Travis Munnings 3-pointer vs. Troy 2019
Jeanette Robinson, ULM Photo Services
69
TROY TROY 10-9, 3-4
75
Winner ULM ULM 11-7, 4-2
TROY TROY
10-9, 3-4
69
Final
75
ULM ULM
11-7, 4-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
TROY TROY 27 42 69
ULM ULM 31 44 75

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

ULM Remains Unbeaten at Home; Outlasts Troy, 75-69

MONROE, La. – Travis Munnings and Michael Ertel scored 16 points each and Daishon Smith added 15 as ULM outlasted Troy, 75-69, Thursday (Jan. 24) to remain unbeaten (9-0) in Fant-Ewing Coliseum this season. The last four meetings in this series have been decided by six points or less.
 
There were four ties and three lead changes in the first half. Troy jumped out to an 8-2 lead on Javan Johnson's layup with 15:16 left in the opening half. The Warhawks pulled even at 13-13 on back-to-back layups from Smith. Ertel's left-handed layup high off the glass over Jordon Varnado gave ULM its first lead at 20-19 with 6:10 to play. The Warhawks outscored the Trojans, 7-3, over the final 2:37 of the first half, and Smith's 3-pointer from the left corner with 0.4 seconds left gave ULM a 31-27 lead at the intermission.
 
ULM shot 39 percent (12-of-31) from the field in the first half, including just 1-of-11 from behind the 3-point arc. The Warhawks converted Troy's 10 first-half turnovers into 13 points and outscored the Trojans, 6-0, from the free-throw line.
 
Troy led for 10:46 in the first half. In its eight previous home games, ULM had trailed for only 12:18 out of a possible 320 minutes.
 
ULM (11-7, 4-2 Sun Belt) built its largest lead at 42-32 on Munnings' 3-pointer from the left wing with 15:14 remaining in the second half. Johnson's rebound goal sparked a 13-3 run and Troy (10-9, 3-4) tied the score at 45-45 on BJ Miller's layup with 11:33 left on the clock. The Warhawks took the lead for good at 47-45 on Ertel's pull-up jumper from the left elbow with 11:03 left. Ahead 51-50, ULM put together an 8-2 run to take a 59-52 lead on Ertel's 3 from the left wing with 5:53 to play. Troy managed to cut its deficit to three points three times in the last five minutes but failed to close the margin any further. The Warhawks iced the game at the free-throw line, as Ertel and Smith each converted both ends of the one-and-one in the final 12 seconds.
 
"Troy has a really good team," ULM head coach Keith Richard said. "That team is just the opposite of ours in a lot of ways. They're really big on the front line. They've got some brute force down low, and they showed it. I was worried about the outcome if we got into a half-court game against Troy. If it became a grind game, I thought we'd be in trouble because of their size, but to my surprise, our guys fought a good fight in the half-court battle.
 
"We didn't shoot the ball well, but we hit some big shots at crucial moments. Travis Munnings and Mike Ertel made some key shots down the stretch, and we got solid contributions off the bench from Jontray Harris and Tyree White. So, it was a team effort. It was a gritty, hard-fought win and it came against a good team.
 
"In conference play, each game presents a different challenge," Richard continued. "In this game, it was Troy's size versus our quickness and versatility. We didn't shoot the ball well from the 3-point line, but we still found a way to win. I'm really proud of our guys winning this game."
 
"We knew Troy had a very strong team," Munnings said. "They have one of the best frontcourts in the Sun Belt, and we knew it was going to be a tough, physical game down low. Sometimes when shots aren't falling, you have to find different ways to score. We also had to continue to believe in our defense and focus on getting stops. We just had to fight it out."
 
 
ULM hit 15-of-31 field-goal attempts (48 percent) in the second half, including 5-of-11 3-pointers (45 percent). For the game, the Warhawks outrebounded the Trojans, 34-32.
 
Munnings netted 14 of his 16 points in the second half, hitting 6-of-7 shots from the floor including 2-of-3 3s. Ertel tallied 12 of his 16 points after the intermission, connecting on 2-of-4 3-pointers.
 
"I was looking for the ball (down the stretch," Munnings said. "My team needed me to step up. I just had to get back to my game and not shy away from the moment. With all the work I've put in, it was time to show. I just wanted my teammates to give me the ball and allow me to make plays for them."
 
Tyree White and Jontray Harris combined for 16 points as ULM's bench outscored Troy's reserves, 16-6. White finished with nine points, three offensive rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal in 17 minutes while Harris contributed seven points and two assists in 13 minutes.
 
"Travis Munnings made some huge plays at critical moments," Richard said. "Mike Ertel struggled offensively tonight, but he hit two big 3s down the stretch. Jontray Harris came off the bench and really provided a spark for us. It was a close game when Jontray came in, and he helped us get the lead late in the first half."
 
"Jontray Harris and Tyree White are good players, who bring a lot of energy to the game," Munnings said. "They play hard and compete every day in practice. I always encourage them to stay positive because they're going to get their moments (in a game). I tell them to be ready to do what they've got to do to contribute."
 
Varnado scored a game-high 29 points to pace the Trojans, connected on 12-of-19 shots from the field including 2-of-4 3-pointers. Troy also got 14 points from Alex Hicks and 12 from Johnson.
 
A season-best crowd of 5,107 attended Thursday's game against Troy.
 
"This is a tough place to play when we have people in the stands because you can feel their presence and you can definitely hear them," Richard said. "Our players certainly appreciate what's going on right now, and we want to keep winning for them."
 
"The crowd in here was amazing," Munnings said. "Our fans have been great at home all season. We love our fans, and we hope they continue to come out and support us. We really appreciate them, and we definitely feed off their energy. We're looking forward to the remainder of the home season, and we expect this place to be even louder down the stretch of this conference race."
 
ULM concludes its three-game homestand Saturday, Jan. 26 against South Alabama at 2 p.m.
 
Saturday's game has been designated as Youth Day, so youth 18 and under will receive a free general admission ticket. Following the game, children 12 and under will be permitted on the court to shoot baskets for 20 minutes.
 
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