MONROE, La. - The ULM women's basketball team is on the road to Arkansas for its first Sun Belt Conference game of the season. The Warhawks will visit the Little Rock Trojans on Thursday (Jan. 3), tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Jack Stephens Center.
ULM rounded out non-conference play on Sunday with a dominating 70-39 win over Arkansas Monticello. The Warhawks led by as much as 35 points in the fourth quarter. ULM dominated the rebounding battle 52-27 and outscored UAM in the paint, 34-16, and in second chance points, 14-0. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for ULM. The Warhawks wrapped up non-conference play with a winning record for the first time since 2015-16, when ULM went 6-3 outside of Sun Belt play.
Junior transfer,
Lauren Fitch continued her efficient play against UAM, scoring a game-high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, knocking down both of her 3-point attempts and all three of her free throw attempts. She also added three assists, three steals and two rebounds.
The Warhawk defense stacks up well statistically with the rest of the Sun Belt Conference. ULM ranks first in scoring defense (57.5 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).
Little Rock completed non-conference play with a 4-7 record after Sunday's 48-44 loss at Missouri State. The Trojans played a strong non-conference schedule, playing four "Power Five" conference opponents in Texas A&M, LSU, Mississippi State and Kansas State. The Trojans won two of their final three non-conference games, winning at Tulsa and Memphis prior to the loss to Missouri State. The Trojans were picked to win the Sun Belt Conference in the preseason coaches' poll.
Junior guard Kyra Collier leads the Trojans in scoring, averaging 13.5 points per game. Collier leads the Trojans in steals (28) and is tied for the team lead in assists (2.7 per game). She is fourth on the team in rebounding (3.9 per game).
Senior forward Ronjanae DeGray, an All-Sun Belt First Team selection in 2017-18 and the 2018-19 Preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year selection, is second on the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game. DeGray is tied for second on the team in rebounding (4.5 per game)
Thursday's game is the 30th all-time meeting between the Warhawks and the Trojans. The series has been dominated by the Trojans, 26-3, with Little Rock posting a 24-1 advantage since ULM joined the Sun Belt Conference in the 2006-07 season. ULM has not won at Little Rock since a 56-53 non-conference win on Dec. 18, 2005.
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.
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