ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. - The ULM women's basketball team opened up its practice schedule on Sunday (Sept. 29) in preparation for the upcoming season. The Warhawks will feature a nearly even mix of returners and newcomers when it opens the 2018-19 season on Nov. 9, on the road in Dallas against Southern Methodist.
 
The Warhawks will open the 29-game slate with eight players returning from the 2017-18 squad, while six newcomers join the team for the new season. Among those six newcomers, fifth-year head coach Jeff Dow will work with four freshmen and two transfers.
 
"I am extremely pleased with our progress just in the past few days on the court," said Dow. "With the help of EJ [Smith], Josh [Cooperwood] and Chelsia [Lymon] we've developed practices and drills designed to improve on those specific skills we struggled with last year."
 
 "All 15 young ladies are back at practice, energy is high, and the team chemistry is building more and more every day we spend together. The returners are doing a great job at making the newcomers feel welcome and getting the freshmen adjusted to their new schedule."
 
Among the top returners for the Warhawks will be sophomore Arsula Clark. The 5'9" guard from Douglasville, Ga., is the leading returning scorer for ULM. Clark was second on the team in scoring in 2017-18 at 10.4 points per game, but led the team in rebounds (5.9), assists (80), steals (43) and blocked shots (22). Clark started 25 of 30 games for the Warhawks as a freshman. Clark was also selected as the Louisiana Sports Writer's Association Freshman of the Year for her accolades.
 
"Having Arsula back with us this season will give us a huge advantage when we start the season," Dow said. "She's a tremendous competitor and means so much to our team with her ability to impact the game in so many different ways. We're anticipating Arsula creating more assist opportunities for herself while still being a consistent contributor scoring and rebounding the ball."
 
Destini Lunsford and Whitney Goins are also returning starters for the Warhawks. Lunsford, a 5'7" junior guard, and Goins, 6'0" sophomore guard/forward, averaged 3.9 points each for ULM last year. Lunsford and Goins connected on nearly 33% of their three-point attempts last year, while Goins pulled in 2.0 rebounds per game to 1.9 for Lunsford.
 
Alexus Johnson returns for her senior season. The 5'11" guard played in 19 games last season with three starts, while posting 3.3 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. Johnson also connected on 34.6% of her three-point attempts on the season.
 
Lauren Marker and Tiara Malone also return at the guard spots. Marker, a 5'6" senior, played in 20 games and averaged five minutes per outing. Malone, a 5'9" redshirt-freshman, did not see any playing time last year as a freshman for the Warhawks due to an injury.
 
Inside, the Warhawks return sophomore center Diamond Brooks. The 6'2" post averaged 3.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game as a freshman while swatting 15 shots, tied for second best on the team. Brooks appeared in all 30 games for ULM while making 11 starts. She'll be joined by senior forward Logan Oestreich. The 6'0" forward played in 22 games, making one start last season, while averaging 2.5 points and 1.1 rebounds per outing.
 
The Warhawks will turn to a pair of junior college transfers to provide an immediate boost.
 
Amber Thompson is a 5'9" junior guard from Walters State Community College. Thompson posted 6.9 points per game for the Lady Senators last season, while pulling in 3.6 rebounds and dishing out 2.0 assists per game. Thompson played in all 35 games, starting 25, for the Lady Senators in their run to the NJCAA Division I national quarterfinals.
 
Lauren Fitch is a 5'6" junior point guard from Itawamba CC. Fitch averaged 13.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the Indians last season. Fitch was named first-team All-State and All-Region, and was an All-Star MVP.
 
"Both Amber and Lauren have already shown their ability to contribute to the program," said Dow. "Their experience at the community college level has helped them grow as athletes and provide a great deal of depth and quickness to the roster."
 
The Warhawks will be joined by four incoming freshmen, with a focus inside. Marlaina Spearman (5'10", Round Rock, Texas), Sheniqua Coatney (6'2", Shreveport, La.), Breauna DeLon (6'0", San Antonio, Texas) and Jamie Means (6'1", Denton, Texas) will look to provide depth in the post.
 
Full fall schedule to be released on Thursday, October 4 at ULMWarhawks.com. Follow the Warhawks on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at ULM WBB for live in-game updates, schedule changes, and to stay in-tune to all things Warhawk women's basketball.