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ULM Wraps Up Non-Conference Schedule at LSU

ULM Wraps Up Non-Conference Schedule at LSU

Men's Basketball Dec 27
Game 12: ULM (7-4) vs. LSU (9-3)
Friday, Dec. 28 | 7 p.m.
Baton Rouge, La. | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,215)
 

ULM Basketball Notes: Game 12 vs. LSU
 
STORYLINE –
Following four-straight home-court wins, ULM (7-4) travels to Baton Rouge Friday, Dec. 28 to face LSU (9-3) in its final non-conference game of the regular season (7 p.m. tipoff). The Warhawks are averaging better than 80 points per game during their current winning streak. Overall, ULM has won five of its last six games.
 
ULM's starting lineup features four double-figure scorers, in 6-foot-1 guard Daishon Smith (18.0 points per game; 25 3-pointers), 6-6 forward Travis Munnings (14.5 ppg., 6.6 rpg.), 6-2 guard Michael Ertel (13.1) and 6-4 guard JD Williams (12.7 ppg.).
 
THE STARTING FIVE –
• At 7-4, ULM has matched its best 11-game start since the 1999-2000 season (team coached by Mike Vining). The Warhawks finished the 1999-2000 campaign with an overall record of 19-9, including a 13-5 mark in the Southland Conference standings (second place).
 
• During its four-game winning streak, ULM is averaging 80.2 points per game while shooting 46 percent (100-of-217) from the field, including 42 percent (41-of-97) from behind the 3-point arc. In addition, the Warhawks have limited their opponents to 64.0 points per game while shooting at a 40-percent clip (90-of-226) from the floor, including 33 percent (27-of-82) on 3-pointers. ULM also has a turnover margin of +5.8 per game during the winning streak.
 
The Warhawks have gotten off to a quick start in all four games, outscoring their opponents, 153-105, in the first half. ULM has built halftime leads of eight points against Grambling (28-20), 13 against Stephen F. Austin (40-27), 17 against Nicholls State (49-32) and 10 against Coppin State (36-26).
 
• With last Friday's 80-63 victory over Coppin State, Keith Richard reached two coaching milestones by recording his 100th win at ULM and his 250th career win.
 
• ULM leads the Sun Belt and ranks No. 11 in NCAA Division I in 3-point field-goal percentage (.406). The Warhawks also rank among the league leaders in scoring defense (second at 66.6 points per game), field-goal percentage defense (second at .404), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (second at .301), free-throw percentage (second at .743), assist-to-turnover ratio (second at 1.1), 3-point field goals made (tied for fourth at 9.0 per game), turnover margin (fourth at +2.0) and scoring margin (fourth at +7.6 ppg.).
 
• Three-point field goals have accounted for 36 percent of ULM's scoring (99 3-pointers made; 297 of 817 points) in 2018-19. The Warhawks have attempted at least 20 3-pointers in seven of their first 11 games.
 
In 2017-18, ULM set a school single-season record with 288 3-pointers made (previous record: 287 made, 2006-07).
 
THE LAST TIME OUT –
ULM 80, Coppin State 63 (Dec. 21, 2018, in Monroe, La.): Keith Richard may or may not have even known he was approaching a milestone win Friday night as ULM's head basketball coach. But add 'em up and sure enough, ULM's 80-63 victory over Coppin State was the 100th for Richard as coach of the Warhawks.
 
"I'm really happy about the win," Richard said. "The other thing, it's right in the middle of the season, so I haven't even really thought about it to be honest with you. But it makes you hesitate for a minute and realize you've been doing it a long time. I'm appreciative and happy that I'm able to do it at my alma mater."
 
The victory pulled double duty as No. 250 overall, including the 150 Richard collected as Louisiana Tech's head coach. He's had a hand in plenty more too as a player and assistant coach for ULM.
 
"I don't think people in college basketball realize the job he's done here," said former LSU coach Trent Johnson, who came to watch his former assistant in action. "Obviously, he's loyal to this institution because he played here. I'm biased, but I've been around a little bit. He's as good a basketball coach as there is. He's one of those guys who gets the most out of his players and the most out of his team."
 
Late in the game, ULM event staff members distributed "100" placards to fans, so they could hold them up and commemorate the occasion. As he reaches a benchmark, let's also take a moment to appreciate Richard's contribution here.
  
Now in his ninth season, Richard earned his first ULM 100 the hard way. He inherited a program crippled by NCAA APR sanctions and spent his early years back on campus addressing academics.
 
"No one could have done what he's done," former ULM head coach Mike Vining said. "Most people probably wouldn't have taken it, and if they had taken it, they'd have left as soon as they could. He's a lot like me. He's doing what he wants to do where he wants to do it."
 
With a clean bill of health in the classroom, the product on the court improved and Richard posted back-to-back 20-win seasons. Through it all, Richard's approach was to always keep grinding, no matter the odds.
  
"One of the best things I took away from Coach Richard is never get too high after a win and never get too low after a loss," said former point guard Nick Coppola, who weighed in via text on Friday night. "The next game is as important as the last game. I think you can apply that to a lot of aspects of life. I'm so happy Coach is getting his 100th win, and look forward to watching many more come."
      
The win over Coppin State was ULM's fourth in a row on a four-game homestand and boosted the season record to 7-4. Travis Munnings, who is Richard's longest-tenured player, knocked down a career-high eight three-pointers and scored a career-best 32 points to lead the way.
 
"I think that was really special for him," Munnings said. "He really puts in the work for us to be good. He tries to give us the right scouting reports and the right things to be successful on the court. I'm happy for him and proud for him to reach the 100 mark."
 
Coppin State put a decent effort for a team that fell to 0-13 on the season. Lamar Morgan scored 19 points and the visitors hung around into the second half.
 
But Richard was excited about his current team as the season dawned and it's starting to make his forecast a good one. As advertised, the Warhawks are a fun to watch this season with more scoring options, more athleticism and added star power with the arrival of quicksilver guard Daishon Smith, who added 19 points.
 
"I'm super happy about my team," Richard said. "That was a grind game. They're not all going to be pretty. We're not going to jump out to double-digit leads like we've done the last three games. We had to gut this one out."
 
And that in a nutshell it describes Richard's body of work at ULM.
 
LSU SCOUTING REPORT –
Following back-to-back losses to Florida State (79-76 in overtime) and Oklahoma State (90-77), LSU (9-3) has won four of its last five games, with the only setback coming at Houston, 82-76. The Tigers are a perfect 7-0 in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center this season.
 
LSU's playing rotation features four double-figure scorers, in 6-foot-4 guard Skylar Mays (13.5 ppg., 24 3-pointers), 5-11 guard Tremont Waters (12.6 ppg.), 6-10 forward Naz Reid (12.1 ppg., 5.3 rpg.) and 6-4 guard Ja'vonte Smart (10.3 ppg.). Mays has scored in double figures in 10 of 12 games, including a season-high 20 points against Oklahoma State (8-of-11 FG shooting, including 4-of-7 3-pointers). Waters leads the SEC in steals (2.8 per game) and ranks sixth in assists (5.2 pg.). Reid has posted double figures in seven games, including a season-high 29 points against UNC Greensboro (11-of-14 FG shooting including 4-of-6 3-pointers).
 
The Tigers lead the SEC in steals (9.8 per game) and rank among the league leaders in free-throw percentage (third at .745), field-goal percentage (fourth at .487), offensive rebounding (tied for fourth at 11.8 pg.), turnover margin (fifth at +1.7 pg.), scoring offense (sixth at 80.7 ppg.) and scoring margin (seventh at +10.6 ppg.).
 
ULM/LSU SERIES NOTES –
Friday's game marks the seventh meeting between ULM and LSU. The Tigers lead the all-time series 6-0, with all of the games played in Baton Rouge.
 
The last meeting between ULM and LSU came five seasons ago (Dec. 14, 2013). Jordan Mickey set game highs with 25 points and nine rebounds to lead the Tigers to a 61-54 victory.
 
ULM trailed by 18 points (61-43) with 4:33 left in the second half, but the Warhawks scored the final 11 points of the game. Marvin Williams, who hit 7-of-10 field-goal attempts, led ULM with 14 points. The Warhawks also got 12 points from Tylor Ongwae and 11 from Amos Olatayo.
 
ULM/LSU COACHING CONNECTION –
Prior to becoming head coach at ULM, Keith Richard spent two seasons (2008-10) as an assistant coach under Trent Johnson at LSU. In his first season on Johnson's coaching staff, the Tigers went 27-8, won the SEC regular-season championship (13-3) and advanced to the second round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, losing to eventual National Champion North Carolina.
 
A Baton Rouge native, Richard attended Redemptorist High School where he became a three-year starter and two-time all-state selection as a junior and senior. He helped lead Redemptorist to back-to-back Class 3A state championships in 1976-77 and 1977-78.
 
ULM TOUGH TO BEAT WHEN SHOOTING 50 PERCENT OR BETTER FROM THE FIELD –
ULM is 13-1 in its last 14 games when shooting 50 percent or better from the field, with its only loss coming in the 2017-18 regular-season finale against Arkansas State (.509). The Warhawks are a perfect 4-0 when hitting 50 percent or better from the floor in 2018-19, with wins over Millsaps (.516), Northwestern State (.509), Nicholls State (season-best .559) and Coppin State (.500).
 
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."
 
RICHARD WELCOMES BACK TWO ALL-SUN BELT SELECTIONS –
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.
 
2018-19 SCHEDULE NOTES –
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.
 
WARHAWK STAT LEADERS –
Double-figure scoring games (36): Michael Ertel 8, JD Williams 8, Travis Munnings 7, Daishon Smith 7, Jontray Harris 3, Brandon Newman 1, Andre Washington 1, Tyree White 1. Opponents: 32.
 
20-point games (9): Travis Munnings 3, Daishon Smith 3, Michael Ertel 2, JD Williams 1. Opponents: 4.
 
30-point games (1): Travis Munnings 1. Opponents: None.
 
Double-figure rebounding games (6): Andre Washington 3, Travis Munnings 2, Jontray Harris 1. Opponents: 8.
 
Double-doubles: None. Opponents: 6.
 
Games leading ULM in scoring: Travis Munnings 4, Daishon Smith 4, Michael Ertel 2, JD Williams 1.
 
Games leading ULM in rebounding: Travis Munnings 4, Andre Washington 4, JD Williams 2, Jontray Harris 1, Tyree White 1.
 
Games leading ULM in assists: Travis Munnings 4, Daishon Smith 4, Michael Ertel 3, Brandon Newman 3, Jontray Harris 2, JD Williams 1.
 
 
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