MONROE, La. – It has been a long 10 days for the ULM women's basketball team but in 24 hours, the Warhawks will suit up for the last time in 2018 as they close out the year with Arkansas-Monticello right at home in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. The Warhawks and the Cotton Blossoms will face off on Sunday, Dec. 29 with tip-off scheduled for 2 p.m.
Admission is free for all fans.
ULM (5-5) suffered its third consecutive loss on Wed., Dec. 19, falling 68-60 at Houston Baptist. After winning back-to-back road games (against UNO and Northwestern State), the Warhawks have lost two straight road games (at Southeastern La., and Houston Baptist). Sunday's match will be ULM's five home game of the season, in which they are 3-1 after a final-second, 55-54 loss to Nicholls State (Dec. 14).
Heading into its final non-conference tilt of the season, the Warhawk defense stacks up well statistically with the rest of the Sun Belt Conference. ULM ranks first in scoring defense (59.3 points per game) and blocks (4.7 per game) and second in field goal percentage defense (36.5) and three-point field goal percentage defense (25.1).
The Warhawks will have to rely on strong defense against the Cotton Blossoms, as they average 65 points per game to ULM's 59 point average. ULM is pulling down more boards, approximately four more than UAM per match-up. The Warhawks average less steals than the Blossoms through 10 games, but are posting 4.7 blocks per game to UAM 1.6 shots defended.
Arkansas-Monticello (3-6) is led by junior forward MacKenzie Johnson. Johnson averages 19.7 points per game while shooting nearly 70 percent from the field (71-of-102, 69.6%). Johnson is second on the team in rebounding at 4.8 per game. Johnson has scored in double figures in eight of nine games for UAM, including a season-high 32 points vs. Southeastern Baptist.
Sunday's game is the ninth all-time meeting between the two schools, and the first since Dec. 2010. ULM won the last two meetings, 74-47 on Jan. 3, 2009, and 75-48 on Dec. 11, 2010. UAM last beat ULM 95-82 on Dec. 2, 1994. Out of the eight previous meetings, five have been in Monroe with the other three in Monticello.
LOOKING AHEAD: HawkTalk with ULM head women's basketball coach
Jeff Dow and head men's basketball coach
Keith Richard airs Mondays beginning January 7th from 12-1 p.m. on SportsTalk 97.7, live from Geaux Wings (3600 Desiard Street, Suite 4, in Monroe). Warhawk women's basketball play-by-play announcer
Mike Hammett and men's basketball play-by-play announcer
Nick White serve as hosts for this live show that features insight from the two head coaches along with phone calls.
