ULM Returns Home to Face Surging Texas State

Men's Basketball Jan 16

Game 17: Texas State (10-8, 3-4 Sun Belt) vs. ULM (6-10, 2-5 Sun Belt)
Thursday, Jan. 16 | 7 p.m. CT
Monroe, La. | Fant-Ewing Coliseum (7,000)

ULM Basketball Notes: Game 17 vs. Texas State

TICKET PROMOTION: $5 GENERAL ADMISSION
All general admission tickets are $5 – half off the regular single-game price – for ULM's Jan. 16 Sun Belt Conference game against Texas State.

Prior to the Texas State game, members of the 2020 ULM softball team will be available on the concourse for an autograph session, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Meet members of the softball team and pick up a copy of the 2020 schedule poster.

STORYLINE –
Following a grueling three-game road trip (0-3), ULM (6-10, 2-5 Sun Belt) returns to Fant-Ewing Coliseum for a two-game homestand against Texas State (Thursday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.) and UT Arlington (Saturday, Jan. 18 at 2 p.m.).

Over the last three seasons, ULM is 32-10 (.762) in games played in Fant-Ewing Coliseum, including a 6-3 record in 2019-20.

Thursday's match-up features two of the Sun Belt Conference's top defensive teams as Texas State (64.4 points per game) and ULM (66.2 ppg.) rank first and third, respectively, in scoring defense.

The last six games in the ULM-Texas State series have been decided by eight points or less.

THE STARTING FIVE –
• ULM's starting backcourt of Michael Ertel and JD Williams has combined to average 31.0 points per game. The tandem has combined to account for 49 percent (495 of 1,019 points) of the team's scoring through the first 16 games. Ertel (fourth at 16.2 points per game) and Williams (ninth at 14.8 ppg.) both rank among the Sun Belt Conference's Top 10 in scoring.

Ertel also listed among the league's Top 10 in four additional statistical categories: first in minutes played (37.2 pg.), fifth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.380), seventh in 3-pointers made per game (2.4) and ninth in field-goal percentage (.411). His 37.2 minutes per game rank No. 14 among NCAA Division I players. He has scored in double figures in 22 of his last 23 games (dating back to last season).

Williams also ranks among the Sun Belt's Top 20 in minutes played (second at 36.8 mpg.), field-goal percentage (eighth at .426) and rebounding (11th at 5.6 rpg.).

• ULM has held 14 of its 16 opponents below 50-percent shooting from the field. Coastal Carolina became the first opponent to shoot better than 50 percent from the field against the Warhawks, finishing 34-of-62 (55 percent) from the floor, including 11-of-30 3-pointers (37 percent). ULM also allowed a season-high 93 points at Coastal.

Georgia State shot a season-best 58 percent (30-of-52) from the field against ULM, including 62 percent (18-of-29) in the second half.

By comparison, the Warhawks have shot better than 50 percent from the floor in three games: .538 vs. Alcorn State (28-52), season-high .542 vs. Little Rock (26-48) and .522 vs. Troy (24-46).

• Five of ULM's 10 losses have come by a combined total of 22 points. The Warhawks led in the second half in each of those five losses (at Texas A&M, vs. Grambling State, at SFA, vs. Little Rock and vs. Arkansas State). ULM's five-game losing streak was the program's longest since an eight-game skid during the 2016-17 season.

• ULM ranks among the Sun Belt Conference leaders in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (fifth at .325), scoring defense (third at 66.2 points per game), 3-point field-goal percentage (third at .359) and blocked shots (fourth at 3.6 pg.).

In league games, the Warhawks rank second in 3-point field-goal percentage (.390), third in field-goal percentage (.452) and tied for third in blocked shots (3.4 pg.).
• Through 16 games, ULM has allowed only two opposing players to score 20 or more points. Georgia State's Justin Roberts hit 7-of-9 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 23 points to lead the Panthers to an 84-62 victory over ULM last Saturday while extending their home-court winning streak to 14 games.

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 10 20-point games (5 by Michael Ertel, 3 by JD Williams, 1 by Jalen Hodge and 1 by Tyree White).

TEXAS STATE SCOUTING REPORT –
Texas State (10-8, 3-4 Sun Belt) has won three of its last four Sun Belt Conference games. The Bobcats closed out their recent three-game homestand with back-to-back wins over Coastal Carolina (78-66) and Appalachian State (82-57).

Texas State's starting lineup features two double-figure scorers, in 6-foot-5 forward Nijal Pearson (19.7 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game) and 5-9 guard Mason Harrell (10.1 ppg., 56 assists).

Pearson, who leads the Sun Belt Conference in scoring at 19.7 points per game, has been a model of consistency, posting double figures in all 18 games. He has scored 20-plus points in nine games, including the last five in a row. Pearson was selected Sun Belt Player of the Week after averaging 25.0 points per game during the recent three-game homestand. He ranks among the league's Top 10 in five additional statistical categories: third in 3-point field-goal percentage (.394), sixth in field-goal percentage (.444), sixth in 3-point field goals made (2.4 pg.), eighth in minutes played (33.2 mpg.) and 10th in free-throw percentage (.769).

A native of Beaumont, Texas, Pearson is one of 14 active NCAA Division I players with at least 1,500 career points and 600 career rebounds. He needs just nine points to become Texas State's all-time leading scorer (Charles Sharp scored 1,884 career points from 1956-60).

Harrell leads the league in free-throw percentage (.870) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.8). He has reached double figures in scoring 10 times this season, including a career-high 19 points against UTSA.

Isiah Small, a 6-8 forward, leads the Bobcats and ranks fifth in the Sun Belt in rebounding, averaging 6.8 per game. Small has collected double-figure rebounds in four games, including a double-double (14 points and 10 boards) against Coastal Carolina. He also ranks fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 7.8 points per game.

Texas State leads the Sun Belt in scoring defense (64.4 ppg.) and free-throw percentage (.751). In addition, the Bobcats are listed among the league's Top 5 in seven additional stat categories: second in scoring margin (+8.9 ppg.), field-goal percentage (.462), field-goal percentage defense (.395), turnover margin (+3.3 pg.) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1); fourth in scoring offense (73.4 ppg.), 3-point field-goal percentage (.350) and rebound margin (+0.1).

ULM/TEXAS STATE SERIES NOTES –
Thursday's game marks the 54th meeting between ULM and Texas State. The Warhawks lead the all-time series, 31-22, including a 19-6 record in games played in Monroe, Louisiana. The last six games in the series have been decided by eight points or less. The Bobcats have won four of the last six meetings, but ULM has won the last two in a row. Texas State's last win in Fant-Ewing Coliseum came on March 4, 2017, 70-65.

In 2018-19, ULM won the only regular-season meeting, 63-60, in Strahan Arena on Feb. 21, 2019.

THE LAST MEETING –
ULM 63, Texas State 60 (Feb. 21, 2019, in San Marcos, Texas): ULM limited first-place Texas State to 33 percent (21-of-64) shooting from the field and nearly 15 points below its season scoring average as the Warhawks recorded their first Sun Belt road victory, 63-60, at Strahan Arena.

There were eight lead changes and one tie in the opening half.

ULM (14-11, 7-6 Sun Belt) jumped out to a 6-0 lead on Daishon Smith's steal and dunk with 18:22 left in the first half, but the Bobcats responded by reeling off 10-straight points to take a 10-6 lead on Eric Terry's rebound goal with 14:43 on the clock. The two teams went scoreless for nearly two minutes midway through the first half. Trailing 23-20, JD Williams hit a 3-pointer from the left corner to spark a 16-5 run as the Warhawks took a 36-28 lead into the halftime intermission. ULM outscored Texas State, 11-2, over the last 4:59, with the Bobcats' only points coming from the free-throw line with 22 seconds left in the half.

The Warhawks hit 15-of-28 first-half field-goal attempts (54 percent) while holding Texas State to 9-of-30 shooting (30 percent) from the floor.

The Bobcats cut their deficit to four points at 42-38 as Alex Peacock drove the left side of the lane for a layup with 14:02 remaining in the game. The Warhawks answered with a 6-0 spurt and pushed its lead to 10 at 48-38 on Tyree White's alley-oop dunk from Smith with 11:38 on the clock. Travis Munnings buried back-to-back 3-pointers from the left wing to give ULM its largest lead at 54-40 with 8:17 to play. Munnings accounted for eight points during a 12-2 run over a 5:28 stretch in the second half.

The Warhawks enjoyed a 12-point advantage, 59-47, after Smith connected on 3 from the right wing with 5:55 left. Tre Nottingham made a 3-pointer from straightaway to fuel an 8-2 run as Texas State (21-6, 10-4) managed to pull to within 61-55 on Nijal Pearson's layup with 1:51 remaining. Smith scored on a back-door cut from Munnings to give ULM an eight-point cushion at 63-55 at the 1:26 mark. Nottingham delivered another triple from beyond the top of the circle, and after Smith missed the front end of a one-and-one, Terry scored on a left-handed layup as the Bobcats rallied to within 63-60 with 39 seconds on the clock. In the closing seconds, Smith blocked a potential game-tying 3-point field-goal attempt by Nottingham, who collected the loose ball and launched a desperation 3 that hit high off the backboard as time expired.

Four Warhawks scored in double figures, led by Munnings and Michael Ertel who scored 13 points each. Williams added 11 points and Andre Washington came off the bench to contribute 10.

Smith, who came into the game averaging 22.0 points per game, finished with nine points, five rebounds, seven assists, a blocked shot and two steals.

Youry White, who was sidelined for the first 12 games of the season with a knee injury, earned his first career start at one of the forward positions. He scored two points, collected five rebounds and a steal in 15 minutes.

ULM's bench outscored Texas State's reserves, 15-0. The Warhawks led the game for nearly 30 of the 40 minutes.

Nottingham, who hit 5-of-14 3-pointers, scored a game-high 22 points to pace the Bobcats, while Terry recorded a double-double, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds (6 offensive boards).

Pearson, who came into the game with an 18.5 scoring average, went 3-for-16 from the field, including 0-for-6 from 3-point range, and finished with eight points.

THE LAST MEETING IN FANT-EWING COLISEUM –
ULM 79, Texas State 71 (Feb. 17, 2018, in Monroe, La.): ULM head basketball coach Keith Richard doesn't typically post motivational signs in the locker room, but he had one ready for Saturday's game.

"Find a way to win," the sign directed.

"My only thing was, find a way to win," Richard said. "I don't care if it's ugly, pretty, one point or 20 points. Just find a way to win. We need this one. The team got it and we're happy."

The surging Warhawks topped Texas State, 79-71, Saturday afternoon at Fant-Ewing Coliseum and claimed their fourth-straight win.

Winners of six games in their last seven outings, the Warhawks improved to 13-12 overall and evened their Sun Belt record at 7-7.

Leading the charge was Travis Munnings, who scored 26 points, made five 3-pointers and had five rebounds and two steals in 38 minutes.

The Warhawks shot 54.5 percent as a team and enjoyed balanced scoring. Michael Ertel added 19 points and five assists, Marvin Jean-Pierre scored 14 with four assists and Jordon Harris scored 12 points with three 3-pointers. ULM made 11-of-25 3-pointers.

Munnings tallied 15 first-half points, and ULM finished on a 14-2 run over the final 4:07 to lead 37-31 at the break. Texas State shot 50 percent in the half and led by as many as eight but couldn't slow the Warhawks once they seized momentum.

Immanuel King scored 22 points to lead Texas State (14-14, 7-8).

THE LAST TIME OUT –
Georgia State 84, ULM 62 (Jan. 11, 2020, in Atlanta, Ga.): Justin Roberts hit 7-of-9 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 23 points to lead Georgia State to an 84-62 victory over ULM last Saturday while extending the Panthers' home-court winning streak to 14 games.

Georgia State (12-6, 5-2 Sun Belt) shot 62 percent (18-of-29) from the field in the second half, including 70 percent (7-of-10) from behind the 3-point arc, to break open a close game. The Panthers outscored ULM, 47-30, after the intermission.

GSU raced out to a 14-8 lead on Chris Clerkley's fast-break layup off a turnover with 14:26 to play in the first half, but JD Williams hit a 15-foot jumper from the left baseline and Tyree White followed with a baseline drive for a layup and two free throws as ULM tied the score at 14-all with 11:44 on the clock. The Panthers connected on four of their next five field-goal attempts during a 12-3 run and took a 26-17 lead on a layup by Nelson Phillips. GSU extended its lead to 11 at 34-23 on a pair of free throws from Joe Jones III with 4:52 remaining. Michael Ertel's 3-pointer from the right corner sparked a 9-3 run as the Warhawks trimmed their halftime deficit to 37-32 as Erie Olonade buried a step-back 3 from the left wing with :05 left in the opening half.

Roberts hit 5-of-6 field-goal attempts, including 4-of-5 3s, for 14 first-half points.

The Panthers opened the second half with a 26-7 run to extend their lead to 63-39 on Kavonte Ivery's 3-pointer from the top of the circle. GSU led by as many as 27 points on five occasions in the second half.

Three other Panthers joined Roberts in double figures as Corey Allen scored 18 points and Phillips and Damon Wilson each added 11.

For the game, GSU hit 30-of-52 field-goal attempts (58 percent), including 13-of-23 3-pointers (57 percent). ULM went 20-of-51 (39 percent) from the field, including 5-of-15 (33 percent) from 3-point range. The Panthers outrebounded the Warhawks, 31-25, and held a 24-5 advantage in fast-break points.
Tyree White led ULM (6-10, 2-5) with a career-high 21 points, with 14 of those coming in the first half. White, who made 6-of-11 shots from the floor and 9-of-11 from the free-throw line, also matched his career best with nine rebounds.

The Warhawks also got 14 points from Williams and 10 from Ertel.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS –
• ULM is 4-1 when scoring 70 or more points.

• Seven of ULM's 16 games have been decided by eight points or less (2-5 record).

• ULM has recorded assists on at least 50 percent of its field goals in nine games, including five of the last eight contests. The Warhawks were credited with assists on a season-best 74 percent of their field goals (20-27) vs. South Alabama.

• The Warhawks have been whistled for fewer fouls than their opponents in nine of 16 games.

WARHAWKS TOUGH ON HOMECOURT –
ULM is 32-10 (.762) in games played in Fant-Ewing Coliseum since 2017-18, including a 20-6 record (.769) in its last 26 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 118 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 846 of ULM's 1,004 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 12th-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 (44): Michael Ertel 15, JD Williams 13, Jalen Hodge 6, Tyree White 4, Josh Nicholas 2, Chris Efretuei 2, Youry White 1, Langston Powell 1. Opponents: 43.

20-point games (10): Michael Ertel 5, JD Williams 3, Jalen Hodge 1, Tyree White 1. Opponents: 2.

30-point games (1): Michael Ertel 1. Opponents: 1.

40-point games (0): None. Opponents: None.

Double-figure rebounding games (2): D'Andre Bernard 1, Chris Efretuei 1. Opponents: 3.

Double-doubles (0): None. Opponents: 2.

Games leading ULM in scoring: JD Williams 5, Michael Ertel 4, Jalen Hodge 2, Tyree White 2, Josh Nicholas 1, Langston Powell 1.

Games leading ULM in rebounding: JD Williams 4, Chris Efretuei 3, D'Andre Bernard 3, Tyree White 3, Youry White 2, Michael Ertel 1, Jalen Hodge 1.

Games leading ULM in assists: Michael Ertel 7, JD Williams 7, Tyree White 4, Jalen Hodge 2, 1 Erie Olonade 1, D'Andre Bernard 1, Elijah Ifejeh 1, Youry White 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
Dec. 28 at No. 12 Butler: Ertel, Williams, Hodge, T. White, Efretuei
Jan. 2 vs. Troy: Ertel, Williams, Hodge, Ifejeh, Efretuei
Jan. 4 vs. South Alabama: Ertel, Williams, Nicholas, Ifejeh, Efretuei
Jan. 6 at Coastal Carolina: Ertel, Williams, Nicholas, Ifejeh, Efretuei
Jan. 9 at Georgia Southern: Ertel, Williams, Hodge, T. White, Efretuei
Jan. 11 at Georgia State: Ertel, Williams, Powell, T. White, Efretuei

Different Starting Combinations (8):
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)
Ertel, Williams, Hodge, T. White, Efretuei: 2 (0-2)
Ertel, Williams, Hodge, Ifejeh, Efretuei: 1 (1-0)
Ertel, Williams, Nicholas, Ifejeh, Efretuei: 2 (1-1)
Ertel, Williams, Powell, T. White, Efretuei: 1 (0-1)

2019-20 WARHAWK STATISTICAL TRENDS –
Games played in Fant-Ewing Coliseum: 6-3
Games played on the road: 0-7
Games played at a neutral site: 0-0

Games played in November: 3-2
Games played in December: 1-5
Games played in January: 2-3
Games played in February: 0-0
Games played in March: 0-0

When leading at halftime: 5-3
When trailing at halftime: 1-6
When tied at halftime: 0-1

When shooting .500 or better from the field: 2-1
When shooting less than .500 from the field: 4-9
When opponent shoots .500 or better from the field: 0-2
When opponent shoots less than .500 from the floor: 6-8

When outrebounding opponent: 3-2
When outrebounded by opponent: 2-8
When rebounding totals are equal: 1-0

When hitting more free throws than opponent: 5-4
When hitting fewer free throws than opponent: 1-6
When hitting the same number of free throws as opponent: 0-0

When committing fewer turnovers than opponent: 1-1
When opponent commits fewer turnovers: 4-8
When turnover totals are equal: 1-1

When ULM scores less than 50 points: 0-2
When ULM scores 50-59 points: 0-4
When ULM scores 60-69 points: 2-3
When ULM scores 70-79 points: 3-1
When ULM scores 80-89 points: 1-0
When ULM scores 90-99 points: 0-0

When opponent scores less than 50 points: 2-0
When opponent scores 50-59 points: 0-0
When opponent scores 60-69 points: 3-7
When opponent scores 70-79 points: 1-1
When opponent scores 80-89 points: 0-1
When opponent scores 90-99 points: 0-1

Games decided by five points or less: 1-3
Games decided by 6-10 points: 1-2
Games decided by 11-19 points: 1-2
Games decided by 20 points or more: 3-3

Last five games: 2-3
Last 10 games: 2-8

Largest deficit overcome to win: 4
(7-3 vs. Alcorn State, Nov. 9; 31-27 vs. Millsaps College, Dec. 4; 35-31 vs. Troy, Jan. 2)
Largest lead surrendered in a loss: 10
(34-24 at Texas A&M, Nov. 11; 62-52 vs. Little Rock, Dec. 19)

ULM BASKETBALL INKS FOUR IN EARLY SIGNING PERIOD –
The ULM men's basketball team signed four high school athletes to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period in November, featuring three athletes from the state of Louisiana.

"This is the first time in many years we have been able to sign four quality high school players in the early signing period," ULM head coach Keith Richard said. "We think each one of these young men are great prospects for ULM both on and off the floor. All four play different positions and all four of them can score. We are excited about all of their futures in a Warhawk uniform."

D'Marcus Hall | 6-6 | Forward | Shreveport, Louisiana | Calvary Baptist HS
Hall averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 blocks per game as a junior at Calvary Baptist. He was named 2019 District 1-2A Player of the Year following the 2018-19 season, and was a 2019 Louisiana Sportswriters' Association All-State honorable mention selection. He is a second team All-City selection in Shreveport. Hall is rated as the 12th-best player in Louisiana by Prep Hoops Louisiana.

Thomas Howell | 6-8 | Forward | Natchitoches, Louisiana | St. Mary's HS
Howell was a first team All-State selection following his junior year at St. Mary's, where he averaged 22 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks per game. Howell was named the 2019 All-CENLA Player of the Year. As a sophomore in 2017-18, Howell was named All-State after he posted 20 points, 15 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game at St. Mary's. Howell owns the St. Mary's career blocks record with 301 and counting, and is on pace to break the career scoring and rebounding records. Howell is rated as the fifth-best player in Louisiana by Prep Hoops Louisiana.

Zaakir Sawyer | 6-4 | Guard | Mesquite, Texas | Horn HS
Sawyer posted 18.5 points, 7 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game as a junior at Horn High School. He is a three-time first team All-Conference selection. Sawyer is the 29th-ranked player in Texas by Texas Basketball Review and 31st by Rivals.com.

Elijah Tate | 6-3 | Guard | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Madison Prep HS
Tate is a three-time state champion at Madison Prep, leading his team to a 33-7 record as a junior. Tate averaged 12.5 points, 4 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game as a junior in 2018-19, including a 17-point effort to pace Madison Prep in the 2019 LHSAA State Championship game vs. Wossman. He was named first team All-District 6-3A as a junior. Tate is the 13th-ranked player in Louisiana by Prep Hoops Louisiana.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS –
Youth Day
Saturday, Jan. 18 vs. UT Arlington (2 p.m. tipoff)
Youth 18 and under will receive a free general admission ticket to the Jan. 18 Sun Belt Conference game against UT Arlington. Following the game, children 12 and under will be permitted on the court to shoot baskets for 20 minutes.

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