NATCHITOCHES, La. – Junior guard Kierra Brimzy collected 24 points in her homecoming while senior forward Kierra Crockett had a career day to lead the ULM women's basketball team to a 68-55 win at Northwestern State in Prather Coliseum Saturday afternoon.
"Road wins are always really good," ULM head women's basketball coach Brooks Donald Williams said. "I don't know that we all understand that in this young bunch. Road wins are important and are tough against anybody. I thought this was a really big win for us, just responding number one, and number two, we needed it."
Brimzy, a Natchitoches native and 2017 graduate of Natchitoches Central High School, led the offensive attack by knocking down four 3-pointers. She scored 20 of her 24 points over the first three quarters of the game. She also added five rebounds and three assists.
"It was exciting to bring a player back to their home, in front of their family and friends, and for her to have the production and the day that she had was exciting to see," Williams said.
Crockett set a new career high with 16 points and matched her career high with 13 rebounds in notching her first double-double of the season and the third of her ULM career. Eight of her 13 rebounds came on the offensive end.
"It's exciting to see Kierra Crockett get the reward today," Williams said. "She's worked hard all fall and has been one of our hardest competitors all fall."
The Warhawks opened the game strong, building a quick 12-point lead at 18-6 on the strength of eight points from Brimzy. The Lady Demons started to battle back, scoring the next eight points to draw within five at 18-13 with 1:05 left in the first quarter. Senior Diamond Brooks added a free throw before the end of the quarter to give the Warhawks a 19-13 lead after a quarter.
The two sides traded 3-pointers early in the second quarter, with Brimzy hitting a trey for ULM to resume a six-point lead for ULM at 22-16 with 8:34 left in the half. However, ULM went over six minutes before connecting on another field goal. Northwestern State took advantage, building as much as a four-point lead at 27-23.
Crockett sank four free throws to tie the game back up at 27. Brimzy's jumper to end the field goal drought handed the Warhawks a 29-27 lead. The lead would change hands five more times over the final two minutes of the half, as NSU's Tristen Washington hit a layup just before the buzzer to give the Lady Demons the 34-33 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, NSU's Alexia Marsh opened with a trey to push the Lady Demon lead back to four. ULM answered quickly, as Crockett hit a jumper in the lane and Brimzy drained a 3-pointer to put ULM up 38-37 with 8:44 remaining in the quarter. NSU regained the lead on Anessa Dussette's jumper, but ULM responded with a layup by Brooks to take the lead for good at 40-39 with 7:20 on the clock.
Sophomore guard Gara Beth Self followed with a jumper in the lane, and Brimzy buried another trey for a 45-39 advantage. NSU cut the gap to one, but back-to-back layups by Brooks pushed the advantage back out to five at 49-44. Brimzy added a layup late in the quarter for a 51-44 lead after three frames.
In the final quarter, ULM kept pulling away. NSU pulled within five points at 51-46 and again at 53-48. Brooks and Self knocked down buckets to extend the lead to nine at 57-48 with 5:52 left.
The Lady Demons had one final charge left. A jumper by Dussette and a 3-pointer from Washington closed the Warhawk lead to four at 59-55 with 3:22 to play. However, ULM answered as Crockett grabbed an offensive rebound and picked up the layup to extend the lead back to six, 61-55, with 2:43 left. Self and Crockett converted free throws down the stretch to extend the final margin out to 13, 68-55.
In addition to Brimzy's 24 points and Crockett's 16-point, 13-rebound double-double, Self tallied 12 points with five assists and Brooks had 11 points and five rebounds.
"I thought they really punched back today," Williams said. "We had a tough, tough outing yesterday in response to Thursday's outcome. We really challenged them. I thought they responded well. I thought they responded throughout the course of the game today. I'm really proud of the growth from Thursday night and throughout the game today."
The Warhawks shot 40.4% from the floor (23-of-57), 27.8% from 3-point range (5-of-18) and connected on 17-of-24 free throws (70.8%). The Lady Demons were limited to 31.4% shooting (22-of-70), 29.0% from 3-point range (9-of-31) and just two-of-six at the free throw line. ULM outrebounded NSU 47-39.
ULM returns to Fant-Ewing Coliseum for a 6 p.m. game Tuesday vs. Mississippi Valley State. For tickets, call 318-342-HAWK or visit ULMWarhawks.com. Links to live video, audio and stats are available on the schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.
