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ULM Faces Nicholls; Looks to Remain Unbeaten at Home

ULM Faces Nicholls; Looks to Remain Unbeaten at Home

Men's Basketball Dec 18
Game 10: Nicholls State (5-5) vs. ULM (4-4)
 Monroe, La. | Fant-Ewing Coliseum (7,000)
Tuesday, Dec. 18 | 7 p.m.

ULM Basketball Notes: Game 10 vs. Nicholls
 
HOLIDAY PROMOTION: TOY DRIVE
Bring a new, unwrapped toy to the Dec. 18 game against Nicholls State and receive a free reserved seat ticket ($15 value). Donated toys will be distributed to children in the local community by the Salvation Army.
 
STORYLINE: Fresh from back-to-back wins over Grambling State (72-67) and Stephen F. Austin (74-58), ULM (5-4) continues its four-game homestand against Nicholls State (5-5) on Tuesday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. The Warhawks have won three of their last four games.
 
ULM's starting lineup features four double-figure scorers, in 6-foot-1 guard Daishon Smith (17.0 points per game; 21 3-pointers), 6-4 guard JD Williams (13.2 ppg.), 6-6 forward Travis Munnings (13.0 ppg., 6.7 rpg.), and 6-2 guard Michael Ertel (12.7).
 
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 36 percent of ULM's scoring (78 3-pointers made; 234 of 642 points) in 2018-19. The Warhawks have attempted at least 20 3-pointers in six of their first nine games.
 
In 2017-18, ULM set a school single-season record with 288 3-pointers made (previous record: 287 made, 2006-07).
 
• ULM leads the Sun Belt in 3-point field-goal percentage (.386) and ranks among the league leaders in scoring defense (second at 66.9 points per game), field-goal percentage defense (second at .402), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (second at .291), free-throw percentage (second at .745), 3-point field goals made (fourth at 8.7 per game), assist-to-turnover ratio (fifth at 1.0) and turnover margin (tied for fifth 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 74, Stephen F. Austin 58 (Dec. 15, 2018, in Monroe, La.): Michael Ertel and JD Williams combined for 40 points to lead ULM to a 74-58 non-conference victory over Stephen F. Austin Saturday, Dec. 15 in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. The Warhawks led from start to finish while remaining unbeaten at home (3-0) this season.
ULM (5-4) scored the first 11 points of the game and built its largest lead of the game at 23-5 as Williams finished the fast break with an emphatic dunk with 12:01 to play in the opening half. SFA (5-4) put together a 7-0 spurt to cut its deficit to 10 points at 31-21 on Davonte Fitzgerald's 3-pointer from the top of the circle with 4:56 remaining. Behind 16 first-half points from Ertel, the Warhawks enjoyed a 40-27 halftime lead.
 
ULM shot 48 percent (13-of-27) from the field in the first 20 minutes, including 7-of-17 from 3-point range, while the Lumberjacks went 9-of-33 (27 percent) from the floor, including just 2-of-9 3-pointers.
 
SFA outscored ULM, 11-3, over the first 4:10 of the second half to pull to within 43-38 on Fitzgerald's 18-foot jumper from just inside the top of the circle. The Lumberjacks closed the margin to four points at 50-46 on a 3-pointer by Shannon Bogues from the left wing with 11:15 left. Back-to-back 3s from Williams and Daishon Smith sparked a 6-0 run as ULM regained control at 61-49 with 7:59 remaining in the game.
 
Ertel hit 8-of-16 field-goal attempts, including 5-of-9 3-pointers, en route to a season-high 21 points. His five 3s represent a career high.
 
Williams scored 12 of his 19 points in the second half and collected a career-high nine rebounds.
 
ULM also got 14 points and a career-best seven assists from Smith.
 
Three Lumberjacks scored in double figures, led by Bogues who finished with 18 points, followed by Kevon Harris who added 17 and Fitzgerald who tossed in 16.
 
ULM outscored SFA, 19-12, from the free-throw line, and after being outrebounded, 20-18, in the first half, the Warhawks finished even on the glass, with each team grabbing 35 boards.
 
NICHOLLS SCOUTING REPORT –
After getting off to a 2-4 start, Nicholls (5-5) posted three-straight wins before losing at Boston University (75-63) Saturday.
 
The Colonels' starting lineup features two double-figure scorers, in 6-foot-2 guard Jeremiah Jefferson (17.0 ppg., 33 3-pointers) and 6-3 guard Gavin Peppers (13.2 ppg.). Jefferson has six 20-point games this season, including a 24-point performance at Louisville (7-of-14 3FG shooting).
 
Nicholls leads the Southland Conference in 3-point field goals made, averaging 9.5 per game. Three-point field goals have accounted for 40 percent of NSU's scoring this season. The Colonels have connected on 10 or more 3-pointers in four games, including a season-high 16 treys at Washington State.
 
ULM/NICHOLLS SERIES NOTES –
Tuesday's game marks the 72nd meeting between ULM and Nicholls. The Warhawks lead the all-time series 54-17 (.761).
 
WARHAWKS vs. SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE TEAMS –
The Warhawks have compiled a 359-232 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, 32-21 vs. Stephen F. Austin and 2-0 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi).
 
ULM faces its third opponent from the Southland Conference this season, in Nicholls. The Warhawks won the two previous games against Southland opponents this season: at Northwestern State (80-52) and vs. Stephen F. Austin (74-58).
 
The Warhawks previously competed as a member of the Southland Conference for 24 seasons, from 1982-83 through 2005-06.
 
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