Game 10: Arkansas State (8-3, 1-0 Sun Belt) vs. ULM (4-5, 0-1 Sun Belt)
Saturday, Dec. 21 | 2 p.m.
Monroe, La. | Fant-Ewing Coliseum (7,000)
ULM Basketball Notes: Game 10 vs. Arkansas State
HOLIDAY TICKET PROMOTION | YOUTH DAY
Youth 18 and under will receive a free general admission ticket to the Dec. 21 Sun Belt Conference game against Arkansas State. Following the game, children 12 and under will be permitted on the court to shoot baskets for 20 minutes.
STORYLINE –
After a heartbreaking loss to Little Rock (73-72) in the Sun Belt Conference opener Thursday night, ULM (4-5, 0-1) looks to rebound against Arkansas State (8-3, 1-0) Saturday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. The Warhawks have lost four games this season by a combined total of 19 points.
ULM's starting backcourt of Michael Ertel (17.1 ppg.) and JD Williams (16.9 ppg.) has combined to average 34.0 points per game. The tandem has combined to account for 52 percent of the team's scoring through the first nine games. Ertel and Williams, who both rank among the Sun Belt Conference's Top 5 in scoring, combined for 47 points against Little Rock.
THE STARTING FIVE –
• ULM is 30-9 (.769) in games played in Fant-Ewing Coliseum since 2017-18, including an 18-5 record (.783) in its last 23 home games. The Warhawks went 14-3 at home in 2018-19, including a 7-2 record in league games. The 14 home victories matched the second-highest single-season total in school history (six times; previous seasons: 1985-86, 1990-91, 1992-93, 2006-07, 2014-15 and 2018-19). The Warhawks won a single-season record 15 games (15-1) in 1978-79.
• ULM ranks among the Sun Belt Conference leaders in 3-point field-goal percentage (third at .370), scoring defense (third at 63.9 points per game), field-goal percentage defense (fourth at .403), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (fourth at .320), rebound margin (fifth at +1.3 pg.) and blocked shots (sixth at 3.3 per game). In addition, the Warhawks are listed among the NCAA Division I leaders in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (No. 57).
• Through nine games, ULM has allowed only one opposing player to score 20 or more points. Little Rock's Markquis Nowell (11-of-21 field-goal shooting including 8-of-14 3-pointers) scored a career-high 33 points in the Sun Belt Conference opener, including the game-winning 3-pointer from 40-feet out with :03 left. By comparison, the Warhawks have posted seven 20-point games (4 by Michael Ertel, 2 by JD Williams and 1 by Jalen Hodge).
• ULM's starting backcourt of Michael Ertel and JD Williams has combined to average 34.0 points per game. The tandem has combined to account for 52 percent (306 of 594 points) of the team's scoring through the first nine games. Ertel (third at 17.1 points per game) and Williams (fifth at 16.9 ppg.) both rank among the Sun Belt Conference's Top 5 in scoring.
Ertel also listed among the league's Top 10 in four additional statistical categories: third in minutes played (36.8 pg.), eighth in field-goal percentage (.434), eighth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.377) and eighth in 3-point field goals made (2.2 pg.). The Indianapolis, Indiana, native has scored in double figures in 16 consecutive games, (dating back to last season) including six 20-point outings.
Williams ranks among the Sun Belt's Top 20 in three additional statistical categories: second in minutes played (37.7 per game), ninth in field-goal percentage (.429) and 11th in rebounding (6.1 pg.). His 37.7 minutes per game rank sixth among NCAA Division I players.
• Sophomore guard Jalen Hodge has scored in double figures in four of his last five games (69 points), averaging 13.8 points during that stretch. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Hodge has made 22 of his last 37 field-goal attempts (.594), including 13-of-20 (.650) 3-pointers, during the five-game streak.
He netted 10 points against Little Rock in the Sun Belt Conference opener, hitting 4-of-5 field-goal attempts including 1-of-2 3-pointers. Hodge scored 17 points in his first career start at SFA last Saturday, connecting on 4-of-5 3-pointers and all five of his three-throw attempts. He connected on 7-of-11 shots from the field, including 5-of-6 3-pointers, and finished with a career-high 22 points against Grambling State (netted 13 first-half points). Hodge scored in double figures for the first time in his ULM career against Northwestern State, posting 12 points (4-of-8 FG shooting including 3-of-6 3-pointers).
ARKANSAS STATE SCOUTING REPORT –
Arkansas State (8-3 overall) opened Sun Belt Conference play with a 79-67 home-court victory over the Ragin' Cajuns on Wednesday. The Red Wolves have won three out of their last four games.
A-State features a well-balanced scoring attack, with four players averaging double figures: 6-foot freshman guard Caleb Fields (12.5 points per game, 3.5 assists pg.), 6-6 senior guard Canberk Kus (12.3 ppg., 5.5 rebounds pg.), 6-2 guard junior Marquis Eaton (10.5 ppg.) and 6-9 red-shirt junior forward J.J. Matthews (10.0 ppg.). In addition, 6-2 senior guard Jerry Johnson Jr., who leads the team with 17 3-pointers, averages 9.7 points per game.
Fields, who came off the bench to 18 points against the Ragin' Cajuns, ranks among the league leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio (sixth at 1.8) and assists (eighth at 3.5 pg.). He has scored in double figures in six of 10 games, including a season-high 22 points at Colorado State.
A solid all-around player, Kus is listed among the Sun Belt leaders in blocked shots (sixth at 1.2 pg.), steals (tied for 10th at 1.5 pg.) and rebounding (16th at 5.5 pg.). He recorded his first career double-double against Idaho with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Eaton, who has reached double figures in scoring in five games, set season highs for points (24) and rebounds (9) against the Ragin' Cajuns in the conference opener.
A-State ranks among the Sun Belt leaders in assists (first at 14.8 pg.), assist-to-turnover ratio (second at 1.1), field-goal percentage (fourth at .456), 3-point field-goal percentage (fourth at .357), free-throw percentage (fifth at .702) and scoring defense (fifth at 67.5 ppg.).
ULM and A-State had one common non-conference opponent in SFA. The Red Wolves dropped a home game against the Lumberjacks, 76-57, while the Warhawks fell short on the road at SFA, 66-59.
ULM/ARKANSAS STATE SERIES NOTES –
Saturday's game marks the 68th meeting between ULM and Arkansas State. A-State leads the all-time series, 40-27, including a 10-20 record in games played in Monroe, La. The Red Wolves have won 15 of the last 21 meetings in the series, with three of the last 10 games decided in overtime.
ULM and A-State split the regular-season series a year ago, with each team winning on its home floor. The Warhawks won the first meeting, 85-75, on Jan. 5, 2019, in Fant-Ewing Coliseum while the Red Wolves took the second meeting, 73-72, on March 7 in First National Bank Arena.
THE LAST MEETING –
Arkansas State 73, ULM 72 (March 7, 2019, in Jonesboro, Ark.): Ty Cockfield and Grantham Gillard combined to score 51 points and Marquis Eaton converted two free throws with :08 left to give Arkansas State a 73-72 victory over ULM at First National Bank Arena.
Gillard hit three-straight 3-pointers as A-State raced out to a 12-4 lead. Daishon Smith's four-point play sparked a 16-7 run and ULM took its first lead at 20-19 as Michael Ertel connected on a fall-away jumper from the right baseline with 10:06 left in the opening half. The Red Wolves answered with a 12-2 spurt and built their largest lead at 31-22 on Gillard's jumper from the lane with 5:42 to play. The Warhawks went on a 16-8 run and pulled to within 39-38 at the intermission as JD Williams hit a 12-foot runner from the right side of the lane at the first-half buzzer.
Cockfield (15) and Gillard (13) accounted for 28 of A-State's 39 first-half points.
There were eight lead changes and three ties in the second half.
Ertel hit a pull-up jumper from the right baseline and Smith added a runner from the lane as ULM took a 42-41 lead with 19:00 remaining. The Red Wolves put together a 13-5 spurt and built a 54-47 advantage with 12:51 to play as Cockfield connected on a fall-away jumper with one second left on the shot clock. Williams finished the fast-break with an emphatic dunk, off a nifty feed from Smith, to ignite a 7-0 run as ULM tied the score at 54 on Ertel's layup through contact with 9:32 left in the game. Gillard's seventh 3-pointer gave A-State a six-point lead at 67-61 with 5:36 on the clock. The Warhawks scored nine-straight points to build their largest lead at 70-67 as Smith made two free throws with 2:03 remaining. A-State regained the lead at 71-70 as Cockfield hit a fall-away jumper from the right wing and a left-handed layup over Travis Munnings with 1:16 to play. Tyree White collected a loose ball and dunked it to give ULM a 72-71 advantage :34 left. The Warhawks had three fouls to give in the closing seconds, but Brandon Newman put ULM over the limit when he held Eaton on an in-bounds play with :08 on the clock. Eaton hit both ends of the one-and-one to put the Red Wolves back on top 73-72, and Smith misfired on a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
A-State improved to 14-0 against ULM in games played in First National Bank Arena. It also marked the Red Wolves' 17th-straight home-court win over the Warhawks.
ULM (15-14, 8-9 Sun Belt) slipped to 1-7 in conference road games, but that record included four one-point losses and another setback in double overtime.
Cockfield hit 12-of-24 field-goal attempts and finished with a game-high 26 points. A-State (13-17, 7-10 Sun Belt) also got a career-high 25 points from Gillard, who connected on 7-of-9 3-pointers.
Smith scored 23 points to pace the Warhawks and matched his career high with eight rebounds. Munnings, who produced his fourth double-double of the season and 17th of his career with 16 points and 10 rebounds, became just the 11th player in Sun Belt history to eclipse the 900-rebound career milestone (902). Ertel added 14 points.
ULM shot 57 percent (12-of-21) from the field in the second half but made only 1-of-7 3-point field-goal attempts. The Warhawks outrebounded the Red Wolves, 35-30.
THE LAST MEETING IN FANT-EWING COLISEUM –
ULM 85, Arkansas State 75 (Jan. 5, 2019, in Monroe, La.): ULM ran hot and cold at Fant-Ewing Coliseum yet had enough firepower at home to squeeze out an 85-75 win over Arkansas State.
The Warhawks moved to 9-5 overall and 2-0 in the Sun Belt Conference as four players reached double figures in scoring. Daishon Smith, who scored 42 the last time out, led the Warhawks with 24 points in the win. Michael Ertel added 19 points with JD Williams and Travis Munnings scoring 18 each.
ULM saw a 19-point first-half lead disappear as Arkansas State (7-8, 1-1) drew perilously close at three points, 56-53, midway through the second half. Over the final 20 minutes, ULM shot 36 percent while the visitors shot 55 percent to make their run.
The Warhawks improved to 7-0 at home where the team is averaging better than 85 points.
Munnings, who added nine rebounds to the cause, came up big throughout the contest.
ULM shooters had the hotter hand early.
Munnings knocked down a 3-pointer to open the game and spearheaded ULM's 10-3 start with five points. The Warhawks continued to rain 3s, making 6-of-11 while building their advantage to 24-8 with 11:43 to go in the first half.
Ertel's runner with 1:29 showing gave ULM its biggest lead at 19, 46-27, and the Warhawks entered halftime up 48-32. Smith's 13 points led ULM scorers, with 11 coming from Ertel and nine from Munnings.
With an Arkansas State 7-0 burst to open the second half, the lead shrunk to 48-39. ULM went scoreless and was 0-for-8 from the floor until a driving dunk by Williams with 16:09 showing.
The Red Wolves continued to climb back, whittling the lead to 55-49 on Ty Cockfield's jumper with 11:57 left in the game as ULM was outscored, 17-7, coming out of the break. Cockfield, who came in percentage points behind Smith for top scorer in the Sun Belt, led his team with 20 points, with 16 coming in the second half.
The deficit was down to three when Smith sank a 3 from the top of the circle with 9:15 to go for a 59-53 edge. Then a Smith steal and layup had ULM up 10 at 63-53.
The Red Wolves could get no closer than six points in the final six minutes as ULM worked through its cold spell and handled business at the free-throw line. The Warhawks were 24-of-28 overall and 15-of-18 from the line in the second half.
THE LAST TIME OUT –
Little Rock 73, ULM 72 (Dec. 19, 2019, in Monroe, La.): The dagger shot came fell with three seconds left on Thursday night as Little Rock guard Markquis Nowell drilled a 40-foot 3-pointer to stun ULM 73-72 at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams.
But the damage was done with a slow start and a staggering finish that cost the Warhawks their chance to begin conference play with a win. Instead, ULM lost its third-straight to fall to 4-5 overall, 0-1 in the Sun Belt.
ULM trailed by 10 points at halftime, led by as many as 10 points with a big turnaround in the second half but then didn't hit a bucket over the final five minutes.
JD Williams led ULM with 24 points, one short of his career high and Michael Ertel added 23 for a ULM team that shot 54.2 percent from the floor and made 7-of-12 3-pointers. But ULM also made just 13-of-22 free throws (59.1 percent) and committed 17 turnovers leading to 16 Little Rock points.
ULM shook up the starting lineup for the fourth time in four games in an effort to help the Warhawks shake the woes that have plagued the squad of late.
But an inconsistent offense littered with too many turnovers continued to hamper ULM, and the team couldn't put Little Rock away when it had a chance. The Warhawks remixed the starting lineup as guards Ertel, Williams, Jalen Hodge and forwards Tyree White and D'Andre Bernard got the first crack at the Trojans.
The guard-oriented lineup had its moments, but Little Rock had the hottest hand in the game as Nowell, the top scorer in the Sun Belt Conference, paced the Trojans (7-5, 1-1 Sun Belt) with 33 points and eight 3-pointers.
A basket separated the two teams through most of the first 12 minutes before ULM hit a scoring drought of more than four minutes. Little Rock used a 9-0 run to go up 28-20 by the 4:32 mark.
The Trojans finished the half with an 8-4 run to lead 36-26 by intermission. ULM made 12 turnovers and shot 46 percent through the first 20 minutes, with Ertel and Williams scoring nine points each. Little Rock shot 50 percent from the floor led by Nowell's 15 points and four 3-pointers.
The second half was a different story for the home team, until the final stretch.
A pair of 3-pointers by Tyree White and Williams, and a driving layup by Williams helped ULM quickly shave the lead to 38-34 coming out of the break.
White's jumper at the 14:46 mark tied the game at 41 as the Warhawks completely erased their double-digit deficit.
An Ertel layup with 11:06 remaining gave ULM a 50-48 edge, its first lead since the 8:27 mark of the first half. ULM hit 10-of-14 field goals coming out of the locker room to turn the game around.
Defensively, ULM did a better job as well as the Trojans shot 5-of-15 from the floor while falling behind 56-51. Little Rock went more than eight minutes in all without scoring as ULM built its lead to 10 at 62-52.
But Little Rock pushed back to get within four points at 67-63 at the 2:27 mark as ULM hit another dry spell without a field goal. Nowell's 3-pointer with 36 seconds to go made it 69-66.
Ertel hit a pair of free throws, but Nowell answered with another 3-pointer to bring his team closer at 71-69 with 22.7 showing.
With ULM leading 72-70 after a Little Rock free throw, the officials called a jump ball as Ertel dribbled up the court and gave the Trojans the ball with 11.7 remaining. The Trojans inbounded and Nowell swished the long 3-pointer to complete the comeback.
ULM RECORDS 1,000TH WIN IN PROGRAM HISTORY –
With its 73-72 overtime win over Alcorn State Saturday, ULM recorded its 1,000th victory in program history since beginning competition as a four-year institution in 1951-52 (69th season). Keith Richard's 116 career victories at ULM rank third on the all-time list, trailing only Mike Vining (402; 1981-05) and Lenny Fant (326; 1957-79). That trio has accounted for 844 of ULM's 1,002 all-time wins as a four-year institution.
WARHAWKS DOMINATE THE GLASS IN SEASON OPENER –
ULM outrebounded NCAA Division III Louisiana College, 57-24, in the season opener. The +33 rebound margin is tied for the 11th-best mark recorded during the 2019-20 season. UMKC outrebounded Bacone College by +41, 56-15, on Nov. 18.
ULM LOOKS TO EXTEND POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT STREAK –
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.
WARHAWK STAT LEADERS –
Double-figure scoring games (25): JD Williams 9, Michael Ertel 9, Jalen Hodge 4, Youry White 1, Chris Efretuei 1, Tyree White 1. Opponents: 22.
20-point games (7): Michael Ertel 4, JD Williams 2, Jalen Hodge. Opponents: 1.
30-point games (0): None. Opponents: 1.
40-point games (0): None. Opponents: None.
Double-figure rebounding games (1): D'Andre Bernard 1. Opponents: 2.
Double-doubles (0): None. Opponents: 1.
Games leading ULM in scoring: JD Williams 4, Michael Ertel 3, Jalen Hodge 2.
Games leading ULM in rebounding: JD Williams 3, D'Andre Bernard 2, Chris Efretuei 2, Tyree White 1, Michael Ertel 1, Youry White 1.
Games leading ULM in assists: Michael Ertel 5, JD Williams 3, Jalen Hodge 2, Tyree White, 1 Erie Olonade 1, D'Andre Bernard 1.
2019-20 ULM STARTING LINEUPS –
Different Starting Combinations (4):
Ertel, Williams, T. White, Y. White, Efretuei: 6 (4-2)
Ertel, Williams, T. White, Bernard, Efretuei: 1 (0-1)
Ertel, Williams, Hodge, Nicholas, Efretuei: 1 (0-1)
Ertel, Williams, Hodge, T. White, Bernard: 1 (0-1)
2019-20 WARHAWK STATISTICAL TRENDS –
Games played in Fant-Ewing Coliseum: 4-2
Games played on the road: 0-3
Games played at a neutral site: 0-0
Games played in November: 3-2
Games played in December: 1-3
Games played in January: 0-0
Games played in February: 0-0
Games played in March: 0-0
When leading at halftime: 4-2
When trailing at halftime: 0-2
When tied at halftime: 0-1
When shooting .500 or better from the field: 1-1
When shooting less than .500 from the field: 3-4
When opponent shoots .500 or better from the field: 0-0
When opponent shoots less than .500 from the floor: 4-5
When outrebounding opponent: 1-2
When outrebounded by opponent: 2-3
When rebounding totals are equal: 1-0
When hitting more free throws than opponent: 4-1
When hitting fewer free throws than opponent: 0-4
When hitting the same number of free throws as opponent: 0-0
When committing fewer turnovers than opponent: 1-0
When opponent commits fewer turnovers: 2-5
When turnover totals are equal: 1-0
When ULM scores less than 50 points: 0-1
When ULM scores 50-59 points: 0-2
When ULM scores 60-69 points: 1-1
When ULM scores 70-79 points: 2-1
When ULM scores 80-89 points: 1-0
When ULM scores 90-99 points: 0-0
When opponent scores less than 50 points: 1-0
When opponent scores 50-59 points: 0-0
When opponent scores 60-69 points: 2-4
When opponent scores 70-79 points: 1-1
When opponent scores 80-89 points: 0-0
When opponent scores 90-99 points: 0-0
Games decided by five points or less: 1-2
Games decided by 6-10 points: 1-2
Games decided by 11-19 points: 0-1
Games decided by 20 points or more: 2-0
Last five games: 2-3
Last 10 games: ----
Largest deficit overcome to win: 4 (7-3 vs. Alcorn State, Nov. 9; 31-27 vs. Millsaps College, Dec. 4)
Largest lead surrendered in a loss: 10 (34-24 at Texas A&M, Nov. 11; 62-52 vs. Little Rock, Dec. 19)
