DENTON, Texas - The ULM women's basketball team returns to regular season action with a 7 p.m. tip-off Friday at North Texas. The Warhawks won Tuesday's exhibition game over Louisiana College, 84-40. Five different players scored in double figures in the win, while ULM limited the Wildcats to 22.4% shooting. It's the first meeting between ULM and UNT since 2013.
PROJECTED STARTERS (based on previous game)
#1
Amber Thompson, 5-9, Senior, Guard (7.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.1 apg)
#4
Kierra Crockett, 6-0, Junior, Forward (6.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.8 spg)
#11
Whitney Goins, 6-0, Junior, Guard/Forward (4.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.0 apg)
#22
Lauren Fitch, 5-6, Senior, Guard (14.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.9 apg)
#24
Diamond Brooks, 6-2, Junior, Center (7.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 0.6 bpg)
STARTING FIVE
1. ULM is one of the top shooting teams in the Sun Belt Conference. The Warhawks rank fourth in the SBC in field goal percentage (39.6) and fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (27.6).
2. Senior guard
Lauren Fitch leads the Warhawks in 13 different stat categories on the season, and ranks in the top 10 in the Sun Belt in several categories, including second in minutes (36.4 per game) and steals (2.4 per game), fifth in scoring (14.9 points per game) and ninth in assists (2.9 per game). Fitch also leads ULM in rebounding (44 overall, second per game at 5.5) and free throws made and attempts, among other categories. Fitch scored 10 points and handed out four assists vs. Nicholls.
3. Senior guard
Amber Thompson is also appearing among SBC leaders in a handful of stat categories. Thompson is fourth in free throw percentage (80.0%, 20-of-25), 11th in blocked shots (0.7 per game) and 21st in minutes played (28.9 per game). Thompson scored eight points while pulling down six rebounds at Nicholls State.
4. In Tuesday's exhibition win over Louisiana College, the Warhawks displayed balance, with five players scoring in double figures and two others narrowly missing a 10-point performance. Sophomore forward
Jamie Means led the Warhawks with 13 points while freshman guard
Linda van Schaik tallied 12 points. Sophomore forward
Kierra Crockett, junior center
Diamond Brooks and freshman guard
Gara Beth Self had 11 points each. Senior guard
Amber Thompson collected nine points while sophomore center
Sheniqua Coatney picked up eight points.
5. Friday's game at North Texas is the second game this season against an opponent from Conference USA. The Warhawks lost to Southern Miss, 57-42, back on Nov. 16. ULM has lost four straight games to teams from Conference USA, dating back to a 73-55 win over Southern Miss on Dec. 9, 2012.
PREVIEWING NORTH TEXAS
Friday's game is the 45th all-time meeting between ULM and North Texas, and just the seventh all-time meeting between the two schools as non-conference opponents. ULM and North Texas met as Southland Conference foes from 1983-84 until UNT's departure from the league after the 1995-96 season. The two teams then met in Sun Belt Conference play from ULM's arrival in the league in 2006-07 until UNT departed the SBC following the 2012-13 season. This is just the fourth all-time regular season non-conference meeting between the two schools after meeting twice in the 1975 AIAW Regional Tournament and once in the 1994 Southland Conference Tournament.
Senior post Anisha George leads the North Texas attack. George is averaging a double-double through 10 games, scoring 12.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. George is shooting 65.5% from the field and 75% from the free throw line this season, and has blocked 19 shots. Statistically, George is one of the top players in Conference USA, ranking first in field goal percentage, second in rebounding and offensive rebounding (4.6 per game), third in blocked shots (1.9 per game), eighth in defensive rebounding (5.9 per game) and 16th in scoring. George has five double-doubles this season. Her best performance came in the season-opener against Mid-America Christian, scoring 19 points and pulling in 26 rebounds.
Freshman forward Destinee McDowell is second on the team in scoring at 10.0 points per game and is also second in rebounding at 7.2 boards per game. McDowell ranks 2nd in CUSA in steals (2.5 per game), 8th in blocked shots (1.3 per game), 10th in free throw percentage (81.3%), tied for 10th in offensive rebounds (2.8 per game), 11th in rebounding and 12th in field goal percentage (48.7%). McDowell tallied a 10 point, 12 rebound double-double at Cal State-Bakersfield on Nov. 26, and nearly hit a triple-double on Nov. 20 vs. Xavier (La.), posting 11 points, nine rebounds and eight steals.
In addition, UNT has two other players scoring over seven points per game in junior guard Callie Owens (7.6) and freshman guard Jazion Jackson (7.3). Jackson also leads UNT at 2.5 assists per game. Junior forward Madi Townley is third on the team in rebounding with 6.0 boards per game.
