ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. - ULM returns to Fant-Ewing Coliseum to host Mississippi Valley State at 6 p.m. Tuesday, December 15. It marks the third straight season that ULM is hosting the Devilettes. ULM has won the previous two meetings in the series.

Junior guard Kierra Brimzy led the way for the Warhawks in her homecoming Saturday against Northwestern State. Brimzy, a Natchitoches native, scored 24 points and knocked down four 3-pointers against the Lady Demons at Prather Coliseum. For her efforts, Brimzy was named Louisiana Sports Writers Association Player of the Week Monday.

Senior forward Kierra Crockett had a career-day against the Demons on Saturday. Crockett scored a career-high 16 points and matched a career-high with 13 rebounds. It was Crockett's first double-double of the season and third of her ULM career. She was perfect at the free throw line, hitting all six of her free throw attempts.

The Warhawks also had help behind Brimzy and Crockett. Sophomore guard Gara Beth Self came off the bench to add 12 points, including seven in the fourth quarter, while senior center Diamond Brooks tallied 11 points. It is the second time this season that ULM has had at least four players in double figures.

The Warhawks have blocked 18 shots through the first four games. ULM swatted nine shots in the Dec. 6 win over Louisiana College. The Warhawks added four more at Northwestern State on Saturday. Senior guard/forward Whitney Goins and freshman center Hannah Edwards are tied for the team lead with four swats each.

Mississippi Valley State is playing its third game in the past week Tuesday night when the Devilettes visit ULM. MVSU lost its season-opener at Murray State, 85-60, on Dec. 8 and fell Saturday at Ole Miss, 86-46.

MVSU returns two starters from last season. Senior forward Shelli Thigpen averaged 9.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last season while playing in 28 games and starting 23 contests. Thigpen has not played this season. Senior center Azaria Howard played in 29 games with 21 starts last season, averaging 8.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Howard scored six points and had five rebounds vs. Murray State, but did not play against Ole Miss.

The Devilettes have six newcomers this year, including four transfers. Junior guard Zakiya Mahoney leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Mahoney had a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double vs. Ole Miss Saturday.

BRIMZY'S BURST        
Junior guard Kierra Brimzy has led ULM in scoring in each of her first three games as a Warhawk. The Natchitoches, Louisiana, native played in her hometown Saturday, scoring a season-high 24 points while pulling down five rebounds and handing out an assist against Northwestern State. Brimzy scored eight points in the first quarter to help the Warhawks to an early 18-6 lead and had 20 points over the first three quarters. For her efforts, Brimzy was named Louisiana Sports Writers Association Player of the Week. 

Brimzy led ULM with 11 points against Grambling. She made her ULM debut on Dec. 6 vs. Louisiana College, leading the team with 15 points while adding a rebound and an assist.

Brimzy leads the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game. She ranks 10th in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring and is fifth in free throw attempts with 22.

Brimzy sat out the 2019-20 season following a transfer from Tyler Junior College. She averaged 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists as a sophomore with the Apache Ladies in 2018-19. She averaged 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game as a freshman in 2017-18. 

CROCKETT CONTINUES TO CONTROL THE BOARDS    
Senior Kierra Crockett continues to be one of the top rebounders in the Sun Belt Conference and NCAA Division I. Crockett is averaging 10.0 rebounds per game, which ranks fifth in the Sun Belt and 53rd in the nation. She has tracked down 40 rebounds over her first four games, which is third in the SBC and 64th nationally. 

Crockett posted her first double-double of the season and the third of her ULM career Saturday at Northwestern State. She scored a career-high 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting and made all six of her free throw attempts. She matched a career-high with 13 rebounds, with eight on the offensive end, in 32 minutes of action Saturday. She had nine rebounds against Grambling State and added seven boards against Louisiana College. She collected a game-high 11 rebounds in 27 minutes in the season-opener at Arkansas.

Crockett made an immediate impact in her first season at ULM in 2019-20. She started the final 25 games of the season and led the team with 6.5 rebounds per game. She had a pair of double-doubles with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Mississippi Valley State and 11 points and 13 rebounds at South Alabama. Crockett secured 10 or more rebounds in seven games. She ranked 10th in the Sun Belt Conference in rebounding. She is also known for posting social media videos showcasing her musical talent. Crockett took violin lessons while growing up and is a self-taught piano and guitar player.

CLEANING THE GLASS    
Through four games, ULM is one of the top rebounding teams in the Sun Belt Conference and in NCAA Division I. The Warhawks rank third in the SBC and 19th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (32.8 rpg.). ULM is also third in the SBC and 29th in DI in rebounds per game (47.3 rpg.). The Warhawks fourth in the SBC and 47th in the nation in rebounding margin (+9.5).

ULM had 47 rebounds Saturday at Northwestern State and came up with 49 rebounds Thursday against Grambling. The Warhawks pulled down 58 rebounds on Dec. 6 against Louisiana College, which was the highest rebounding total for ULM in a single game since grabbing 63 boards against Centenary on Nov. 11, 2016. 

Senior forward Kierra Crockett leads the team at 10.0 rebounds per game, while freshman forward Tasionna McDowell averages 6.8 rebounds per game. Seven of the 12 Warhawks to play this season are averaging at least 3.0 rebounds per game.

FREEBIES    
ULM steps to the free throw line more than any team in the Sun Belt Conference and is one of the top teams in converting their attempts. The Warhawks lead the Sun Belt and rank 23rd in NCAA Division I in free throw attempts (105). ULM is second in the SBC and 39th nationally with 69 made free throws.

ULM stepped to the free throw line 39 times on Dec. 6 and knocked down 31 free throws for a 79.5% rate from the stripe. The 39 free throw attempts matches last season's high of 39 attempts vs. Mississippi Valley State (12/29/19). The 31 made free throws are the most made in a single game by ULM over the past two seasons. 

Freshman guard Kyren Whittington is one of 40 qualifying players nationally to make all of her free throws this season (12-for-12). Junior guard Kierra Brimzy is fifth in the SBC and 88th nationally with 22 free throw attempts.

BLOCK PARTY
The Warhawks are one of the top shot blocking teams in the Sun Belt and country. ULM is second in the SBC and 48th nationally with 18 blocked shots, and is second in the SBC and 64th in DI at 4.5 blocks per game.

ULM had four blocks Saturday at Northwestern State, led by two from senior forward Kierra Crockett. The Warhawks had three rejections against Grambling State on Thursday. ULM came up with nine blocked shots on Dec. 6 against Louisiana College. The Warhawks were led by senior Whitney Goins and freshman Hannah Edwards with three blocks each.

Edwards, Goins and freshman Morgan Hill are all part of a tie for fourth in the Sun Belt with 1.0 blocks per game.

FROM DOWNTOWN
Senior Whitney Goins has stayed consistent from 3-point range early in the 2020-21 season. Goins has connected on a trey in 10 consecutive games dating to last season after burying a 3-pointer in the first half vs. Northwestern State Saturday. She is shooting 35% from deep this year.

Goins had a strong start to the 2020-21 season from deep, hitting 3-of-6 attempts from long distance and finishing with a team-high 11 points at Arkansas. She added six points, including a 3-pointer, against Louisiana College. Goins reached double figures again with 10 points, including a pair of treys, vs. Grambling.

Last year, Goins paced the Warhawks from 3-point range. Goins shot a career-best 33.1% from behind the arc last season and knocked down 45 3-pointers. She set a career-high with five 3-pointers, including four in the fourth quarter, against Troy on Jan. 8. She was one of two Warhawks with more than 10 3-point field goal attempts to shoot over 30 percent from deep on the season (Amber Thompson, 30.1%).

HAPPY TO HELP
Freshman point guard Gracen Williams is developing a reputation as one of the best distributors in the Sun Belt Conference. Williams is sixth in the SBC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.56) and 11th in assists (3.5 apg.).

Williams has tallied multiple assists in all four career games. Williams had four assists Saturday at Northwestern State. She tallied two helpers against Grambling State, a season-high five vs. Louisiana College and three in her collegiate debut at Arkansas.

FRESH PERSPECTIVE
Six freshmen have seen minutes early in the season for ULM. Hannah Edwards, Morgan Hill, Tasionna McDowell, Kyren Whittington, Gracen Williams and Sadie Williams each picked up at least 12 minutes against Louisiana College, and all six made their season debuts at Arkansas on Thursday. Through four games, Whittington leads the freshmen at 5.0 points per game. McDowell is grabbing 6.8 rebounds per game. Gracen Williams is handing out 3.5 assists per game. Hill and Edwards are each averaging one blocked shot per game.

BALANCE RULES THE DAY VS. LOUISIANA COLLEGE
ULM had five players score in double figures and three more just missed out on a double figure day in the Dec. 6 96-48 win over Louisiana College. Junior Kierra Brimzy paced the Warhawks with 15 points, while senior Diamond Brooks and sophomore Linda van Schaik had 11 points apiece and freshmen Morgan Hill and Kyren Whittington added 10 points. Sophomore Gara Beth Self had nine points, while freshmen Tasionna McDowell and Sadie Williams chipped in eight points. It is the first time ULM has had five double figure scorers since a 93-62 win over LSU-Alexandria on Nov. 15, 2018 (Tiara Malone 24, Amber Thompson 17, Destini Lunsford 12, Logan Oestreich 11, Whitney Goins 10). All 12 players that suited up for Sunday's game scored for the Warhawks.

SELF IMPROVEMENT    
Sophomore Gara Beth Self saw her numbers drastically improve after taking over the starting point guard position for the remainder of the 2019-20 season in the final non-conference game of the year vs. Mississippi Valley State. Self was handed the reigns after senior point guard Lauren Fitch suffered a season-ending injury at Texas Tech. Self flourished inside of Sun Belt Conference play, averaging 12.8 points and 2.5 assists over 34.5 minutes per game. She scored in double figures in 12 of 18 conference games, including an eight-game streak from Jan. 8 to Feb. 5. Self scored a career-high 28 points on the strength of 5-of-11 3-point shooting and added two rebounds, three assists and five steals at then-Sun Belt leading Coastal Carolina on Feb. 27. Self was named Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year and Honorable Mention All-Louisiana by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Self broke into double figures for the first time in 2020-21 at Northwestern State, scoring 12 points, seven in the fourth quarter, and handing out five assists against the Lady Demons.

DIAMOND IN THE POST    
Senior Diamond Brooks saw a significant increase in her role in the post in 2019-20. Brooks moved into the full-time starting center position, playing in all 29 games while starting 28 last season. She nearly tripled her scoring average to 8.0 points per game while increasing her rebounding average by 2.3 boards per game to 5.9. Brooks averaged 26.0 minutes per game as a junior after averaging just 13.9 minutes per game as a sophomore. She scored 11 points in just eight minutes vs. Louisiana College on Sunday and added four points and six rebounds vs. Grambling.

Brooks scored 11 points in just eight minutes vs. Louisiana College on Dec. 6. She matched her season-high with 11 points and added five rebounds at Northwestern State on Saturday.