MONROE, La. - The ULM Warhawks return to Fant-Ewing Coliseum for a noon tip-off Saturday vs. Arkansas State. The Warhawks (3-16 overall, 1-7 Sun Belt) have dropped three straight games after falling Saturday at the Ragin' Cajuns, 68-55. Meanwhile, Arkansas State (8-11, 5-3) is coming off a 63-61 victory over Coastal Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Jonesboro.
Saturday's game is Youth Day, with youth 18 and under receiving a free general admission ticket. Youth 12 and under will be invited to shoot baskets on the court for 30 minutes following the game. The women's basketball team will also honor the memory of NBA legend and women's basketball enthusiast Kobe Bryant by wearing the gold alternate jerseys, and encourage fans to wear any Lakers jersey, a jersey with the numbers 24 or 8, or any gold apparel.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (based on previous game)
#1
Amber Thompson, 5-9, Sr., G: 10.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.4 apg
#2
Gara Beth Self, 5-8, Fr., G: 8.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 2.1 apg
#11
Whitney Goins, 6-0, Jr., G/F: 5.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.2 apg
#4
Kierra Crockett, 6-0, Jr., F: 6.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg
#24
Diamond Brooks, 6-2, Jr., C: 8.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg
STARTING FIVE
1. Freshman point guard
Gara Beth Self has now posted six consecutive double-figure scoring games after adding 10 points in Saturday's loss at the Ragin' Cajuns. Self has found her scoring stride after taking over the point guard role following a season-ending injury to senior
Lauren Fitch. Self is averaging 12.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game since the start of Sun Belt Conference play. She has upped her season scoring average by 3.2 points per game over the last six contests, going from 4.9 points per game to 8.1 points per game.
2. After knocking on the door a few times this season, junior center
Diamond Brooks collected her first career double-double in Saturday's loss in Lafayette. Brooks tied for the team lead with 13 points and added 10 rebounds for her double-figure rebounding effort of the season. It marks just the second time in her career she has pulled down 10 or more rebounds, grabbing 11 boards at Troy on Jan. 24, 2019. Brooks is third on the team in scoring at 8.5 points per game and is second in rebounding at 5.4 boards per contest.
3. Junior guard/forward
Whitney Goins picked up her third double-figure scoring game on Saturday, with all three coming inside of Sun Belt Conference play. Goins matched Brooks with a team-high 13 points. She knocked down three 3-pointers on the afternoon, marking her third performance this season with three or more 3-pointers.
4. The Warhawks posted their largest rebounding margin on the season in Saturday's game at Lafayette. ULM outrebounded the Cajuns 47-29. The 47 rebounds marks the second-highest total in a single game for ULM this season (48 vs. Northwestern State, Nov. 18), and the 29 rebounds for the Cajuns ties for the second fewest rebounds allowed by ULM this season (28 at Texas State, Nov. 16; 29 vs. Southeastern Louisiana, Nov. 24). Senior guard
Amber Thompson had a career-high 10 rebounds, and was tied by Brooks for the team lead. Junior forward
Kierra Crockett just missed double-figure rebounds with nine.
5. After spending the first four Saturdays of the Sun Belt Conference slate on the road, Saturday's contest against Arkansas State marks the first weekend home game for the Warhawks inside of conference play.ULM will play at home for four consecutive Saturdays, and finish the regular season with seven of its final 10 games at home.
PREVIEWING ARKANSAS STATE
Saturday's game is the 45th meeting between the Warhawks and Red Wolves. Arkansas State leads the series 29-15. A-State has won 14 of the last 16 meetings, however, ULM won last year's final meeting in Monroe, 65-53. Since ULM joined the Sun Belt Conference prior to the 2006-07 season, Arkansas State leads the series 21-6.
Arkansas State leads the Sun Belt Conference in steals, averaging 9.4 heists per game. A-State is tied for third in the SBC in 3-pointers made with 5.68 per game. The Red Wolves also rank fourth in the Sun Belt in assists at 12.2 per game.
Sophomore guard Jireh Washington leads the Red Wolves in scoring at 13.0 points per game, which ranks 10th in the Sun Belt. Washington has scored in double figures in 12 of 19 games, topping 20 points four times, including a 24-point game at Tulsa on Nov. 9. Washington has scored at least 20 points in two of the last three games. Washington has one double-double on the season, pulling in 10 rebounds to go along with 15 points vs. Georgia State on Jan. 9. She also ranks fifth in the SBC in assists at 3.7 per game, and has tallied five or more assists eight times. Washington ranks eighth in the conference in assist to turnover ratio (1.0) and 14th in steals (1.4 per game).
Junior forward Peyton Martin ranks second on the Red Wolves in scoring at 12.6 points per game, good for 13th in the SBC. Martin has 13 double-figure scoring games this season. She has broken 20 points twice this season, tallying a season-high 23 points at Murray State (Nov. 26) and added 20 points vs. Appalachian State (Jan. 16). Martin ranks second on the team in rebounding at 5.4 boards per game. She tallied her lone double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds at Tulsa (Nov. 9). Martin is also 13th in the Sun Belt in blocked shots at 0.6 per game.
Junior guard Morgan Wallace is third on the team in scoring at 9.9 points per game and leads A-State in rebounding at 8.2 boards per game. Wallace ranks fourth in the SBC in rebounding, and leads the league in defensive rebounds at 6.1 per game. She is also tied for fourth in steals at 2.0 per game. Wallace is fourth in the SBC in minutes played, averaging 33.6 minutes per game. Wallace has nine double-figure scoring games on the season, and topped 20 points twice, with 21 points at DePaul (Nov. 22) and vs. Georgia State (Jan. 9). She has a pair of double-doubles, putting up 21 points and 11 rebounds vs. Georgia State (Jan. 9) and 13 points and 10 rebounds vs. Appalachian State (Jan. 16). Wallace has five double-figure rebounding games this season, led by 15 rebounds in the season-opener vs. Central Baptist (Nov. 6).
Also in the Sun Belt stat rankings for A-State, senior guard Jada Ford is second in 3-point field goal percentage (31.5%) and 3-point field goals made (2.2 per game). Fellow senior guard Payton Tennison ranks seventh in the Sun Belt at 1.7 rebounds per game.
