Statesboro, Ga. – The ULM women's basketball team aims for the season sweep of Georgia Southern on Saturday afternoon at Hanner Fieldhouse. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
The Warhawks are coming off Thursday's 68-46 loss at Georgia State to drop to 7-14 overall and 1-9 in the Sun Belt Conference. Georgia State continued a torrid shooting pace, knocking down 53 percent of its shots (25-of-47). The Panthers shot 70 percent from the floor in the first quarter to take a 17-10 lead, and stretched the lead to 18 by halftime at 39-21. ULM used a 7-0 run to close the third quarter to cut the gap to 13, but Georgia State pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore guard Arsula Clark scored in double-figures for the seventh straight game at Georgia State. Clark scored 13 points for the third straight game. She is averaging 15.3 points per game over the stretch, topping out at 20 points at Troy on Jan. 24. The last time Clark failed to lead ULM in scoring was Jan. 10 vs. Georgia Southern, when redshirt freshman Tiara Malone matched her career-high with 24 points. Clark also led the team in rebounding at Georgia State with eight boards.
Junior guard Amber Thompson has scored in double-figures in back-to-back games after scoring 11 points at Georgia State. Thompson also had 10 points vs. Appalachian State last Saturday. Thompson has connected on at least two 3-pointers in four straight games. She has hit multiple 3-pointers in 11 games this season.
Freshman center Sheniqua Coatney made her first career start on Thursday at Georgia State. Coatney took a charge on the opening possession of the game, while scoring four points and pulling in a rebound. Coatney came up with two steals on defense while deflecting several other passes in a career-high 22 minutes.
The Warhawks are now 0-6 on the road in Sun Belt Conference play this season after winning two road games in the non-conference, knocking off New Orleans and Northwestern State. ULM has not won on the road in the Sun Belt since a 67-54 win at South Alabama on Feb. 25, 2016.
Saturday's game is the ninth all-time meeting between the Warhawks and Eagles. The two teams did not meet until Georgia Southern joined the Sun Belt Conference in the 2015-16 season. ULM won the first four meetings, followed by three straight Georgia Southern victories, before ULM won at the buzzer on a layup by Clark in January, 59-58.
The Eagles come into Saturday's game vs. ULM off a victory against the Ragin' Cajuns, 79-71, on Thursday in Statesboro. Georgia Southern has won two of their last three games after picking up their first Sun Belt Conference win of the season two weeks ago at Texas State, 65-55. The Eagles are 4-7 at home this season following Thursday's win. Georgia Southern picked up non-conference home victories over Bethune-Cookman, Coastal Georgia and Winthrop. The Eagles have found their offensive stride over the last three games. Georgia Southern has topped 60 points in three straight games, while Thursday's 79-point performance against the Ragin' Cajuns ranks third best on the season. Prior to this three-game stretch, the Eagles topped 60 points just once in the previous eight games.
Georgia Southern is paced by junior guard Alexis Brown. Brown is averaging 17.7 points per game this season to lead the Sun Belt Conference, and scored 18 points against the Ragin' Cajuns Thursday. She scored 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting at ULM on Jan. 10.
Sophomore guard Tatum Barber is the other Eagle scoring in double figures, averaging 10.8 points per game. Barber matched her career-high with 20 points against the Ragin' Cajuns Thursday. She was limited to five points on 2-of-8 shooting at ULM on Jan. 10.
Redshirt freshman forward/center Alisha Owens had the big game against ULM in the first meeting. Owens scored a career-high 16 points on Jan 10.
Links to live video, audio and stats are available on the women's basketball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.
