Game 9: Stephen F. Austin (5-3) vs. ULM (4-4)
Saturday, Dec. 15 | 2 p.m.
Monroe, La. | Fant-Ewing Coliseum (7,000)
ULM Basketball Notes: Game 9 vs. SFA
HOLIDAY TICKET PROMOTION: YOUTH DAY
Youth 18 and under will receive a free general admission ticket to the Saturday, Dec. 15 game against Stephen F. Austin. Following the game, children 12 and under will be permitted on the court to shoot free throws for 30 minutes.
STORYLINE: Fresh from its 72-67 victory over Grambling State Tuesday, ULM (4-4) continues its four-game homestand against Stephen F. Austin (5-3) on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. The Warhawks have won two of their last three games.
ULM's starting lineup features four double-figure scorers, in 6-foot-1 guard Daishon Smith (17.6 points per game; 19 3-pointers), 6-6 forward Travis Munnings (13.6 ppg., 7.1 rpg.), 6-4 guard JD Williams (12.5 ppg.), and 6-2 guard Michael Ertel (11.6). Munnings, Williams and Ertel all rank among the Sun Belt's Top 20 scoring leaders.
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 34 percent of ULM's scoring (65 3-pointers made; 195 of 568 points) in 2018-19. The Warhawks have attempted at least 20 3-pointers in five of their first eight 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 scoring defense (second at 68.0 points per game), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (second at .290), 3-point field-goal percentage (third at .395), field-goal percentage defense (third at .407), free-throw percentage (third at .735), assist-to-turnover ratio (fourth at 1.0), 3-point field goals made (fifth at 8.1 per game) and turnover margin (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 72, Grambling State 67 (Dec. 11, 2018, in Monroe, La.): Daishon Smith and Travis Munnings combined for 35 points to lead ULM to a 72-67 non-conference victory over Grambling State Tuesday in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. ULM never trailed while extending its series winning streak to eight-straight games over the Tigers.
Back-to-back baskets by Munnings, who finished the fast break with a dunk off a nifty pass from Smith and followed with a short hook shot right of the lane, gave the Warhawks a 7-2 lead. Grambling State (4-6) converted four-straight free throws – two each from Ivy Smith Jr. and Zavier Peart – to cut its deficit to 7-6 with 14:29 to play in the opening half. JD Williams buried a 3-pointer from the left wing to spark a 13-3 run as ULM (4-4) built a 13-point advantage at 26-13 with 4:13 left in the first half. The Tigers outscored the Warhawks, 7-2, over the final 3:54 to pull to within 28-20 at the intermission.
ULM limited to Grambling State to 25 percent (5-of-20) shooting from the field in the first half, including just 1-of-6 from 3-point range.
Nigel Ribeiro drove the right side of the lane for a layup and knocked down a jumper just inside the top of the circle as the Tigers closed the gap to 28-24 early in the second half. ULM responded with a 15-2 spurt and built its largest lead at 17 points, 43-26, as Munnings connected on a 3-pointer from the top of the circle with 14:34 remaining in the second half. Grambling State put together a 14-6 run and cut its deficit to 59-53 on a jumper by Dallas Polk-Hilliard with 6:37 to play. The Warhawks scored six-straight points and pushed their lead back into double digits at 66-55 as Michael Ertel broke the press down the left side of the floor and finished with a layup high off the glass with 4:26 left in the game. The Tigers went on a 7-0 run and rallied to within 66-62 as Polk-Hilliard grabbed a loose ball in the lane for a layup with 2:17 on the clock. ULM hit 6-of-8 free-throw attempts over the final 1:59 to ice the game.
Smith scored 13 of his game-high 19 points in the second half to pace the Warhawks. Munnings finished with 16 points while Ertel and Williams each contributed 11 points. Andre Washington added nine points and matched his career high with 11 rebounds.
ULM shot 37 percent (20-of-54) from the floor, including 7-of-24 (29 percent) from behind the 3-point arc.
Polk-Hilliard, who hit 6-of-12 field-goal attempts and collected a career-high 11 boards, led Grambling State with 18 points. The Tigers also got 12 points each from Ivy Smith and Devante Jackson.
Grambling State outrebounded ULM, 41-31.
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN SCOUTING REPORT –
Stephen F. Austin, the preseason favorite (received 23 of 26 first-place votes) to win the Southland Conference title, is off to a 5-3 start under third-year head coach Kyle Keller. The Lumberjacks won four of their first five games but have lost two out of their last three outings, with a win over Milwaukee (66-51) sandwiched between losses to San Francisco (76-58) and Louisiana Tech (96-93 in overtime).
Coach Keller welcomed back three starters from last year's 28-7 team, which won the Southland Conference Tournament Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
SFA's starting lineup features three double-figure scorers, in 6-foot-3 guard Shannon Bogues (16.7 points per game), 6-6 guard Kevon Harris (12.5 ppg.) and 6-8 forward Davonte Fitzgerald (12.3 ppg).
Bogues was selected Southland Conference Player of the Week after hitting nine 3-pointers and scoring a season-high 33 points in the overtime loss to Louisiana Tech. He ranks among the conference leaders in scoring (second), 3-point field-goal percentage (second at .423), 3-pointers made (third at 2.75 per game) and assists (fourth at 4.5 pg.).
Harris, who has scored in double figures in six games including the last four in a row, recorded a double-double against Milwaukee with 15 points and 10 rebounds. He leads SFA and ranks seventh in the Southland Conference in rebounding, averaging 6.5 per game.
Fitzgerald netted a career-high 32 points against Louisiana Tech, connecting on 10-of-19 field-goal attempts including 5-of-11 3-pointers.
SFA ranks among the SLC leaders in 3-point field-goal percentage (third at .367), rebound margin (third at +4.3 pg.), blocked shots (third at 4.1 pg.), field-goal percentage (fourth at .453), assists (fourth at 14.0 pg.), 3-point field goals made (fifth at 7.3 pg.) and free-throw percentage (sixth at .685).
ULM/STEPHEN F. AUSTIN SERIES NOTES –
Saturday's game marks the 53rd meeting between ULM and Stephen F. Austin. The Warhawks lead the all-time series 31-21 (.596), including a 19-7 record (.731) in games played in Monroe, La. The Lumberjacks have won seven out of the last 10 meetings; however, eight of those games have been decided by nine points or less.
WARHAWKS vs. SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE TEAMS –
The Warhawks have compiled a 358-232 record (.607) against current members of the Southland Conference (1-0 vs. Abilene Christian, 3-1 vs. Central Arkansas, 18-8 vs. Houston Baptist, 24-26 vs. Lamar, 61-56 vs. McNeese, 9-4 vs. New Orleans, 54-17 vs. Nicholls, 74-50 vs. Northwestern State, 19-19 vs. Sam Houston State, 62-30 vs. Southeastern, 31-21 vs. Stephen F. Austin and 2-0 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi).
ULM faces its second opponent from the Southland Conference this season, in Stephen F. Austin. On Nov. 27, the Warhawks posted an 80-52 victory at Northwestern State.
The Warhawks previously competed as a member of the Southland Conference for 24 seasons, from 1982-83 through 2005-06.
THE LAST MEETING –
Stephen F. Austin 68, ULM 65 (Dec. 2, 2017, in Nacogdoches, Texas): Aaron Augustin hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Stephen F. Austin a 68-65 win over ULM in William R. Johnson Coliseum. The tightly contested game featured 12 ties and seven lead changes.
Trailing 13-8 in the first half, ULM put together an 11-0 run to turn a five-point deficit into a six-point lead at 19-13 on Marvin Jean-Pierre's 3-pointer with 7:09 left in the opening half. ULM held SFA scoreless during that 5:46 stretch. Jean-Pierre (nine points) and Travis Munnings (eight) combined for 17 first-half points as the Warhawks held a 31-27 lead at the intermission.
SFA (7-1) opened the second half with an 11-1 spurt and took a 38-32 lead on Leon Gilmore III's jumper in the lane with 16:56 remaining. ULM answered with a 13-1 run of its own and built a 45-36 lead on a trey by Sam McDaniel with 12:00 left. The Lumberjacks responded with a 16-3 spurt and moved out to a 55-48 advantage on TJ Holyfield's 3-pointer with 6:12 to play. The Warhawks scored seven-straight points and pulled even at 57 on a tip-in by Jean-Pierre with 3:25 left.
There were four ties in the final 3:25. Munnings connected on a 3-pointer to tie the game at 65-65 with 25 seconds left. SFA called timeout with 11 seconds remaining to set-up a final shot. Shannon Bogues missed a 3-point attempt from the left wing and the ball was batted back to Augustin, who was standing behind the top of the circle, and he buried the wide open 3-pointer as time expired.
Jean-Pierre led three Warhawks in double-figure scoring with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, including 2-of-4 from three-point range. Munnings hit 6-of-11 shots from the floor, including 2-of-3 from behind the three-point arc, and finished with 16 points and a team-high eight rebounds. McDaniel had 14 points and seven rebounds before fouling out with 1:21 left in the game.
ULM (3-4) outrebounded the Lumberjacks, 33-31. The Warhawks connected on 8-of-17 (.471) three-point field-goal attempts, including 5-of-9 (.556) in the second half.
SFA placed five players in double figures, including Holyfield who scored 14 of his game-high 24 points in the second half. Holyfield hit 8-of-9 field-goal attempts, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. Gilmore netted 10 of his 11 points in the second half. The Lumberjacks outscored ULM in the paint, 26-16.
