Michael Ertel jumper vs ULL 2019
Jeanette Robinson, ULM Photo Services
95
ULL ULL 11-7, 2-3
99
Winner ULM ULM 10-7, 3-2
ULL ULL
11-7, 2-3
95
Final
99
ULM ULM
10-7, 3-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
ULL ULL 39 56 95
ULM ULM 53 46 99

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Smith, Ertel Combine to Score 50; ULM Outscores the Ragin’ Cajuns, 99-95

By Paul Letlow, ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist
 
MONROE, La. – ULM made its point with lots of points on Saturday and the Warhawks needed them all.

Five Warhawks reached double figures scoring and ULM outlasted Louisiana Lafayette, 99-95, at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. 

"We gave up 95 points and I'm happy," ULM head coach Keith Richard said. "It's ridiculous in terms of that many points scored by both teams, in a way. But I had a feeling this could be a high-scoring affair." 

Daishon Smith scored 27 points while setting career highs with seven rebounds and eight assists.  Michael Ertel established his career high in scoring with 23 points, J.D. Williams scored 15 points and matched his career best with nine rebounds, Andre Washington scored a career-high 12 points and added seven rebounds and Travis Munnings contributed 11 points and eight boards.   

"We're just really comfortable," Ertel said of his team's prolific offense that came in averaging more than 85 points per game at home. "We shoot countless number of shots in here, we practice all summer in here. When we're in here, we expect to make shots and expect to play well." 

ULM (10-7, 3-2 in the Sun Belt) improved to 8-0 at home. The crowd of 4,317 was the home team's largest and most raucous gathering of the season. 

"It was awesome," Ertel said. "There was great fan support in here today, especially with the students. They really showed out. It was filled up pretty good in here." 

JaKeenan Gant led ULL (11-7, 2-3) with 31 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. 

Two buzzer-beater losses on the road last week had ULM in no mood to keep it close early on. The Warhawks were on fire from the start, shooting their way to a 35-15 lead by the 9:34 mark. Ertel scored 10 points with two 3-pointers during the early blitz. 

"We know teams will go on runs, so we wanted to go out early and set the tone," Smith said. "So, when they did go on their run, we were up ahead."

With 1:17 left in the first half, Munnings reached a solid milestone with his 800th career rebound. Munnings became just the fourth player in school history with 1,000 career points and 800 boards, joining Calvin Natt, Henry Steele and Bill Snellings in the exclusive club. 

"I appreciated his effort today," Richard said. "He's having a really good career and will finish with a lot of statistical numbers when his career is over with." 

ULM led by as many as 22 points in the opening half while shooting 57 percent overall and 50 percent (7 of 14) from 3-point territory. Smith led ULM scorers with 14. Williams hit a long buzzer-beater as time expired in the first half to send ULM to the dressing room up 53-39. 

The Warhawks cooled off to shoot 40.6 percent in the second half and 49.3 percent overall, and the Ragin' Cajuns made their run. A 3-pointer by P.J. Hardy at the 12:31 mark cut the lead to six at 64-58.  

ULM kept ULL from getting any closer until Hardy's 3-pointer with 2:35 remaining cut the lead to 90-87. But Ertel answered immediately on the other end with a clutch 3-ball to boost ULM back ahead 93-87. 

The Cajuns cut it to 95-92 on Justin Miller's layup with 15.2 second left in the game. Fouled with 8.2 seconds, Smith calmly hit a pair of free throws. 

ULL's Cedric Russell stroked a 3-pointer with three seconds remaining to get it to two at 97-95, but Smith was fouled again and added two more free throws for the final margin, 99-95. 

Smith made 13-of-13 free throws in the game, and ULM was 21-of-25 from the line overall.  

"It's just repetition," Smith said. "I get in here a lot and work on my game, so I'm confident when I go up to the line." 

Up next: ULM continues its three-game homestand with visits from Troy on Thursday, Jan. 24 and South Alabama on Saturday, Jan. 26. Tipoff Thursday is 7 p.m. with the Saturday game scheduled for a 2 p.m. start. 

Tailfeathers: ULM L Club Hall of Famer Glynn Saulters, whose No. 12 jersey number hangs from the rafters at Fant-Ewing Coliseum, was spotted in the crowd. Saulters, the second-leading scorer in school history, met Daishon Smith before the game. … J.D. Williams had three big dunks in the game that helped energize the crowd. … ULM was 12-of-30 on 3-point shooting. Smith made 4-of-12 and Ertel made 4-of-6. … The 99 points were a season high, topping 97 against Little Rock. ULM already has topped 90 points four times during the regular season. 
 
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