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ULM Concludes Non-Conference Schedule at No. 12 Butler Saturday

ULM Concludes Non-Conference Schedule at No. 12 Butler Saturday

Men's Basketball Dec 26
Game 11: ULM (4-6) vs. No. 12/11 Butler (11-1)
Saturday, Dec. 28 | 4 p.m. ET
Indianapolis, Ind. | Hinkle Fieldhouse
 
ULM Basketball Notes: Game 11 vs. Butler
 
STORYLINE –
ULM (4-6) looks to snap its four-game losing streak in its final non-conference game at No. 12 Butler (11-1) on Saturday, Dec. 28 at 4 p.m. ET. The Warhawks have dropped their last four games by a combined total of 16 points. ULM is playing its first opponent ranked in the AP Top 25 since Nov. 14, 2018, when the Warhawks lost at No. 11 Michigan State, 80-59.
 
Saturday's game marks a homecoming for ULM junior guard Michael Ertel, an Indianapolis native and Mt. Vernon High School graduate who grew up 12 miles from Hinkle Fieldhouse. Ertel leads the Warhawks in scoring (16.7 points per game), 3-pointers (20 made), free-throw percentage (.818) and assists (29). His parents, Michael and Amy, are both Butler graduates, and Michael grew up attending Bulldog summer basketball camps.
 
THE STARTING FIVE –
• ULM's starting backcourt of Michael Ertel and JD Williams has combined to average 32.7 points per game. The tandem has combined to account for 50 percent (327 of 653 points) of the team's scoring through the first 10 games. Ertel (fourth at 16.7 points per game) and Williams (tied for seventh at 16.0 ppg.) both rank among the Sun Belt Conference's Top 10 in scoring.
 
Ertel also listed among the league's Top 10 in five additional statistical categories: third in minutes played (36.7 pg.), seventh in 3-point field-goal percentage (.364), seventh in free-throw percentage (.818), ninth in field-goal percentage (.426) and ninth in 3-point field goals made (2.0 pg.). The Indianapolis, Indiana, native has scored in double figures in 17 consecutive games, (dating back to last season) including six 20-point outings.
 
Williams leads the Sun Belt in minutes played (37.6 per game) and ranks among the league's Top 20 in field-goal percentage (No. 10 at .425) and rebounding (No. 14 at 5.9 rpg.). His 37.7 minutes per game rank fifth among NCAA Division I players.
 
• Sophomore guard Jalen Hodge has scored in double figures in five of his last six games (79 points), averaging 13.2 points during that stretch. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Hodge has made 26 of his last 43 field-goal attempts (.605), including 13-of-20 (.650) 3-pointers, during the six-game streak.
 
He netted 10 points each in back-to-back Sun Belt Conference games against Little Rock (4-of-5 FG shooting including 1-of-2 3-pointers) and Arkansas State (4-of-6 FG shooting). 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).
 
• ULM has lost four-straight games by a combined total of 16 points. The Warhawks have led in the second half in each of those four games. Overall, ULM has lost five games this season by a combined total of 22 points.
 
• ULM ranks among the Sun Belt Conference leaders in 3-point field-goal percentage (third at .376), scoring defense (third at 63.7 points per game), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (third at .320), rebound margin (fourth at +1.1 pg.), field-goal percentage defense (fifth at .407) and blocked shots (fifth at 3.4 per game).
 
• Through 10 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).
 
BUTLER SCOUTING REPORT –
No. 12/11 Butler (11-1) opened the 2019-20 season with nine-straight wins before falling at No. 11 Baylor, 53-52, in the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle. The Bulldogs have bounced back to win their last two games against Southern (66-41) and Purdue (70-61) in the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
 
Butler sports the nation's longest streak of consecutive non-conference home wins at 57.
 
The Bulldogs' starting lineup features three double-figure scorers, in 6-foot-1 guard Kamar Baldwin (14.8 points per game), 6-6 forward Sean McDermott (11.4 ppg., team-leading 27 3-pointers) and 6-7 forward Bryce Nze (10.3 ppg., team-leading 6.8 rebounds pg.).
 
Baldwin, a Preseason All-BIG EAST First-Team selection, has scored in double figures in nine games, including four 20-point outings. He poured in a season-high 31 points (11-of-16 FG shooting) in Butler's 67-58 victory at Ole Miss.
 
McDermott has posted double figures in nine games, including the last four in a row.
 
Nze, who has led the Bulldogs in rebounding in eight games, recorded back-to-back double-doubles to open the season (11 points and 11 rebounds vs. IUPUI and 18 points and 10 boards vs. New Orleans).
 
Point guard Aaron Thompson, who has started 77 consecutive games for the Bulldogs, leads the BIG EAST and ranks No. 14 nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.04). In addition, Thompson ranks second in the conference and No. 28 in NCAA Division I in assists, averaging 5.8 per game.
 
Butler leads the BIG EAST in six different statistical categories, including scoring defense (55.1 ppg.), scoring margin (+14.3 ppg.), field-goal percentage (.482), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.283), turnovers per game (10.4) and assist-to-turnover radio (1.38). In addition, the Bulldogs rank among the NCAA Division I leaders in those same categories: fourth in scoring defense, seventh in turnovers, 17th in assist-to-turnover ratio, 26th in scoring margin, 32nd in field-goal percentage and 34th in 3-point field-goal percentage defense. Butler has held eight of its 12 opponents to less than 60 points.
 
ULM/BUTLER SERIES NOTES –
Saturday's game marks the first-ever meeting between ULM and Butler.
 
WARHAWKS vs. BIG EAST CONFERENCE TEAMS –
The Warhawks have compiled an 0-3 record (.000) against current members of the BIG EAST Conference (0-1 vs. Marquette and 0-2 vs. Xavier).
 
WARHAWKS vs. OPPONENTS RANKED IN AP TOP 25 –
ULM is playing its first opponent ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 since Nov. 14, 2018, when the Warhawks lost at No. 11 Michigan State, 80-59. The Warhawks have an all-time record of 2-44 (.043) against AP Top 25 opponents. Eleven of those 46 games played against AP Top 25 opponents have been decided by 10 points or less, including two in overtime.
 
ULM has lost 28 consecutive games against opponents ranked in the AP Top 25, with the Warhawks' last win coming against No. 9 Arkansas, 87-78, on Dec. 30, 1992, in Little Rock.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT –
Arkansas State 62, ULM 59 (Dec. 21, 2019, in Monroe, La.): ULM faded down the stretch while dropping a 62-59 Sun Belt Conference decision to Arkansas State at Fant-Ewing Coliseum last Saturday.
 
The Warhawks (4-6, 0-2) led late in the second half but couldn't hang on while losing their fourth straight.
 
Tyree White scored a season-high 14 points to lead the Warhawks, who shot 47 percent in the contest. Michael Ertel added 13 points and Jalen Hodge had 10.
 
Melo Eggleston led Arkansas State (9-3, 2-0) with 14 points. Jerry Johnson and Marquis Eaton scored 13 apiece.
 
ULM led 29-23 at halftime while shooting 55 percent from the floor. The first half featured six ties before the Warhawks surged ahead by eight points during a 7-0 run. Ertel and Tyree White scored seven points each to lead ULM.
 
In the first half, Arkansas State shot 39.1 percent (9 of-23) made just one 3-pointer in five attempts and was outrebounded 14-8 by ULM.
 
After the break, the Red Wolves made 8-of-10 shots from the floor to cut the deficit to 48-47 halfway through the second half.
 
Eggleston's layup with 6:59 remaining helped Arkansas State regain the lead at 52-51 for the first time since the 8:11 mark of the first half.
 
Down the stretch, ULM endured a scoring drought of more than four minutes as Arkansas State gradually increased its edge. Eaton's jumper with 1:59 remaining put the Red Wolves up 59-53, its largest lead of the game at that point.
 
WARHAWKS TOUGH ON HOMECOURT –
ULM is 30-10 (.750) in games played in Fant-Ewing Coliseum since 2017-18, including an 18-6 record (.750) in its last 24 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 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 (28): Michael Ertel 10, JD Williams 9, Jalen Hodge 5, Tyree White 2, Youry White 1, Chris Efretuei 1. Opponents: 25.
 
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, Tyree White 1.
 
Games leading ULM in rebounding: JD Williams 3, D'Andre Bernard 2, Chris Efretuei 2, Tyree White 1, Michael Ertel 1, Youry White 1, Jalen Hodge 1.
 
Games leading ULM in assists: Michael Ertel 5, JD Williams 4, Jalen Hodge 2, Tyree White, 1 Erie Olonade 1, D'Andre Bernard 1.
 
2019-20 ULM STARTING LINEUPS –
Nov. 5 vs. Louisiana College: Ertel, Williams, T. White, Y. White, Efretuei
Nov. 9 vs. Alcorn State: Ertel, Williams, T. White, Y. White, Efretuei
Nov. 11 at Texas A&M: Ertel, Williams, T. White, Y. White, Efretuei
Nov. 14 at Mississippi State: Ertel, Williams, T. White, Y. White, Efretuei
Nov. 26 vs. Northwestern State: Ertel, Williams, T. White, Y. White, Efretuei
Dec. 4 vs. Millsaps College: Ertel, Williams, T. White, Y. White, Efretuei
Dec. 10 vs. Grambling State: Ertel, Williams, T. White, Bernard, Efretuei
Dec. 14 at SFA: Ertel, Williams, Hodge, Nicholas, Efretuei
Dec. 19 vs. Little Rock: Ertel, Williams, Hodge, T. White, Bernard
Dec. 21 vs. Arkansas State: Ertel, Williams, Hodge, T. White, Bernard
                                
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: 2 (0-2)
 
2019-20 WARHAWK STATISTICAL TRENDS –
Games played in Fant-Ewing Coliseum: 4-3
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: 1-4
Games played in January: 0-0
Games played in February: 0-0
Games played in March: 0-0                              
 
When leading at halftime: 4-3
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: 3-5
When opponent shoots .500 or better from the field: 0-0
When opponent shoots less than .500 from the floor: 4-6
 
When outrebounding opponent: 1-2
When outrebounded by opponent: 2-4
When rebounding totals are equal: 1-0
 
When hitting more free throws than opponent: 4-2
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: 2-6
When turnover totals are equal: 1-0
 
When ULM scores less than 50 points: 0-1         
When ULM scores 50-59 points: 0-3
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: 2-5
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: 1-3
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: 1-4                                                 
Last 10 games: 4-6
 
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)
 
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