Daishon Smith dribble drive vs App State 2019
Jeanette Robinson, ULM Photo Services
75
APPALACHIAN STATE APP 9-19, 4-11
81
Winner ULM ULM 15-12, 8-7
APPALACHIAN STATE APP
9-19, 4-11
75
Final
81
ULM ULM
15-12, 8-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
APPALACHIAN STATE APP 33 42 75
ULM ULM 37 44 81

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

ULM Survives App State, 81-75; Improves to 12-1 at Home

By Paul Letlow, ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist

MONROE, La. – ULM might have had an easy night of it if not for Ronshad Shabazz.   

Although ULM never found an answer to Shabazz's incredible shooting display on Thursday night, the Warhawks were able to deliver an 81-75 win over Appalachian State at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

"It's a great win," ULM coach Keith Richard said. "That's what I just told the team. At this time of the year, all of the wins are great wins if you can get one." 

The Warhawks (15-12, 8-7 in the Sun Belt Conference) survived a 47-point onslaught by Shabazz, whose shooting single-handedly kept the Mountaineers (9-19, 4-11) in the game until the final minutes. 

"Shabazz had a great performance," ULM guard Michael Ertel said. "I thought a lot of those shots were against good defense. He made some tough shots. But we're happy to get the win."

Shabazz made it a 70-68 ULM lead with his ninth 3-pointer with 2:26 to go.  But ULM would pull away, making 8-of-9 free throws down the stretch. 

Daishon Smith scored 26 points to lead four ULM players in double figures. Michael Ertel scored 22 points, Travis Munnings had 16 and JD Williams finished with 12. ULM shot 51 percent overall and 58 percent on 3-pointers. 

Richard could only tip his cap to Shabazz, who made 10-of-17 3-pointers and was 17-of-30 from the floor. 

"He's an all-conference returning player and going to be another all-conference player this year," Richard said. "He's very capable of this kind of night. I'm not surprised he had this kind of night."

ULM took a 37-33 lead into halftime after leading by as many as 16 in the first half. The Mountaineers hit their final 9-of-11 field goal attempts and ULM was scoreless over the last 2:59 of the half. 

App State came out cold, missing its first five shots from the floor and was 1-of-9 as ULM built a 12-2 lead to open the game.  

Ertel nailed his first three 3-pointers and had nine of ULM's first 15 points. 

Munnings made 3-pointers on consecutive possessions as ULM grew its lead to 23-10 with 7:53 left in the half. A tomahawk dunk by Williams and Smith's 3-pointer got it to 28-12 at 6:25. The 16-point lead was the largest of the half. 

Shabazz kept the Mountaineers within striking distance as he scored 24 of their first 33 points. The left-hander's 3-pointer and free throw on Smith's foul with 1:59 left shaved the lead to 34-30.  His next 3-pointer made it 36-33 with 55 seconds to go in the half.  

App State got as close as two points, 38-36, early in the second half, but ULM would cling to its lead until Shabazz got going again.  

Shabazz was quiet until hitting a 3-pointer 10:30 to go in the game. His next bucket, another 3-pointer, made it 56-54 at the 9:46 mark. He tied the game at 59-59 with another 3-ball with 7:46 left. 

With 6:40 to play, the Mountaineers took their first lead of the game at 62-61 on a 3-point play by Isaac Johnson. Johnson, with 12 points, was the only other player to reach double figures for App State. 

 ULM made its next three field goals, including a 3-point play on a drive by Smith, to go back ahead 68-63. 

"I'm really proud of our players for not losing this game," Richard said. "This is conference play late in the year. That thing got tight, they went up one and we responded. I think Travis Munnings made a big bucket in there with the shot clock going down. He made a little 15-footer. That was a big bucket. We made numerous big buckets and free throws after that."

Up next: It's Senior Day on Saturday (March 2) as ULM plays its final home game at 2 p.m. against Coastal Carolina.
 
Tailfeathers: Youry White made his third start and first at home for the Warhawks. … ULM recognized retiring Faculty Athletics Representative Brett Bennett on the court and presented him with a commemorative basketball. Bennett started at ULM in August 2011 and will retire from his position, effective May 2019. … The ULM water ski team came out at halftime to celebrate its 29th National Championship. 
 
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