Michael Ertel drive vs Texas 2018
Brendan Maloney
55
Louisiana Monroe ULM 2-1
65
Winner Texas UT 3-0
Louisiana Monroe ULM
2-1
55
Final
65
Texas UT
3-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Louisiana Monroe ULM 29 26 55
Texas UT 30 35 65

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Short-Handed ULM Falls at Texas, 65-55

AUSTIN, Texas – Kerwin Roach II and Dylan Osetkowski combined to score 25 points to lead Texas to a 65-55 victory over ULM Monday, Nov. 12 at the Frank Erwin Center. Roach netted a team-high 13 points while Osetkowski finished with a double-double, with 12 points to go along with 10 rebounds.
 
There were eight ties and nine lead changes in the game, as ULM played without its leading scorer and 3-point shooter Daishon Smith (17.0 points per game; 6-of-8 3-pointers), who suffered a hamstring injury in last Saturday's game against Millsaps College.
 
ULM (2-1) led for nearly nine minutes in the first half. Travis Munnings scored seven-consecutive points as the Warhawks jumped out to a 9-3 lead with 14:56 left in the first half. The Longhorns put together a 12-0 spurt and built a seven-point lead at 18-11 on a 3-pointer from Jase Febres with 9:15 to play in the opening half. The Warhawks responded with an 11-0 run and took a 22-18 lead on a layup by Munnings with 4:33 remaining. Texas outscored ULM, 10-2, over the next two minutes to move out to a 28-24 advantage on a dunk from Jaxson Hayes with 2:26 on the clock. Munnings buried a 3-pointer from the right wing and connected on a 17-foot jumper from the left wing as the Warhawks cut their deficit to one at the intermission, 30-29.
 
Munnings led all scorers with 15 first-half points, hitting 6-of-12 shots from the field including 2-of-5 from 3-point range.
 
There were five ties and four lead changes in the first 7:23 of the second half. ULM tied the score at 43-43 on two free throws from Michael Ertel with 12:37 remaining in the game.
 
A 3-pointer from the top of the circle by Elijah Mitrou-Long sparked a 16-0 run as Texas (3-0) raced out to a 59-43 lead with 6:26 to play in the second half. During the decisive stretch, ULM missed seven consecutive field-goal attempts and committed three turnovers.
 
The Longhorns shot 50 percent (15-of-30) from the floor in the second half. For the game, Texas held a 20-4 scoring advantage in points off turnovers.
 
"We really competed for most of the game," ULM head coach Keith Richard said. "We had a good first half. Obviously, Travis had a big first half, and he was the reason we were in the position we were at halftime. But he didn't score in the second half, and with Daishon Smith out, we just didn't have enough offensive firepower. But I'm really proud of our team. We had an in-depth scouting report, and they followed it.
 
"We held Texas to 35 points in the second half. So, regardless of what the shooting percentage says, we did a pretty good job defensively. We just needed more offense. Texas went to a zone in the second half and that bothered us, especially during that one stretch. In the locker room, I told the players I take some of the blame for that because we needed to move the ball quicker against the zone. With their size and length, they could almost guard two players at one time. We got the ball inside against the zone but couldn't do anything with it. Texas is too long and too athletic. We needed to fire up a bunch of 3s to give us a chance, but this was a good learning experience.
 
"We handled the press much better in the second half," Richard continued. "We struggled early in the first half against their pressure and had some turnovers that led to layups at the other end. We made a few adjustments at the half and did such a nice job against it that we actually forced them out of the press in the second half."
 
Ertel led all scorers with a game-high 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, including 2-of-5 from behind the 3-point arc. Munnings went scoreless in the second half (0-for-7 from the floor) and finished with 15 points. JD Williams scored in double figures for the first time in a Warhawk uniform, netting 10 points.
 
"Mike (Ertel) had a hard time getting around those 6-3, 6-4 perimeter defenders because they're so long," Richard said. "He usually can get around defenders with his herky-jerky game. He had to make some tough shots – some mid-range fall-aways – and he did. Texas had its best defender on him at times tonight, but Mike played well in this game.
 
"JD showed some flashes in the second half tonight, driving the ball to the basket. He has the ability to become an extra scorer."
 
Despite a huge height disparity, ULM was only outrebounded by one, 36-35. Andre Washington grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds to pace the Warhawks.
 
"A big emphasis was placed on rebounding because Texas is so big in the frontcourt," Richard said. "For the most part, we did an excellent job of rebounding, especially against that kind of size. I really thought the game could get away from us with the rebounding battle, but our players listened and competed. Our rebounding effort kept us in the game, and obviously, Andre played a big part in that."
 
ULM plays its second of five-straight road games on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at No. 11 Michigan State, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. CT.
 
"Michigan State is a different style team than Texas," Richard said. "This team really puts pressure on its opponents because of the way they run. They really push the basketball on both missed and made buckets. The Breslin Center has a tremendous atmosphere, so we're looking forward to competing in that environment. We'll put together a game plan to give ourselves a chance."
 
 
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