Game 20: ULM (11-8, 4-3 Sun Belt) vs. COASTAL CAROLINA (10-9, 4-3 Sun Belt)
Thursday, Jan. 31 | 7 p.m. ET
Conway, S.C. | The HTC Center (3,212)
ULM Basketball Notes: Game 20 vs. Coastal Carolina
STORYLINE –
After going 2-1 on its recent homestand, ULM (11-8, 4-3 Sun Belt) opens a two-game road swing at Coastal Carolina (10-9, 4-3) on Thursday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. ET. The Warhawks and Chanticleers are tied for fifth in the current conference standings. Last season, ULM won the only regular-season meeting against CCU, 82-72, in Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
ULM's starting lineup features four double-figure scorers, in 6-foot-1 guard Daishon Smith (20.7 points per game; 57 3-pointers), 6-2 guard Michael Ertel (15.1 ppg., 42 3-pointers), 6-6 forward Travis Munnings (13.2 ppg., 7.3 rpg.) and 6-4 guard JD Williams (12.4 ppg.).
THE STARTING FIVE –
• ULM ranks among the NCAA Division I leaders in free-throw percentage (fourth at .786), 3-point field-goal percentage (21st at .388), 3-point field goals made (27th at 9.7 per game) and turnovers (34th at 11.4 per game).
The Warhawks lead the Sun Belt in three statistical categories: 3-point field goals made per game, free throw percentage and assist-to-turnover radio (1.2). ULM also ranks among the league leaders in 3-point field-goal percentage (third), scoring offense (fourth at 77.1 points per game), scoring defense (fourth at 72.0 ppg.), scoring margin (fourth at +5.1 ppg.), turnover margin (fifth at +1.6), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (sixth at .333) and assists (sixth at 13.5 pg.).
• Three-point field goals have accounted for 38 percent of ULM's scoring (185 3-pointers made; 555 of 1,465 points) in 2018-19. The Warhawks have made double-digit 3-pointers in nine games, including five of their first seven Sun Belt games. ULM tied the school single-game record with 17 3s in the 2019 conference opener against Little Rock. (ULM also made 17 3-pointers in a 90-82 overtime win at Georgia State on Feb. 10, 2018). The Warhawks have attempted at least 20 3-pointers in 15 of their first 19 games.
• ULM is 8-1 this season when limiting its opponents to 69 points or less. The Warhawks have held four opponents to a field-goal percentage below 39 percent. Only four opponents (Ole Miss .524, LSU .525, Little Rock .620 and South Alabama .527) have managed to shoot better than 50 percent from the field against ULM.
The Warhawks also have made almost as many free throws (320) as their opponents have attempted (323) this season. Through the first 19 games, ULM has outscored its opponents, 320-217, from the free-throw line.
• ULM has compiled an 11-5 record with senior guard Daishon Smith in the starting lineup (sidelined for three games with a hamstring injury; DNP in road games at Texas, Michigan State and Tennessee Tech). Smith ranks among the NCAA Division I leaders in 3-point field goals made (16th at 3.56 per game), free-throw percentage (23rd at .882), scoring (32nd at 20.7 points per game), 3-point field-goal percentage (35th at .429) and steals (45th at 2.0 pg.). He leads the Sun Belt in 3-point field goals made per game and free-throw percentage. Smith also ranks among the league leaders in 3-point field-goal percentage (second), steals (third), scoring (fourth), assist-to-turnover ratio (fifth at 1.8), assists (eighth at 3.6 pg.), field-goal percentage (ninth at .462) and minutes played (10th at 32.4 pg.).
The Jacksonville, Florida, native has scored in double figures in 15 games, including eight 20-point outings. Smith has scored in double figures in 12-straight games, averaging 21.8 points during that span. He is averaging 23.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists in Sun Belt play.
• With his offensive rebound with 1:17 left in the first half against the Ragin' Cajuns, ULM senior forward Travis Munnings became just the fourth player in school history to score at least 1,000 career points and collect at least 800 career rebounds.
Members of ULM's 1,000/800 Club include Calvin Natt (1975-79: 2,581 points and 1,285 rebounds), Henry Steele (1968-72: 1,933 points and 1,161 rebounds), Bill Snellings (1966-71: 1,215 points and 1,093 rebounds) and Munnings (2015-19: 1,441 points and 820 rebounds).
LOOSE BALLS –
ULM's last five games have been decided by six points or less (2-3 record). ... ULM has led at the half in 13 of its 19 games and outscored its opponents, 696-606, in the first half this season. ... The Warhawks have made more than 20 free throws in seven games. ULM has shot better than 80 percent from the free-throw line in 11 of 19 games, including seven of its last eight contests. … ULM ranks among the NCAA Division I leaders in fewest fouls committed (No. 16 at 296). The Warhawks have been whistled for fewer fouls than their opponents in 14 of 19 games. … ULM ranks second in the Sun Belt in both average home attendance (2,673 per game) and attendance for league home games (3,724 avg.).
THE LAST TIME OUT –
South Alabama 78, ULM 72 (Jan. 26, 2019, in Monroe, La.): ULM stumbled on its homecourt Saturday for the first time this season in a 78-72 loss to South Alabama.
The Warhawks (11-8, 4-3) won their first nine home games before their fortunes ran out against the visiting Jaguars (10-11, 3-5) before a season-high home crowd of 5,206.
South Alabama exploited ULM inside and outscored the Warhawks, 42-22, in the paint. On a day when ULM made 11-of-33 3-pointers and shot 41 percent (23-of-56) from the floor, it was too much to overcome.
Neither team could pull away in the game as the score was tied 11 times, including eight times in the second half.
Daishon Smith led ULM with 19 points, Travis Munnings scored 15 and Brandon Newman scored 10 off the bench.
Trhae Mitchell paced the Jaguars with 23 points while Josh Ajayi scored 19. John Pettway added 16 and Herb McGee scored 12 for USA, which shot 52.7 percent overall from the field.
A close, low-wattage first half saw ULM take a 34-32 lead into halftime.
The Warhawks shot 44.8 percent (13 of 29) from the floor and just 27.8 percent (5 of 18) on 3 pointers. Munnings and Newman led ULM in first-half scoring with seven points each.
Newman led the bench brigade with his 3-of-3 shooting, including a 3-pointer in seven minutes. With Munnings and JD Williams limited with two fouls, ULM's bench outscored South Alabama, 12-2, in the opening half.
After leading by as many as eight in the first half, the Warhawks couldn't put the pesky Jaguars away in the second half.
ULM got sloppy over a stretch of several minutes with four turnovers and the Jaguars took advantage. A steal and breakaway dunk by Pettway with 8:12 gave South Alabama the lead at 56-55.
The Warhawks wouldn't regain the lead until the 4:05 mark on a pair of Smith free throws and that was short-lived as South Alabama answered again.
Munnings followed with a layup and converted a conventional 3-point play with the free throw to tie the score 66-66.
Free throws by Ajayi and Mitchell extended USA's lead before Herb McGee's long 3-pointer gave the Jaguars a 73-66 lead with 27 seconds remaining.
That proved to be the dagger and ULM couldn't make up the deficit down the stretch as the Jaguars made 12-of-14 shots from the free-throw line in the second half.
COASTAL CAROLINA SCOUTING REPORT –
Coastal Carolina (10-9 overall, 4-3 Sun Belt) enters Thursday's game against ULM with the league's longest active winning streak at three games. After getting off to a 1-3 start in Sun Belt play, the Chanticleers have reeled off three-straight wins, including a homecourt victory over Appalachian State (89-72) and a road sweep over Little Rock (72-71) and Arkansas State (77-64). Eight of CCU's nine losses have come by seven points or loss, including one in double overtime (at South Alabama, 84-77).
CCU's starting lineup features two double-figure scorers, in 6-foot-7 forward Zac Cuthbertson (18.5 ppg., 8.4 rpg.) and 6-1 guard DeVante' Jones (12.1 ppg.).
Cuthbertson ranks among the Sun Belt's Top 10 in five different statistical categories: tied for second in rebounding, eighth in scoring, eighth in field-goal percentage (.494), eighth in offensive rebounds (2.1 pg.) and ninth in minutes played (32.3 pg.). He has posted seven 20-point games, including a career-high 31 points at Tulane. Cuthbertson has recorded six double-doubles this season.
Jones has scored in double figures in his last four league games, averaging 15.0 points per game during the stretch. He netted a season-high 21 points at Little Rock.
Five different Chanticleers have made at least 20 3-pointers.
Cliff Ellis, now in his 12th year at Coastal Carolina and 45th season overall, ranks sixth among active NCAA Division I head coaches with 835 career victories. Ellis has led four different teams (South Alabama, Clemson, Auburn and CCU) to a combined 10 NCAA Tournament appearances.
As a team, Coastal Carolina ranks among the Sun Belt leaders in 3-point field-goal percentage (first at .401), scoring defense (second at 69.4 ppg.), field-goal percentage defense (second at .412), rebound margin (second at +5.3 pg.), scoring margin (third at +6.4 ppg.), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (third at .308), offensive rebounding (fifth at 10.6 pg.), field-goal percentage (sixth at .463) and 3-point field goals made (sixth at 8.4 pg.).
ULM/COASTAL CAROLINA SERIES NOTES –
Thursday's game marks just the fifth meeting between ULM and Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers lead the all-time series, 3-1, including a 1-0 record in games played in Conway, S.C.
Last season, ULM won the only regular-season meeting, 82-72, in Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
The two teams also played only once in 2016-17 – CCU's first season as a member of the Sun Belt – and the Chanticleers posted a 77-72 win over the Warhawks on Feb. 27, 2017, in the HTC Center.
THE LAST MEETING –
ULM 82, Coastal Carolina 72 (Jan. 4, 2018, in Monroe, La.): Sam McDaniel scored a career-high 28 points to lead ULM to an 82-72 victory over Coastal Carolina in Fant-Ewing
McDaniel hit back-to-back 3-pointers to spark an early 21-4 run as ULM (7-7, 1-2 Sun Belt) raced out to 25-8 lead. The Warhawks led by as many as 19 points in the first half and took a 37-21 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
A layup by Jordon Harris gave ULM its largest lead at 52-30 with 13:10 left in the second half. Coastal Carolina (7-9, 1-2) put together a 12-1 spurt and cut its deficit to 53-42 on two free throws by Zac Cuthbertson with 8:25 remaining. The Warhawks went more than five minutes without a field goal during that stretch. The Chanticleers pulled to within eight at 66-58 on a 3-pointer from Artur Labinowicz with 3:43 to play. Brandon Newman's three-point play pushed ULM's lead back into double digits at 72-60 with 2:54 left. The Warhawks went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, including six straight by Newman, over the final 1:51 to ice the game.
McDaniel, who netted 17 second-half points, finished 8-of-15 from the field, including a perfect 6-for-6 from behind the 3-point arc. ULM also got 15 points from Harris and a season-best 12 from Newman.
The Warhawks shot 50 percent from the floor (28-of-56) and 95 percent (18-of-19) from the free-throw line. ULM held a 35-9 edge in points off turnovers, 16-2 in fast-break points and 21-2 in points off the bench.
All five starters scored in double figures for Coastal Carolina, led by Jaylen Shaw who netted 15 of his 16 points in the second half. Labinowicz and Demario Beck contributed 14 points each while Cuthbertson and Ajay Sanders added 13 each for the Chanticleers.
Coastal Carolina outrebounded ULM, 34-22.
THE LAST MEETING IN CONWAY –
Coastal Carolina 77, ULM 72 (Feb. 27, 2017, in Conway, S.C.): Shivaughn Wiggins and Colton Ray-St. Cyr combined for 34 points to lead Coastal Carolina to a 77-72 win over ULM in the first Sun Belt game played between the two teams. There were 12 ties and 15 lead changes in the game.
A 3-pointer from Jordon Harris gave ULM an 11-8 lead with 13:11 left in the first half. CCU put together a 15-7 run midway through the first half and took a five-point lead at 23-18 on Elijah Wilson's 3-point basket with 7:22 remaining. The game was tied 35-35 at the intermission.
Sam McDaniel's three-point play and Nick Coppola's 3-pointer gave the Warhawks' their biggest lead at 46-42 with 16:21 to play in the second half. The Chanticleers responded with a 12-0 spurt and built their largest lead at 54-46 on Amidou Bamba's three-point play with 12:55 left. A Coppola 3-pointer sparked an 8-0 run ULM and his fourth trey of the game tied the score at 54-54 with 9:46 remaining in the second half. Travis Munnings converted two free throws to give the Warhawks a 70-69 lead with 1:18 left, but CCU regained the lead for good at 71-70 on a pair of free throws from Jaylen Shaw with 1:04 on the clock.
Four Chanticleers scored in double figures, led by Wiggins who netted a game-high 18 points. CCU also got 16 points from Ray-St. Cyr, 13 from Shaw and 11 from Wilson.
Marvin Jean-Pierre led five Warhawks into double figures with 14 points. McDaniel and Marcus Washington contributed 13 points each while Coppola and Munnings added 12 each.
ULM outrebounded CCU, 41-31.
MUNNINGS JOINS EXCLUSIVE 1,000/800 CLUB –
With his offensive rebound with 1:17 left in the first half against the Ragin' Cajuns, ULM senior forward Travis Munnings became just the fourth player in school history to score at least 1,000 career points and collect at least 800 career rebounds.
Members of ULM's 1,000/800 Club include Calvin Natt (1975-79: 2,581 points and 1,285 rebounds), Henry Steele (1968-72: 1,933 points and 1,161 rebounds), Bill Snellings (1966-71: 1,215 points and 1,093 rebounds) and Munnings (2015-19: 1,441 points and 820 rebounds).
In addition, Munnings became the 20th player in Sun Belt history to reach the 800-rebound career milestone.
DIALED IN FROM 3-POINT RANGE –
Three-point field goals have accounted for 38 percent of ULM's scoring (185 3-pointers made; 555 of 1,465 points) in 2018-19. The Warhawks have made double-digit 3-pointers in nine games, including five of their first seven Sun Belt games. ULM tied the school single-game record with 17 3s in the 2019 conference opener against Little Rock. (ULM also made 17 3-pointers in a 90-82 overtime win at Georgia State on Feb. 10, 2018). The Warhawks have attempted at least 20 3-pointers in 15 of their first 19 games.
In 2017-18, ULM set a school single-season record with 288 3-pointers made (previous record: 287 made, 2006-07).
ULM TOUGH TO BEAT WHEN SHOOTING 50 PERCENT OR BETTER FROM THE FIELD –
ULM is 14-1 in its last 15 games when shooting 50 percent or better from the field, with its only loss coming in the 2017-18 regular-season finale against Arkansas State (.509). The Warhawks are a perfect 5-0 when hitting 50 percent or better from the floor in 2018-19, with wins over Millsaps (.516), Northwestern State (.509), Nicholls State (season-best .559), Coppin State (.500) and Little Rock (.556).
WARHAWKS START 9-1 IN FANT-EWING COLISEUM –
ULM is 9-1 at home this season, averaging 84.3 points per game while shooting 47 percent (275-of-585) from the field including 40 percent (106-of-266) from behind the 3-point arc. In addition, the Warhawks have limited their opponents to 70.9 points per game while shooting at a 44-percent clip (258-of-581) from the floor, including 35 percent (74-of-209) on 3-pointers. ULM also has a turnover margin of +4.8 per game at home.
The Warhawks have frequently gotten off to quick starts at home, outscoring their opponents by 100 points in the first half, 398-298. In its 10 home games, ULM has trailed for 31:31 out of a possible 400 minutes. The Warhawks trailed Troy for 10:46 in the first half of last Thursday game before taking a 31-27 lead at the intermission. Despite leading for just 8:27 of last Saturday's game, South Alabama ended ULM's nine-game home winning streak, 78-72, thanks to a 12-6 run over the final 2:07.
RICHARD REACHES COACHING MILESTONES –
With an 80-63 victory over Coppin State on Dec. 21, Keith Richard reached two coaching milestones by recording his 100th win at ULM and his 250th career win.
WARHAWK STAT LEADERS
Double-figure scoring games (63): Michael Ertel 15, Daishon Smith 15, JD Williams 13, Travis Munnings 12, Jontray Harris 3, Brandon Newman 2, Andre Washington 2, Tyree White 1. Opponents: 62.
20-point games (17): Daishon Smith 8, Michael Ertel 5, Travis Munnings 3, JD Williams 1. Opponents: 11.
30-point games (2): Travis Munnings 1, Daishon Smith 1. Opponents: 1.
40-point games (1): Daishon Smith 1. Opponents: None.
Double-figure rebounding games (7): Travis Munnings 3, Andre Washington 3, Jontray Harris 1. Opponents: 11.
Double-doubles (1): Travis Munnings 1. Opponents: 10.
Games leading ULM in scoring: Daishon Smith 10, Travis Munnings 5, Michael Ertel 3, JD Williams 2.
Games leading ULM in rebounding: Travis Munnings 9, Andre Washington 7, JD Williams 3, Jontray Harris 1, Tyree White 1.
Games leading ULM in assists: Daishon Smith 10, Michael Ertel 6, Travis Munnings 5, Brandon Newman 3, Jontray Harris 2, JD Williams 2.
2018-19 ULM STARTING LINEUPS –
Different Starting Combinations (5):
Ertel, Smith, Williams, Munnings, Washington: 12 (9-3)
Ertel, Smith, Williams, Munnings, T. White: 3 (1-2)
Ertel, Harris, Williams, Munnings, T. White: 2 (0-2)
Ertel, Smith, Harris, Munnings, Washington: 1 (1-0)
Ertel, Harris, Williams, Munnings, Washington: 1 (0-1)
2018-19 WARHAWK STATISTICAL TRENDS –
Games played in Fant-Ewing Coliseum: 9-1
Games played on the road: 2-7
Games played in November: 3-3
Games played in December: 4-2
Games played in January: 4-3
When leading at halftime: 10-3
When trailing at halftime: 1-5
When tied at halftime: 0-0
When shooting .500 or better from the field: 5-0
When shooting less than .500 from the field: 5-8
When opponent shoots .500 or better from the field: 2-3
When opponent shoots less than .500 from the floor: 8-5
When outrebounding opponent: 6-2
When outrebounded by opponent: 4-6
When rebounding totals are equal: 1-0
When hitting more free throws than opponent: 9-4
When hitting fewer free throws than opponent: 1-2
When hitting the same number of free throws as opponent: 1-2
When committing fewer turnovers than opponent: 9-1
When opponent commits fewer turnovers: 2-6
When turnover totals are equal: 0-1
When ULM scores 50-59 points: 0-2
When ULM scores 60-69 points: 0-2
When ULM scores 70-79 points: 4-4
When ULM scores 80-89 points: 3-0
When ULM scores 90-99 points: 4-0
When opponent scores 50-59 points: 3-0
When opponent scores 60-69 points: 5-1
When opponent scores 70-79 points: 1-4
When opponent scores 80-89 points: 1-3
When opponent scores 90-99 points: 1-0
Games decided by five points or less: 2-2
Games decided by 6-10 points: 3-3
Games decided by 11-19 points: 3-1
Games decided by 20 points or more: 3-2
Last five games: 2-3
Last 10 games: 6-4
Largest deficit overcome to win: 6 (2x) (8-2 vs. Troy, Jan. 24); (6-0 vs. Little Rock, Jan. 3)
Largest lead surrendered in a loss: 14 (53-39 at Georgia Southern, Jan. 10)
