
The Series
The Warhawks are looking to reverse the fortunes of a 3-21 all-time record against Little Rock. ULM's last win in the series was a 58-54 outcome in 2012 at home, and it also had back-to-back wins from 2005-06, one of those on the road.
Last Warhawk-Trojan Contest
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – ULM posted an 11-0 run that spanned the second and third quarters, but the first half deficit was too much to overcome in a 56-44 loss to the defending Sun Belt champion Little Rock Trojans on Saturday night.
“In my short time in the league, and I mean no disrespect to the rest of the league, but they are the best half-court man-to-man defensive team in the Sun Belt,” head coach Jeff Dow said. “They are physical and they do a great job at disrupting your timing and your cuts.”
The big ULM run started with a big contribution from Daja Chase, the squad's player of the night. She got an Emery Wilson free-throw miss rebound in mid-air and hit the put-back, and the Trojans were called for a foul while diving for a loose ball. Andreanna Jackson sent her team into the locker room with momentum as she drilled a triple from NBA range right before the buzzer.
It all came after the Warhawks (6-7, 0-4 SBC) faced their largest deficit of the game, 19 points with 1:15 remaining in the half.
Last ULM Game
BOONE, N.C. -- Alayshia Hunter and Aundrea Davis combined for 31 points, but Appalachian State built an eight-point lead in the first quarter and eventually won 64-52 over the visiting Warhawks on Saturday afternoon.
Davis, Chelsea Tieuel and Ashley Aune had three-pointers to begin the game. ULM trailed 11-9 at the 5:30 mark of the opening quarter, but the Mountaineers scored seven of the next eight points to take an 18-10 lead at the intermission.
Appalachian State maintained between a six- and 12-point lead through the second quarter. Davis had two big flashes at the halfway point. She picked up a steal and fastbreak, left-handed layup while taking contact on a double-team, and then got another swipe on the ensuing possession and two more points after a give-and-go with Daja Chase.
The third quarter saw the Mountaineers post an 18-11 margin. Tieuel's three-pointer made it a 44-34 contest with 2:24 left in the period, but six straight App points sent the home team to the fourth quarter with a 50-34 lead, its largest of the game.
Following the Game
Live Stats: ULM.StatBroadcast.com
Radio: 1680 AM
Video: Warhawks All-Access
Twitter: @ULM_WBB
