ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. - ULM plays its final road nonconference contest of the 2020-21 season at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, at I-20 rival Louisiana Tech at the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston.

Thursday's contest is the first between the two schools since Dec. 11, 2017, when the Lady Techsters defeated the Warhawks 71-49 in Ruston. It is just the seventh meeting since the 1995-96 season, which was the final season of an annual series in which the two teams played at least once per season that dated back to 1974.

Sophomore guard Linda van Schaik gave ULM a much-needed spark in Tuesday's loss to Mississippi Valley State. Van Schaik did not enter the game until the 4:08 mark in the third quarter and proceeded to score a team-high 16 points while hitting three 3-pointers.

ULM displayed offensive efficiency early against Mississippi Valley State, scoring on its first six possessions and shooting 6-of-7 from the field.

The Warhawks put three scorers in double figures against MVSU. Van Schaik led the way with 16 points, while sophomore Gara Beth Self had 14 points and four assists and junior Kierra Brimzy tallied 13 points with three rebounds and three assists.

Thursday's game is the 56th all-time meeting between ULM and LA Tech. The two sides have played classic games against each other, including ULM's 85-76 win over the Lady Techsters in the 1985 NCAA Midwest Regional Final at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, sending the then-Northeast Louisiana Lady Indians to a Final Four appearance. ULM, LA Tech and LSU are the only three Louisiana programs to reach at least one NCAA Final Four.

The game also marks a return to Ruston for ULM Associate Head Coach Christie Sides. Sides played for the Lady Techsters and Hall of Fame head coach Leon Barmore from 1998-2000, and then spent two seasons as an assistant coach under the late Kurt Budke from 2002-2004.

Louisiana Tech (3-1 overall, 0-0 Conference USA) will play its first game in nine days on Thursday vs. ULM. The Lady Techsters have been off since Dec. 8, when they defeated Jackson State, 73-66, at the Thomas Assembly Center. Louisiana Tech is 3-0 at home this season with wins over JSU, Grambling State and McNeese State.

The Lady Techsters have three players scoring in double figures this season. Junior guard Keiunna Walker leads the way at 15.5 points per game. She poured in 22 points vs. Jackson State last week. Junior forward Brianna Harris is posting 13.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Harris had her best game of the season at Texas, scoring 25 points with eight rebounds against the Longhorns. Sophomore forward Anna Larr Roberson has come off the bench in all four games to average 10.0 points per game and is tied for the team lead with 5.5 rebounds per game. She had a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double in the season-opener vs. McNeese.

Louisiana Tech is scoring 74.8 points per game while giving up an average of 66.0 points per game. The Lady Techsters are averaging 38.8 rebounds per contest, 5.5 boards better than the opposition.

VAN SCHAIK PROVIDES SPARK OFF BENCH    
Sophomore guard Linda van Schaik played a huge role in ULM's rally on Tuesday vs. Mississippi Valley State. Van Schaik entered the game for the first time at the 4:08 mark of the third quarter with ULM trailing 42-27. The native of South Holland, Netherlands, proceeded to score 16 of ULM's final 24 points to lead the team in scoring on the night. She shot 5-of-7 from the floor and 3-of-5 from 3-point range.

Van Schaik knocked down two 3-pointers and three free throws in the third quarter to help bring ULM within five at the end of the quarter, 45-40. In the fourth quarter, van Schaik hit a third trey and had a pair of layups that brought ULM within two points of MVSU each time.

Van Schaik has scored in double figures twice this season after scoring 11 points vs. Louisiana College on Dec. 6. Through five games, she is averaging 7.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

BRIMZY'S BURST        
Junior guard Kierra Brimzy 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 22 points over the first three quarters. 

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 15.8 points per game. She ranks ninth in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring and is seventh 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 9.6 rebounds per game, which ranks third in the Sun Belt and 63rd in the nation. She has tracked down 48 rebounds over her first five games, which is second in the SBC and 38th nationally. 

Crockett pulled down eight rebounds Tuesday vs. Mississippi Valley State, including six offensive rebounds. Crockett has tallied at least seven rebounds in all five contests and has at least four offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.

Crockett posted her first double-double of the season and the fourth 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 five games, ULM is one of the top rebounding teams in the Sun Belt Conference and in NCAA Division I. The Warhawks rank second in the SBC and 39th nationally in rebounds (226), fourth in the conference and 41st in DI in rebounds per game (45.2 rpg.) and sixth in the SBC and 61st nationally in rebound margin per game (+7.8 rpg.).

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 9.6 rebounds per game, while freshman forward Tasionna McDowell averages 5.6 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 37th in NCAA Division I in free throw attempts (115). ULM is second in the SBC and 57th nationally with 73 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 a perfect 12-of-12 at the free throw line this season. Junior guard Kierra Brimzy is seventh in the SBC 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 53rd nationally with 20 blocked shots and is second in the SBC and 77th in DI at 4.0 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 and Goins are part of a tie for fourth in the Sun Belt with 1.0 blocks per game.

FROM DOWNTOWN
Three Warhawks have hit at least six 3-pointers in the 2020-21 season. Senior Whitney Goins leads the way with seven treys (30.4%), while junior Kierra Brimzy (24.0%) and sophomore Linda van Schaik (35.3%) have hit six each.

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%).

Brimzy collected four of her 3-pointers in Saturday's 68-55 win at Northwestern State while shooting 4-of-10 from long distance.

Van Schaik buried three of her six 3-pointers this season on Tuesday vs. Mississippi Valley State, with all of them coming in the second half as ULM tried to erase a 15-point deficit. Van Schaik also hit a pair of 3-pointers at Arkansas on Dec. 3.

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 five games, Whittington leads the freshmen at 4.0 points per game. McDowell is grabbing 5.6 rebounds per game. Gracen Williams is handing out 2.8 assists per game. Edwards is 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. She followed it up with 14 points and four assists vs. Mississippi Valley State Tuesday.

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. She set a new season-high with nine rebounds vs. Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday.