ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. - The ULM Warhawks wrap up a three-game road swing at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon when they visit UT Arlington. The Warhawks are coming off their first Sun Belt Conference win of the season, rallying past Texas State 58-55 on Thursday night in San Marcos. UT Arlington moved to 10-7 overall and 4-1 in Sun Belt play with a 79-52 win over the Ragin' Cajuns.

PROJECTED STARTERS (based off previous game)

#1 Amber Thompson, 5-9, Sr., G: 11.4 pgg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg
#2 Gara Beth Self, 5-8, Fr., G: 7.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 2.1 apg
#11 Whitney Goins, 6-0, Jr., G/F: 5.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.2 apg
#4 Kierra Crockett, 6-0, Jr., F: 6.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg
#24 Diamond Brooks, 6-2, Jr., C: 8.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg

STARTING FIVE

1. Freshman point guard Gara Beth Self continues to take over her role with the Warhawks. Self has started six consecutive games at point guard, and her offensive production has increased over the last three games. Self is averaging 10.5 points per game since taking over the starting point guard role six games ago for the injured Lauren Fitch. Self has scored in double figures in three straight games, including a career-high 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting, 4-of-5 3-point shooting and 4-of-4 free throw shooting at Texas State on Thursday. Over the last two games, Self has scored 38 points while shooting 13-of-20 (65.0%) from the field and 7-of-10 from 3-point range. Self also matched career-highs with five assists and four rebounds at Texas State.

2. Senior guard Amber Thompson has scored in double figures in a career-best six consecutive games. Thompson has developed into ULM's top offensive threat after the injury to Fitch. Thompson tallied 17 points while knocking down three 3-pointers on Thursday at Texas State. Thompson matched Self with a game-high 18 points on Saturday at South Alabama. In the six games since Fitch's injury, Thompson is averaging 16.8 points per game while playing 35.2 minutes per game. In the nine games Thompson played alongside Fitch this season, Thompson averaged 7.8 points per game.

3. Junior center Diamond Brooks narrowly missed her first career double double on Thursday at Texas State. Brooks scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and added nine rebounds. Brooks has now scored in double figures eight times this season. She entered the 2019-20 season with three career double figure games.

4. Sophomore center Sheniqua Coatney had a big night off the bench Thursday at Texas State. Coatney played a season-high 23 minutes, scoring six points and adding six rebounds. Coatney was forced to play out of position as the forward in the ULM offense with junior forward Kierra Crockett battling foul trouble. In a one-point game late, Coatney grabbed a critical defensive rebound with 5.5 seconds to play and was fouled. Despite hitting just 2-of-9 free throw attempts on the season, Coatney stepped to free throw line and knocked down both attempts to push the lead to a full posession.

5. ULM's victory at Texas State snapped a 10-game losing streak for the Warhawks inside the state of Texas. Prior to Thursday night, ULM last won in Texas on Dec. 21, 2016, when they defeated Houston Baptist, 77-65.

PREVIEWING UT ARLINGTON

Saturday's game is the 62nd all-time meeting between the Warhawks and Mavericks. ULM has a 34-27 advantage in the series. The two met as members of the Southland Conference from 1983 to 2006, and then resumed the series in 2014 after UT Arlington joined the Sun Belt Conference prior to the 2013-14 season. ULM won the first four meetings between the two in the Sun Belt, but UTA has won the last seven matchups, including a 60-56 decision in overtime in Monroe last season.

The Mavericks have one of the more efficient offenses in the Sun Belt. UTA ranks fifth in the conference in scoring offense at 64.9 points per game and second in field goal percentage at 43.9%.

UTA is also one of the top defensive teams in the SBC, ranking third in the conference in scoring defense at 61.2 points per game and third in field goal percentage defense at 37.1%.

Senior forward Marie Benson, a transfer from UTSA, leads the Mavericks at 18.4 points per game. Benson also leads the Mavericks at 6.3 points per game. A Second Team All-Conference USA selection at UTSA last year, Benson has scored in double figures in 15 of 16 games this season, including five games scoring 20 or more points. Benson tallied a career-high 30 points Thursday in the win over the Ragin' Cajuns, connecting on 10-of11 shots from the field and 10-of-11 free throw attempts. Benson has a pair of double doubles, collecting 17 points and 12 rebounds in her debut at North Texas on Nov. 15, and 28 points and 10 rebounds vs. Texas Southern on Dec. 30.

Sophomore guard Claire Chastain is the only other Maverick averaging double figure scoring on the season, sitting at 10.7 points per game. Chastain has scored in double figures in 10 games this season, including two of the last three games. She tallied 22 points against Louisville on Nov. 28. Chastain also has four games with at least three 3-point field goals. Chastain picked up her only double double last season at ULM, scoring 17 points and pulling in 11 rebounds.

Sophomore guards Katie Ferrell and Terryn Milton are two of the top distributors in the Sun Belt. Ferrell ranks second in the Sun Belt at 4.4 assists per game, and Milton is fourth at 3.8 assists per game.