MONROE, La. - The ULM Warhawks play the third game of their four-game home stand at noon Saturday when they host Georgia State at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. ULM dropped its seventh straight game on Thursday night, falling to Georgia Southern 72-66. Georgia State has won three straight games after beating the Ragin' Cajuns 61-53 on Thursday in Lafayette.
Saturday is also ULM's Play 4 Kay game. The Play 4 K Game honors the late coach Kay Yow and her vision to support advanced research and extend the quality of life for those battling cancer. ULM is offering free general admission to all cancer survivors, fighters and family members to Saturday's game. In addition, fans can buy one $5 GA ticket and get another one free.
PROJECTED STARTERS (based on previous game)
#2
Gara Beth Self , 5-8, Fr., G: 8.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.9 apg
#1
Amber Thompson, 5-9, Sr., G: 10.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.2 apg
#11
Whitney Goins, 6-0, Jr., G/F: 6.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.2 apg
#4
Kierra Crockett, 6-0, Jr., F: 5.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg
#24
Diamond Brooks, 6-2, Jr., C: 8.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg
STARTING FIVE
1. Junior center
Diamond Brooks continues to develop inside for ULM, posting a career-high with 17 points on Thursday night vs. Georgia Southern. Brooks also added seven rebounds, an assist, one block and three steals. She also played a career-high 38 minutes. She has 11 double-figure scoring games on the season, with six of those coming inside Sun Belt Conference play.
2. With an active roster of just eight players, ULM has just three players to bring off the bench. The Warhawks received a big boost from all three of those players vs. Georgia Southern. Freshman
Linda van Schaik matched a career-high with 12 points while also grabbing two rebounds, handing out two assists and swiping a pair of steals. Sophomore
Maddi Gatte scored eight points, her second-highest total in a Sun Belt Conference game. Gatte scored six straight points in a first quarter run to grab ULM's first lead of the game. Sophomore
Jamie Means added six points with three rebounds while hitting 4-of-6 free throws.
3. Freshman point guard
Gara Beth Self returned to double-figure scoring on Thursday. Self scored 12 points, with nine coming in the second half. She hit 2-of-3 3-point attempts and handed out two assists. Self had a streak of eight consecutive double-figure games snapped on Saturday vs. South Alabama.
4. ULM's 25 attempted free throws on Thursday night marks a Sun Belt Conference season-high for the Warhawks. It is the fourth highest total on the season overall. ULM attempted 30 or more free throws three different times in non-conference play, including a season-high 39 attempts vs. Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 29.
5. ULM was active in the passing lanes on the defensive end on Thursday night, forcing a season-high 12 steals. It's the third time this season ULM has tallied double-digit steals, coming up with 10 thefts each in back-to-back games against McNeese State (Dec. 1) and Houston Baptist (Dec. 7).
PREVIEWING GEORGIA STATE
Saturday's game is the 13th all-time meeting between ULM and Georgia State, with the Panthers leading the series 10-2. The Panthers won the first meeting this season in Atlanta, 68-52, on Jan. 4. Georgia State swept last year's meetings, winning 56-41 in Monroe on Jan. 12, and taking a 68-46 win in Atlanta on Feb. 7. ULM last beat the Panthers 72-63 on Jan. 14, 2017, in Monroe.
The Panthers enter Saturday's game on a roll, winning three straight games for the first time this season. Georgia State beat the Ragin' Cajuns on Thursday, 61-53. Last weekend, the Panthers swept the Arkansas schools, downing Arkansas State, 67-56, on Feb. 6 and Little Rock, 58-43, on Saturday.
Sophomore guard/forward Taylor Hosendove paces the Panthers at 11.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Hosendove played just 20 minutes on Thursday night against the Cajuns, scoring eight points with six rebounds. Hosendove is the reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week after picking up an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double vs. Arkansas State on Feb. 6 and then tallied a season-high 23 points and nine rebounds vs. Little Rock on Saturday. Hosendove has 12 double-figure scoring games, seven double-doubles and eight double-figure rebounding games. She ranks fourth in the Sun Belt in rebounding and is third in offensive rebounding at 3.5 boards per game. Hosendove picked up nine points and seven rebounds vs. ULM on Jan. 4.
Junior guard Jada Lewis is second on the team in scoring at 10.3 points per game. The former Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year has 10 double-figure scoring games on the season, including a streak of five-straight games in late December and early January. Lewis scored a season-high 22 points on 6-of-10 3-point shooting at Arkansas State on Jan. 9. Lewis is 10th in the Sun Belt Conference with 1.6 steals per game. Lewis picked up 18 points on 4-of-7 3-point shooting and added two rebounds vs. ULM on Jan. 4.
Freshman guard Taylor Henderson is the third Panther to average double-figure scoring, sitting right at 10 points per game. Henderson has 11 double-figure scoring games this season, including 11 points vs. A-State on Feb. 6 and 12 vs. Little Rock on Saturday. She scored a career-high 31 points vs. FIU on Nov. 11. Henderson scored 12 points and added three rebounds and three assists vs. ULM on Jan. 4.
The Panthers have received a boost in the last three games from freshman guard Moriah Taylor. Taylor has scored in double figures in each of the last three games, her first double figure games of her career. Taylor was 4-of-9 from the 3-point line with 14 points vs. Arkansas State on Feb. 6. She added a 3-of-6 effort from deep and 10 points vs. Little Rock on Saturday. Taylor kept the streak alive Thursday, going 3-of-7 from the arc and scoring 12 points at the Ragin' Cajuns. Taylor is averaging 4.0 points per game on the season. She had five points vs. ULM on Jan. 4.
Georgia State is one of the top shot blocking teams in the Sun Belt, averaging 3.9 blocks per game as a team. Senior center Shaquanda Miller-McCray leads the Sun Belt at 2.7 blocks per game. Miller-McCray also ranks seventh in the Sun Belt at 7.5 rebounds per game.
