GAME 1: LOUISIANA COLLEGE (0-0) vs. ULM (0-0)
Tuesday, Nov. 5 | 7:02 p.m.
Monroe, La. | Fant-Ewing Coliseum (7,000)
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ULM Basketball Notes: Game 1 vs. Louisiana College
BOGOÂ (Buy One, Get One Free) TICKET PROMOTION
Purchase a reserved ($15) or general admission ($10) ticket and receive a second one of the same value for free to the Nov. 5 season opener against Louisiana College.
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STORYLINE: ULM opens the 2019-20 regular season against NCAA Division III Louisiana College on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. Tenth-year ULM head coach Keith Richard welcomes back five lettermen, including double-figures scorers Michael Ertel and JD Williams, from last year's team that finished 19-16 overall, tied for sixth in the Sun Belt Conference standings (9-9) and advanced to the quarterfinals in the 2019 CollegeInsiders.com Tournament. It marked ULM's fourth trip to postseason play in the last five years. Both Ertel (second team) and Williams (third team) have been named to the 2019-20 Preseason All-Sun Belt Team.
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THE STARTING FIVE –
• ULM ranked among the NCAA Division I leaders in free-throw percentage (sixth at .782), 3-point field-goal percentage (sixth at .396) and 3-point field goals made (18th at 10.1 per game) in 2018-19.
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The Warhawks led the Sun Belt in free-throw percentage, 3-point field goals made per game, 3-point field-goal percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.25). ULM also ranked among the league leaders in scoring margin (third at +3.9 ppg.), scoring offense (fourth at 79.2 points per game), assists (fourth at 14.2 pg.) and turnover margin (fifth at +1.0).
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ULM's 79.2 scoring average marked the program's highest in 25 years (since averaging 82.0 ppg. in 1993-94).
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• Three-point field goals accounted for 38 percent of ULM's scoring (353 3-pointers made; 1,059 of 2,773 points) in 2018-19. The Warhawks made double-digit 3-pointers in 19 games, including eight of their last 10 games. ULM averaged 10.3 3-pointers per game in Sun Belt play.
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In 2018-19, ULM shattered the school single-season record with 353 3-pointers made, breaking the previous mark set last year (288 made in 2017-18). The Warhawks broke the previous record with nine 3s in the regular-season finale at Little Rock.
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ULM tied the school single-game record with 17 3s in the regular-season home finale against Coastal Carolina as well as the 2019 conference opener against Little Rock. (The Warhawks also made 17 3-pointers in a 90-82 overtime win at Georgia State on Feb. 10, 2018). ULM has attempted at least 20 3-pointers in 28 of their 35 games.
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• Daishon Smith, an All-Sun Belt First-Team selection and conference Newcomer of the Year, became the only player in NCAA Division I who averaged at least 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game in 2018-19 (research: Sports Reference CBB). Smith ranked among the NCAA Division I leaders in 3-point field goals made (15th at 3.44 per game), steals (23rd at 2.16 pg.), scoring (32nd at 21.0 points per game), free-throw percentage (35th at .861) and 3-point field-goal percentage (49th at .400).
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He led the Sun Belt in three different statistical categories: 3-point field goals made per game, free-throw percentage and steals. Smith also ranks among the league leaders in scoring (second), 3-point field-goal percentage (second), assist-to-turnover ratio (sixth at 1.8), assists (sixth at 3.9 pg.), minutes played (seventh at 34:39 pg.) and field-goal percentage (eighth at .443).
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The Jacksonville, Florida, native scored in double figures in 30 games, including 16 20-point outings. His streak of 17-straight double-figure scoring games ended in ULM's win at Texas State (averaged 23.1 points during that span). Smith averaged 23.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists in Sun Belt play.
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ULM compiled a 19-13 record with Smith in the starting lineup (sidelined for three games with a hamstring injury; DNP in road games at Texas, Michigan State and Tennessee Tech).
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• All-Sun Belt Third-Team selection Michael Ertel ranked second on the team in scoring (15.5 points per game), 3-point field goals made (80) and assists (99). The 6-foot-2 sophomore guard scored in double figures in 30 games, including 10 20-point efforts. His .901 free-throw percentage (82-of-91) set a ULM single-season record. Ertel also ranked among the conference leaders in minutes played (third at 36:21 per game), 3-point field goals made (eighth at 2.29 pg.), scoring (12th) and field-goal percentage (13th at .438).
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• ULM senior Travis Munnings played as well as anyone down the stretch, averaging 17.9 points and 8.6 rebounds over his last 14 games. Munnings made 91-of-174 field-goal attempts (.522), including 36-of-82 3-pointers (.439) during that stretch. In five postseason games (three in the Sun Belt Championship and two in the CIT), the 6-foot-6 forward led the Warhawks in scoring (20.4 ppg.) and rebounding (9.4 pg.).
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Munnings set the school record for most games played in a Warhawk uniform with 134, breaking the mark previously held by former guard Nick Coppola (132 games played from 2013-17).
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With his offensive rebound with 1:17 left in the first half against the Ragin' Cajuns, Munnings became just the fourth player in school history to score at least 1,000 career points and collect at least 800 career rebounds.
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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: 1,722 points and 956 rebounds). Munnings finished among ULM's all-time Top 10 in scoring (fifth) and rebounding (fifth).
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With his double-double (16 points and 10 rebounds) at Arkansas State, he became just the 11th player in Sun Belt history to eclipse the 900-rebound career milestone.
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ULM POSTSEASON HISTORY –
ULM made its 13th postseason appearance in program history in 2019. It marked the Warhawks' fourth trip to postseason play in the last five years, including their third appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. ULM knocked off Kent State, 87-77, the first round of the 2019 CIT before falling to Texas State in triple overtime, 108-102, in the quarterfinals.
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In addition, ULM has made seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament (1982, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1996), two in the National Invitation Tournament (1979 and 1988) and one in the College Basketball Invitational (2015).
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The Warhawks have an all-time record of 5-14 (.263) in postseason play: 1-7 in the NCAA Tournament, 0-2 in the NIT, 3-2 in the CBI and 1-3 in the CIT. ULM advanced to the CBI Championship Series in 2015.
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SEASON OPENERS –
In its 68-year basketball history, ULM is 32-36 (.471) in season openers, including four wins in the last five games (won 74-65 at UAB in 2014, 88-43 vs. McMurry in 2015 and 96-93 vs. Centenary in 2016 before losing 83-73 at TCU in 2017; won 75-66 at Jackson State in 2018). ULM has compiled a 4-5 record in season openers under head coach Keith Richard.
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ULM/LOUISIANA COLLEGE SERIES NOTES –
Tuesday's season opener marks the 40th meeting between ULM and Louisiana College. The Warhawks lead the all-time series 27-12. ULM has won the last nine games in the series.
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It marks the first meeting between the two teams since Dec. 6, 2014, when the Warhawks defeated the Wildcats, 83-55, in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. Louisiana College's last win in the series came on March 2, 1971, when the Wildcats knocked off ULM, 84-83, in overtime in the NAIA District 30 Playoffs in Alexandria, Louisiana.
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SCOUTING LOUISIANA COLLEGE –
Fifth-year Louisiana College head coach Reni Mason welcomes back three of the top four scorers from last year's team that finished 19-7 overall, including 11-5 in the American Southwest Conference. The Wildcats posted a 13-5 record in away/neutral site games in 2018-19. Louisiana College averaged 82.7 points per game last season while hitting 39 percent from 3-point range (9.6 3-pointers made per game).
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The Wildcats placed three players on the 2019-20 ASC East Division Preseason Watch list, including guards Kae'ron Baker (15.1 points per game, 65 3-pointers), Jaylen Rhone (10.8 ppg.) and Denzel Austin (8.3 ppg.). Baker was selected ASC East Division Newcomer of the Year in 2018-19.
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