LAKE CHARLES, La. -Â The ULM women's basketball team is back on the floor for the first time in a week when they visit McNeese State on Sunday. The game marks the return of first-year ULM head coach
Brooks Donald Williams to McNeese, where she spent nine seasons as head coach of the Cowgirls. Williams is the all-time winningest coach in McNeese history. The Warhawks are coming off a 65-52 loss to Southeastern Louisiana.
Through five games, ULM ranks fourth in the Sun Belt Conference in blocks (2.6 per game) and fifth in scoring defense (63.4 points per game) and field goal percentage defense (38.1%).
Through five games, senior
Lauren Fitch is the only Warhawk averaging double figure scoring at 14.6 points per game. Fitch sits in the top 10 in the Sun Belt in minutes played (35.8 minutes per game), and 10th in scoring. Fitch is also one of the top rebounding guards in the Sun Belt, sitting 11th in defensive rebounds (4.6 per game) and tied for 15th in rebounding (6.2 per game).
Junior
Kierra Crockett continues to make an impact through the first three games of her Warhawk career. After sitting out the first two games of the season, Crockett came off the bench for her ULM debut vs. Southern Miss, recording three points and two rebounds. Crockett moved into the starting lineup vs. Northwestern State and responded with six points and 11 rebounds. Against Southeastern Louisiana, Crockett scored 14 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting while adding nine rebounds. Crockett leads the team at 7.3 rebounds per game. She has not played in enough games to qualify for Sun Belt stat leaders.
Sunday's game vs. McNeese is the third of five straight games for the Warhawks against Southland Conference opponents. ULM will host Houston Baptist on Saturday and travel to Nicholls on Dec. 10.
Sunday's game marks the 72nd all-time meeting between ULM and McNeese. The Warhawks lead the series 42-29 after last year's 69-60 win at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe. The Cowgirls have won three of the last four meetings and six of the last eight. The two teams met at least twice per season as members of the Southland Conference from 1983 to 2006.
McNeese enters Sunday's contest at 1-5 on the season. The Cowgirls defeated Centenary for their only win of the season 116-37 on Nov. 8. The Cowgirls have lost on the road to SMU, Arkansas, the Ragin' Â Cajuns and UAB, while also dropping Wednesday's home game to Rice, 80-51.
Sophomore guard Callie Maddox is the only Cowgirl averaging double-figure scoring. Maddox has posted double-figure scoring in four of six games, tallying a season-high 16 points at UAB on Nov. 24. Maddox also scored 15 points against Centenary and Arkansas.
Senior forward Damilola Balogun leads the Cowgirls in rebounding, pulling down 7.7 boards per game. Balogun has yet to break into double-digit rebounds this season, but has two nine-rebound games, coming against SMU and Rice. She has at least seven rebounds in five of six games this season.
Sophomore guard Rayah Haynes leads McNeese in assists, handing out 20 dimes in six games (3.3 per game). Haynes tallied a season-high five assists vs. Centenary and at UAB. She picked up nine points in the season-opener at SMU.
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