ULM Warhawks

ULM (15-14, 9-9) vs. ARKANSAS STATE (11-20, 6-12)

Sun Belt Championship

Wednesday, March 7 | 7:30 p.m. CT

New Orleans, La. | Lakefront Arena (8,785)

 

ULM Basketball Notes: Game 30 vs. Arkansas State
 

ULM OPENS SBC WITH REMATCH VS. A-STATE –

Four days after losing to Arkansas State (83-79) on Senior Day, No. 6 seed ULM (15-14, 9-9) earns a first-round rematch against the No. 11 seed Red Wolves (11-20, 6-12) in the Sun Belt Championship on Wednesday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. in Lakefront Arena in New Orleans.

 

A-State swept the regular-season series against ULM, winning the Sun Belt opener, 75-64, in Jonesboro and 83-79 in Monroe last Saturday.

 

THE STARTING FIVE –

• ULM, picked to finish 12th in the Sun Belt preseason poll, got off to a 1-6 start in conference play, but the  Warhawks won eight of their last 11 league games to climb into a tie for fifth place (9-9) in the final standings.

 

• ULM junior forward Travis Munnings (second team) and senior guard/forward Sam McDaniel (third team), who combine to average nearly 32 points and 13 rebounds per game, were named All-Sun Belt, as selected by the league's head basketball coaches and media panel. In addition, guard Michael Ertel was selected Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. The trio of Munnings, McDaniel and Ertel combine to average 43 points per game, accounting for 62 percent of ULM's scoring.

                                         

• ULM's starting lineup features four double-figure scorers, in Travis Munnings (16.2 points per game), Sam McDaniel (15.7 ppg.), Michael Ertel (11.5 ppg.) and Marvin Jean-Pierre (10.3 ppg.) . Three of those four players rank among the Sun Belt's Top 30 in scoring: Munnings (10th), McDaniel (12th) and Ertel (24th).

• ULM ranks among the Sun Belt leaders in 3-point field goals made (second at 9.1 per game), assist-to-turnover ratio (second at 1.2), 3-point field-goal percentage (third at .365), scoring defense (third at 68.6 ppg.), assists (third at 14.0 pg.), turnover margin (third at +1.5 pg.) and free-throw percentage (fifth at .716).

• Three-point field goals account for 38.7 percent of ULM's scoring (264 3-pointers made; 792 of 2,038 points). The Warhawks have attempted at least 20 3-pointers in 22 of 29 games.

ULM's 264 3-pointers made in 2017-18 are the second-highest single-season total in school history (school record: 287 made, 2006-07).

ULM/ARKANSAS STATE SERIES NOTES –

Wednesday's Sun Belt Championship first-round game marks the 65th meeting between ULM and Arkansas State. A-State leads the all-time series, 39-25. The Red Wolves have won eight of the last 12 meetings, with three of the last seven games decided in overtime.

 

A-State swept the regular-season series against ULM, winning the Sun Belt opener, 75-64, in Jonesboro and 83-79 in Monroe last Saturday. The Warhawks are 1-0 all-time in Sun Belt Championship games played against the Red Wolves, winning a 2017 first-round match-up, 73-70, in overtime.

 

THE REGULAR-SEASON RECAPS –

A-State 75, ULM 64 (Dec. 29, 2017, in Jonesboro, Ark.) – Grantham Gillard and Deven Sims combined for 36 points to lead Arkansas State to a 75-64 win over ULM in the Sun Belt opener for both teams in First National Bank Arena. The Red Wolves rallied from an 11-point first-half deficit by scoring 18 points off turnovers and outscoring ULM, 25-1, from the free-throw line.

 

The Warhawks jumped out to a 15-8 lead on a jumper by Travis Munnings with 13:50 left in the first half. Munnings hit four of his first five field-goal attempts, including two 3-pointers, and accounted for 10 of ULM's first 15 points. A-State put together an 11-4 run midway through the first half and tied the score at 25-25 on Tamas Bruce's layup with 7:06 remaining. A trey from Jordon Harris sparked a 13-2 spurt and the Warhawks built their largest lead at 41-30 as Sam McDaniel buried a 3-pointer from the right corner with 1:29 to play in the opening half. ULM made its last five field-goal attempts over the final 6:40, but A-State scored five-straight points to cut its halftime deficit to 41-35.

 

ULM (6-6) shot 55 percent (17-of-31) from the field in the first half, including 70 percent (7-of-10) from behind the 3-point arc, and outrebounded A-State, 19-11. The Red Wolves stayed within striking distance by scoring 10 points off ULM's seven first-half turnovers and outscoring the Warhawks, 12-0, from the charity strip in the opening 20 minutes.

 

A-State (6-8) opened the second half with a 12-6 run and managed to tie the score at 47-47 as Sims converted 1-of-2 free-throw attempts. The Red Wolves used a 13-0 spurt to take an 11-point lead at 60-49 on two free throws by Bruce. ULM went scoreless for 8:15 as the Warhawks misfired on seven-straight field-goal attempts and committed four turnovers during A-State's decisive run. Munnings sat for 5:04 of that stretch with four fouls. The Warhawks pulled to within seven points at 69-62 on a Munnings' 3-pointer from the right baseline, but A-State iced the game by hitting six-straight free throws over the final 1:03.

 

Munnings made 9-of-13 shots from the floor, including 3-of-4 3-pointers, and finished with a game-high 22 points. Harris scored 11 points and recorded five assists. McDaniel, who also was sidelined for extended minutes with four fouls, contributed eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

 

ULM outrebounded the Red Wolves, 38-27, with 13 of those boards coming off the offensive glass.

 

Four A-State players scored in double figures, led by Gillard who hit 4-of-8 3-pointers and netted a game-high 19 points. The Red Wolves also got 17 points from Simms, 15 from Ty Cockfield and 10 from Bruce.

 

A-State 83, ULM 79 (March 3, 2018, in Monroe, La.) – Despite scoring 47 second-half points and erasing an 18-point halftime deficit, ULM dropped its home finale to Arkansas State, 83-79, last Saturday in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. A-State's 83 points matched the most points allowed by the Warhawks this season.

 

The Red Wolves hit their first three 3-point field-goal attempts to jump out to a 9-0 lead. Ty Cockfield scored a layup off an inbounds pass from Marquis Eaton to give A-State an 11-1 advantage with 17:05 left in the first half. ULM answered with a 7-0 spurt to pull to within 11-8 on Marvin Jean-Pierre's 3-pointer from the right wing with 15:24 on the clock. The Red Wolves, who led throughout the first 20 minutes, outscored the Warhawks, 11-2, over the last 3:15, and Rashad Lindsey's fall-away jumper from the right elbow gave A-State an 18-point halftime lead at 50-32.

 

Cockfield (14) and Tristin Walley (13) combined for 37 first-half points to pace the Red Wolves. Arkansas State (11-20, 6-12 Sun Belt) shot 61 percent (17-of-28) from the field in the opening half, including 8-of-12 3-pointers (67 percent). Five different A-State players made a 3 in the first half.

 

ULM (15-14, 9-9) hit 41 percent (11-of-27) of its field-goal attempts in the first half, including just 2-of-12 (17 percent) from 3-point range.

 

The Warhawks opened the second half with a 14-4 run and cut their deficit to 54-46 on Jordon Harris' 3-pointer from the right corner with 15:11 remaining. Eaton scored on a layup and hit a runner in the lane as A-State pushed its lead back to 13 at 61-48 with 12:03 left. Harris buried another 3 from the left corner to spark an 11-2 spurt, and ULM took its first lead of the game at 64-63 on Michael Ertel's 3-pointer from the right baseline with 8:13 to play. There were eight lead changes and three ties over the final 8:13. A-State took a 68-66 lead on Walley's 3 from the left corner with 6:51 on the clock. The Warhawks scored six-straight points to build their largest lead at 72-68 as Harris converted a floater in the lane with 4:33 remaining. Trailing 74-73, the Red Wolves got two free throws from Walley along with an offensive put-back and runner in the lane from Lindsey to build a 79-74 advantage with 54 seconds left. ULM pulled back to within two at 81-79 as Ertel banked in an off-balance 3-pointer from the top of the circle with 3.4 seconds to play. Cockfield iced the game by converting both ends of a one-and-one with :03 on the clock.

 

Walley led four A-State players in double figures with 23 points, hitting 6-of-14 shots from the field including 4-of-7 3-pointers. The Red Wolves also got 17 points from Lindsey, 16 from Cockfield and 11 from Grantham Gillard.

 

For the game, A-State made 53 percent (29-of-55) of its field-goal attempts, including 11-of-20 3s (55 percent), and 14-of-17 free-throw attempts (82 percent).

 

Playing in his final regular-season home game, Sam McDaniel hit 10-of-16 shots from the floor, including 3-of-6 3-pointers, and finished with a game-high 24 points. Three other Warhawks joined McDaniel in double figures, including Ertel who scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half. Munnings added 13 points while Harris netted 10.

 

ULM shot 60 percent (18-of-30) from the field in the second half, including 72 percent (8-of-11) from behind the 3-point arc.

 

ULM/SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY –

ULM is making its 12th appearance in Sun Belt Tournament history. The Warhawks are 5-10 all-time (.333) in the conference's postseason tournament, including two trips to the semifinals (2015 and 2016) and one championship game appearance (2016).

 

2017 SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP REWIND –

ULM 73, Arkansas State 70 in overtime (March 8, 2017, in New Orleans, La.) – Nick Coppola and Sam Alabakis combined for 29 points to lead ULM to a 73-70 overtime victory over Arkansas State in the first round of the 2017 Sun Belt Championship. The Warhawks rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to send the game into overtime.

 

A-State shot 64 percent (14-of-22 from the field in the first half and outscored ULM, 17-5, over the final 6:03 en route to a 37-28 halftime advantage. Donte Thomas scored 12 first-half points and the Red Wolves also got 10 points from Tamas Bruce, who came off the bench and hit all five of his field-goal attempts.

 

The Warhawks put together a 10-2 run midway through the second half and took a 53-52 lead on a jumper from Marvin Jean-Pierre with 4:03 left. There were two lead changes and three ties over the final four minutes. A layup by Alabakis gave the Warhawks a 60-58 lead with 1:08 to play but a layup by Thomas with 41 seconds remaining sent the game into overtime tied at 60-60.

 

ULM opened overtime with a 10-2 spurt to take control of the game. Coppola converted 3-of-4 free-throw attempts in the final 15 seconds to ice the game.

 

Coppola scored 11 of his team-high 15 points in the second half. All five starters reached double figures in scoring for ULM, including Alabakis who netted a career-high 14 points. The Warhawks also got 12 points from Jean-Pierre and 11 each from Marcus Washington and Travis Munnings.

 

Thomas paced the Red Wolves with a game-high 22 points.

 

SHARP-SHOOTING WARHAWKS –

ULM is 8-1 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field in 2017-18, with wins over Rust College (.603), Jackson State (.500), Millsaps College (.582), Centenary (.527), Coastal Carolina (.500), South Alabama (.527),  Georgia State (.567) and Texas State (.545), and its only loss came in the regular-season finale against Arkansas State (.509).

 

ERTEL EMERGES AS CONSISTENT SCORING THREAT –

Guard Michael Ertel, who has started 24 of 29 games and ranks third on the team in scoring at 11.5 points per game, was selected Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. Ertel became the first Warhawk to earn conference Freshman of the Year honors since ULM joined the league in 2007-08.

    

The 6-foot-2 Ertel has scored in double figures 14 times, including 10 league games. He also ranked as ULM's third-leading scoring in Sun Belt play, averaging 13.0 points per game. His 50 3-pointers ranks third on the team.

 

His scoring average has increased to 14.6 points over the last 11 games (ULM: 8-3 record). Ertel is shooting 46 percent (62-of-135) from the field during that stretch.

 

The Indianapolis, Indiana, native scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half in the regular-season home finale against Arkansas State (5-of-7 FG shooting including 3-of-3 3-pointers in the second half).

 

He contributed 17 points in ULM's 66-62 win at South Alabama.

 

Ertel hit 8-of-12 field-goal attempts in ULM's 79-71 victory over Texas State and finished with 19 points and five assists. He tossed in a team-high 20 points in the Warhawks' 84-71 win over UT Arlington while connecting on 9-of-18 shots from the floor.

 

Ertel scored eight of his 21 points in overtime in the Warhawks' 90-82 win at Georgia State, hitting 8-of-13 shots from the floor including 3-of-6 3-pointers. He also added five rebounds and a season-high six assists against the Panthers.

 

Ertel added 17 points (6-of-11 FG shooting) and seven rebounds against South Alabama.

 

He led ULM in scoring in three-straight games, scoring a combined 56 points (18.7 ppg.) against Texas State, UT Arlington and Troy. Ertel finished with a season-high 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field, including 2-of-6 3-pointers, in the Warhawks' 76-71 victory over Troy.

 

He scored 18 points at Texas State (7-of-13 FG shooting), with 16 coming of those in the second half. Ertel netted 13 of his 16 points in the second half at UTA (4-of-9 3FG shooting) and collected a season-high eight rebounds.

 

He hit 5-of-8 field-goal attempts, including 3-of-5 3-pointers, and finished with 15 points against Appalachian State.