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ULM Concludes Five-Game Road Swing at Ole Miss

ULM Concludes Five-Game Road Swing at Ole Miss

Men's Basketball Dec 01
Game 7: ULM (3-3) vs. OLE MISS (4-2)
Saturday, Dec. 1 | 1 p.m.
Oxford, Miss. | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500)
 

ULM Basketball Notes: Game 7 vs. Ole Miss
 
STORYLINE: Fresh from its 80-52 victory at Northwestern State, ULM (3-3) concludes its five-game road swing at Ole Miss (4-2) on Saturday, Dec. 1, with tipoff set for 1 p.m. on SEC Network+.
 
ULM's starting lineup features four double-figure scorers, in 6-foot-1 guard Daishon Smith (20.0 points per game; 14 3-pointers), 6-4 guard JD Williams (12.8 ppg.), 6-6 forward Travis Munnings (12.7 ppg., 8.3 rpg.) and 6-2 guard Michael Ertel (12.7). The Warhawks made a season-high 15 3-pointers (28 attempts) in Tuesday's win at Northwestern State.
 
THE STARTING FIVE –
• ULM's 2018-19 schedule features eight games against opponents that appeared in the 2018 postseason, including four NCAA Tournament participants (Texas, Michigan State, Stephen F. Austin and Georgia State) and two National Invitation Tournament participants (LSU and ULL). In total, ULM will play 10 games against opponents that won 20 or more games last season.
 
• Ninth-year ULM head coach Keith Richard welcomes back four lettermen, including double-figures scorers Travis Munnings and Michael Ertel, from last year's team that finished 16-16 overall, fifth in the Sun Belt (9-9) and participated in the CollegeInsiders.com Tournament. It marked ULM's third trip to postseason play in the last four years. Munnings, a preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year candidate, led ULM in scoring (15.9 points per game) and rebounding (7.3 per game) in 2017-18, while Ertel was named the conference's Freshman of the Year after ranking third on the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game.
 
ULM's 2018-19 roster also features eight newcomers, including Wichita State transfer Daishon Smith.
 
• Three-point field goals have accounted for 35 percent of ULM's scoring (51 3-pointers made; 153 of 436 points) in 2018-19. The Warhawks have attempted at least 20 3-pointers in three of their first six games.
 
In 2017-18, ULM set a school single-season record with 288 3-pointers made (previous record: 287 made, 2006-07).
 
• ULM ranks among the Sun Belt leaders in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (tied for first at .268), field-goal percentage defense (second at .387), 3-point field-goal percentage (second at .405), free-throw percentage (second at .748), scoring defense (third at 65.7 points per game), 3-point field goals made (fifth at 8.5 per game), scoring margin (fifth at +7.0 points per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (sixth at 1.0).  
 
• ULM is 11-1 in its last 12 games when shooting 50 percent or better from the field (dating back to the 2017-18 season), with its only loss came in the regular-season finale against Arkansas State (.509).
 
THE LAST TIME OUT –
ULM 80, Northwestern State 52 (Nov. 27, 2018, in Natchitoches, La.): Daishon Smith, who had missed ULM's last three games with a hamstring injury, returned to starting lineup Tuesday night (Nov. 27) and poured in a career-high 26 points to lead the Warhawks to an 80-52 victory at Northwestern State. Smith hit 8-of-13 3-point field-goal attempts, collected five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 28 minutes.
 
ULM (3-3) put together an 8-0 spurt early in the first half and took a 10-point lead at 17-7 as Tyree White made two free throws with 12:46 left. JD Williams buried a 3-pointer from the top of the circle to spark a 14-4 run as the Warhawks built a 38-19 lead on Michael Ertel's trey from the right corner with 4:04 to play in the opening half. ULM led by 18 points at the intermission, 44-26, behind Smith's 17 first-half points on 5-of-9 shooting from behind the 3-point arc.
 
The Warhawks shot 56 percent (14-of-25) from the field in the first half, including 10-of-16 from 3-point range. ULM's bench outscored NSU's reserves, 14-2, in the first 20 minutes.
 
ULM broke the game open by outscoring NSU, 14-4, during a 5:36 stretch in the second half. Brandon Newman's steal and dunk pushed the Warhawks' lead to 30 at 64-34 with 11:47 remaining in the game. Another Newman dunk, this one off a steal by Williams, gave ULM its largest lead at 80-42 with 5:57 left on the clock.
 
Williams, who started the first five games of the season, came off the Warhawk bench to contribute 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, a block and three steals in just 20 minutes. ULM also got 11 points and five assists from Jontray Harris. The Warhawks recorded 17 assists on 28 field goals made.
 
LaTerrance Reed led NSU (2-5) with 14 points, followed by DeAndre Love who added 10.
 
The Demons shot 30 percent (19-of-64) from the floor against the Warhawks, including just 6-of-28 from 3-point distance.
 
OLE MISS SCOUTING REPORT –
Ole Miss is off to a 4-2 start under first-year coach Kermit Davis, who spent the previous 16 seasons at Middle Tennessee where he led the Blue Raiders to seven postseason appearances, including three trips to the NCAA Tournament. The Rebels are 3-0 at home, including Wednesday's 93-86 victory over San Diego. The only losses for Ole Miss this season have come at Butler (83-76) and against Cincinnati (71-57) in the Emerald Coast Classic in Destin, Fla.
 
The Rebels' starting lineup features three double-figure scorers, in 6-foot-2 guard Breein Tyree (17.5 points per game), 6-4 guard Terence Davis (14.7 ppg.) and 6-2 guard Devontae Shuler (11.2 ppg.). Tyree (22) and Davis (20) combined for 42 points against San Diego as five Rebels scored in double figures. Ole Miss shot 61 percent (33-of-54) from the field against USD.
 
ULM/OLE MISS STATE SERIES NOTES –
Saturday's game marks the 20th meeting between ULM and Ole Miss. The Rebels lead the all-time series, 15-4, including a 13-3 record in games played in Oxford. Ole Miss has won 12-straight games in the series. ULM's last win in the series came on Dec. 3, 1990, 68-67, in Oxford.
 
ULM PICKED FOURTH IN PRESEASON SUN BELT COACHES POLL –
Ninth-year ULM head coach Keith Richard welcomes back four lettermen from last year's team that finished 16-16 overall, tied for fifth in the Sun Belt (9-9) and participated in the CollegeInsiders.com Tournament. It marked ULM's third trip to postseason play in the last four years. The Warhawks, who were picked to finish 12th in the 2017-18 preseason poll, got off to a 1-6 start in conference play, but ULM won eight of its last 11 league games to climb into a tie for fifth place in the final standings.
 
Sun Belt head coaches have voted ULM to finish in a fourth-place tie with Troy (89 points each) in their preseason poll. Georgia State is the preseason favorite to win the league championship after receiving all 12 first-place votes and the maximum 144 points, followed by Georgia Southern and ULL, which tied for second with 125 points each.
 
"I really like this basketball team, especially our athleticism and versatility," Richard said. "Our expectations are high for the upcoming season, but with so many newcomers on the roster, I also understand it will take some time for this team to gel. Our goal is to steadily improve throughout the season, so that we're playing meaningful games in late February and early March. The only standings that truly matter are the ones at the end of the regular season."

 
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