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ULM Opens Sun Belt Road Series at Arkansas State

ULM Opens Sun Belt Road Series at Arkansas State

Men's Basketball
Games 12-13: ULM (4-7, 2-2 SBC) vs. Arkansas State (3-6, 0-2 SBC)
Friday, Jan. 15 | 6 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 16 | 4 p.m.
Jonesboro, Ark. | First National Bank Arena (10,038)
Watch: ESPN+ | Listen: KLIP 105.3FM
 
2020-21 ULM Basketball Notes: Games 12-13 vs. Arkansas State
 
STORYLINE –
After splitting its first two Sun Belt Conference series at home, ULM (4-7, 2-2 SBC) hits the road for the first time in league play with a two-game series at Arkansas State (3-6, 0-2 SBC) in First National Bank Arena: Friday, Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 16 at 4 p.m.
 
ULM's starting lineup features two double-figure scorers, in forward Russell Harrison (12.8 ppg., 5.2 rpg.) and guard Koreem Ozier (12.6 ppg., 4.8 rpg.). Harrison leads the Warhawks in scoring, rebounding and 3-point field goals made (20). Ozier scored in double figures in five-straight games, averaging 14.4 points during that stretch. In addition, guard Josh Nicholas is averaging a team-best 15.8 points per game in Sun Belt Conference play while shooting 61 percent (26-of-43) from the floor.
 
THE STARTING FIVE –
• Senior guard Josh Nicholas is averaging a team-best 15.8 points per game in Sun Belt Conference play while shooting 61 percent (26-of-43) from the floor, including 57 percent (8-of-14) from behind the 3-point arc.
 
The 6-foot-3 Nicholas scored a career-high 23 points in the weekend series opener against UT Arlington, hitting 11-of-16 shots from the field. He poured in 15 second-half points.
 
In the series finale against UTA, Nicholas made 7-of-11 field-goal attempts, including a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point range, for a game-high 19 points.
 
• Junior forward Russell Harrison leads ULM in scoring (12.8 points per game), rebounding (5.2 pg.) and 3-point field goals made (20). The 6-foot-7 Harrison has scored in double figures in nine of the first 11 games in 2020-21. He set season highs for points (22) and rebounds (9) in the home opener against Lamar.
 
Harrison ranks among the Sun Belt Conference's Top 20 in four different statistical categories: eighth in free-throw percentage (.806), 12th in steals (1.6 pg.), tied for 16th in rebounding (5.2 pg.) and 18th in scoring (12.8 ppg.).
 
• Junior guard Koreem Ozier leads the team in minutes played (33.8 per game) and ranks second in scoring (12.6 ppg.), rebounding (4.8 rpg.) and assists (2.8 pg.). The 6-foot-1 Ozier ranks among the Sun Belt Conference's Top 20 in minutes played (fourth), 3-point field-goal percentage (tied for sixth at .462), rebounding (18th) and scoring (19th).
 
He has scored in double figures in five-straight games, averaging 14.4 points during that stretch, while hitting 54 percent of his field-goal attempts (27-of-50), including 53 percent (10-of-19) from 3-point range. In addition, Ozier is averaging 15.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in Sun Belt play.
 
Ozier has posted double figures seven times, including a season-high 28 points in ULM's 66-55 victory over SFA. He made 9-of-13 shots from the field, including 4-of-5 3-pointers, and all six free-throw attempts against the Lumberjacks.
 
• Junior guard Elijah Gonzales leads the Warhawks in assists (38) and steals (27). The 5-foot-11 Gonzales also has made 10-of-21 3-point field-goal attempts (.476).
 
The transfer from Clarendon College ranks among the Sun Belt Conference's Top 10 in assist-to-turnover ratio (third at 2.4), steals (fourth at 2.5 per game),and assists (eighth at 3.5 per game).
 
Gonzales came off the bench to provide a spark in ULM's 66-55 win over Stephen F. Austin, finishing with 16 points, four rebounds, seven assists and two steals. He connected on 6-of-8 shots from the floor, including all three from behind the 3-point arc, against SFA.
 
A native of Clackamas, Oregon, Gonzales added nine points, four assists and a steal in nearly 25 minutes in ULM's overtime win at Northwestern State.
 
• ULM ranks fifth in the Sun Belt Conference in three different statistical categories: field-goal percentage defense (.423), 3-point field-goal percentage (.361) and 3-point field goals made (7.9 per game) and free-throw percentage (.695). In addition, the Warhawks are recording an assist on 54 percent (142-of-261) of their made field goals.
 
ULM/ARKANSAS STATE SERIES NOTES –
Friday's game marks the 72nd meeting between ULM and Arkansas State. A-State leads the all-time series, 41-30, including a 29-6 record in games played in Jonesboro. A-State is 14-1 against
ULM in games played in First National Bank Arena.
 
ULM has won the last three meetings in a row against A-State, matching its longest streak (1984-85) in series history.
 
The Warhawks swept the first regular-season series, with winning back-to-back games in Fant-Ewing Coliseum, 84-72 and 62-55.
 
FIRST SERIES RECAP –
Game 1 | ULM 84, Arkansas State 72 (Jan. 1, 2021, in Monroe, La.): Russell Harrison and Koreem Ozier each scored 17 points to lead ULM to an 84-72 victory over Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams.
 
Arkansas State used an early 8-0 run to take a 12-4 lead, thanks to Norchad Omier's rebound goal with 15:16 left in the first half. The Red Wolves collected seven offensive rebounds in the first 4 1/2 minutes while ULM experienced a scoring drought that lasted more than 6 minutes.
 
Luke Phillips' 3-pointer from the left wing sparked a 14-2 run as the Warhawks turned a seven-point deficit (13-6) into a 20-15 lead on a layup by Josh Nicholas, off a nifty cross-court pass from Elijah Gonzales with 7:23 remaining in the first half. Phillips accounted for seven of ULM's 14 points during that stretch.
 
A-State pulled to within 20-18 on a three-point play from Markise Davis with 7:07 on the clock. ULM (3-5, 1-0 Sun Belt) answered an 11-0 run and took a 31-18 lead on Harrison's 3 from the top of the circle with 5:52 left in the opening half. The Red Wolves cut their deficit to nine at 33-24 on Caleb Fields' 3-pointer from the right wing with 4:45 remaining. It marked the last time A-State (3-5, 0-1) closed the margin to single digits in the game.
 
ULM got 12 first-half points from Harrison and led at the intermission, 45-29. The Warhawks shot 52 percent (16-of-31) from the field in the first 20 minutes, including 55 percent (6-of-11) from behind the 3-point arc. The Red Wolves managed to hit only 39 percent (10-of-26) of its field-goal attempts, including 22 percent (2-of-9) of its 3-pointers. ULM also parlayed A-State's 12 first-half turnovers into 19 points.
 
The Warhawks broke the game open by outscoring A-State, 14-4, over the first 5:02 of the second half and Ozier's 3-pointer in transition off another turnover gave ULM a 59-33 advantage. His traditional 3-point play gave ULM its largest lead at 81-52 at the 6:14 mark.
 
A-State closed out the game on a 20-3 run to account for the final margin.
 
ULM held a decided advantage in points off turnovers, 29-17, and bench scoring, 39-17 (27-2 in the first half).  
 
Harrison, who made 3-of-5 3-pointers and all six of his free-throw attempts, also collected four rebounds, three assists and a steal. Ozier, who connected on 7-of-8 field-goal attempts including 2-of-3 3s, also finished with four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
 
A total of four Warhawks scored in double figures as Johnnie Williams contributed 11 points and Nicholas 10 off the bench. Williams, who made brief appearances in the season opener at Louisiana Tech and against Grambling, hit 4-of-5 shots from the floor Friday, including 3-for-3 from 3-point range.
 
Game 2 | ULM 62, Arkansas State 55 (Jan. 2, 2021, in Monroe, La.): ULM outscored Arkansas State, 12-5, over the closing 4 1/2 minutes en route to a 62-55 victory in Fant-Ewing Coliseum as the Warhawks completed the series sweep on the opening weekend of Sun Belt Conference play. The Warhawks converted eight-straight free throws in the final 1:20 to ice the game.
 
It also marked ULM's third consecutive win over Arkansas State, matching the Warhawks' longest streak (1984-85) in series history.
 
Josh Nicholas sparked an early 11-0 run with his 3-pointer from the right baseline and Russell Harrison's four-point play gave ULM (4-5, 2-0 Sun Belt) its largest lead at 15-4 with 13:59 left in the first half. The Warhawks hit eight of their first 10 shots from the field, including all three from 3-point range, and enjoyed a 20-11 advantage with 12:19 to play in the opening half.
 
A-State (3-6, 0-2) responded with a 12-3 run of its own and tied the score at 23-all on a layup from Caleb Fields with 6:48 remaining in the first half. The Red Wolves connected on 6-of-8 field-goal attempts during that stretch while ULM experienced a scoring drought that lasted 4:13.
 
Johnnie Williams' 3-pointer from the right wing in transition fueled a 9-2 spurt as the Warhawks built a seven-point lead at 32-25 on 3 from Koreem Ozier with 3:53 left. A-State closed out the opening half with a 7-3 run to cut its halftime deficit to 35-32.
 
Playing in back-to-back games, fatigue became a factor in the second half as neither team scored for nearly the first four minutes. Trailing 42-34 with 14:33 left, Keyon Wesley scored five-straight points to key an 11-0 run for the Red Wolves. Antwon Jackson made the second of two free-throw attempts to give A-State its first lead of the game at 43-42 with 10:14 on the clock. Jackson added two more free throws as the Red Wolves took a 45-42 lead with 9:17 remaining.
 
ULM went exactly six minutes without a field goal until Thomas Howell's layup, off an assist from Luke Phillips, pulled the Warhawks within 45-44 with 9:02 to play. Markise Davis connected on a 3-pointer from the left corner to give A-State its biggest lead at 48-44 with 7:11 left.
 
With the shot clock about to expire, Nicholas buried a 3-pointer from the top of the circle as ULM cut its deficit to 48-47 with 6:32 remaining. Harrison, who reentered the ULM lineup with four fouls, promptly knocked down a 3 from straightaway as the Warhawks regained the lead at 50-48 with 5:02 to go. Fields hit a pair of free throws as A-State tied the score at 50-all with 4:31 on the clock. ULM took the lead for good at 52-50 as Harrison drove down the right side of the lane for a layup with 4:12 left.
 
Phillips made four-straight free throws and Elijah Gonzales contributed four more points from the charity stripe in the final 1:20 as the Warhawks sealed the series sweep.
 
ULM hit 19-of-47 field-goal attempts (.404), including 9-of-22 3-pointers (.409), and 15-of-18 free-throw attempts (.833). The Warhawks limited A-State to 29-percent field-goal shooting (15-of-52), including just 3-of-18 (17 percent) from 3-point range. The Red Wolves went 6 1/2 minutes between made field goals late in the second half.
 
A-State's guard tandem of Fields and Marquis Eaton combined to shoot 5-of-22 from the field, including only 2-of-9 from behind the 3-point arc.
 
A-State outrebounded ULM, 39-28, and held an 11-2 edge in second-chance points.
 
Three ULM players scored in double figures, led by Harrison and Ozier, who netted 13 points each. Nicholas added 11 points.
 
Harrison, who hit 5-of-8 field-goal attempts including 2-of-4 3-pointers, finished with four rebounds, four assists and two steals in just 25 minutes played.
 
Ozier, who connected on 5-of-11 shots from the floor including 3-of-6 3s, also collected a team-high eight rebounds.
 
Fields scored a game-high 16 points to pace the Red Wolves, with 10 of those coming in the first half. A-State also got 10 points off the bench from Jackson.
 
THE LAST MEETING IN FIRST NATIONAL BANK ARENA –
ULM 66, Arkansas State 52 (Feb. 19 in Jonesboro, Ark.): Tyree White and Michael Ertel combined to score 35 points to lead ULM to a 66-52 victory at Arkansas State Wednesday night, as the Warhawks led from start to finish while winning for the first time in 15 games at First National Bank Arena. It also marked ULM's first win in Jonesboro, Arkansas, since March 5, 1985, snapping a 17-game losing streak.
 
White opened the game with back-to-back 3-pointers and hit a fall-away jumper from the left baseline as ULM (8-18, 4-13 Sun Belt) raced out to an 8-0 lead. The Warhawks made six of their first seven field-goal attempts, including all five 3-point attempts, and rolled to a 17-4 lead on Michael Ertel's 3 from the left corner with 15:55 remaining. ULM put together a 9-0 run midway through the first half and took an 18-point lead at 32-14 on White's 15-foot jumper from the right baseline with 7:16 on the clock. During a stretch of 5:16, Arkansas State (15-13, 7-10) went 1-of-7 from the floor and committed five turnovers. The Red Wolves scored six-straight points late in the opening half and cut their deficit to 11 at 37-26 on a steal and fast-break layup from Caleb Fields with 2:02 left. White hit a 10-foot jumper in the lane and assisted on Elijah Ifejeh's slam dunk as Warhawks enjoyed a 41-26 lead at the intermission.
 
ULM's 41 first-half points marked a season high.
 
The Warhawks got 12 points each from White and Ertel in the first half while shooting 59 percent from the field (17-of-29), including 50 percent (6-of-12) from behind the 3-point arc. ULM parlayed A-State's 10 first-half turnovers into 13 points.
 
Marquis Eaton outscored ULM, 7-2, to open the second half as A-State pulled to within 10 at 43-33 with 17:17 remaining. The Warhawks responded with a 12-0 spurt to regain control at 55-33 on Ertel's 3-pointer from the right wing with 12:35 left. ULM led by as many as 23 points twice in the second half. 
 
White hit 7-of-13 field-goal attempts, including 2-of-4 3s, and finished with a game-high 18 points to pace ULM. Ertel added 17 points while Erie Olonade, who scored in double figures for the fourth time in his last five games, chipped in with 12 points. Olonade connected on 5-of-7 shots from the floor, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range.
 
Efretuei, who made 4-of-6 shots from the field, contributed eight points and eight rebounds.
 
Eaton, who scored 13 of his team-high 17 points in the second half, was the only A-State player to reach double figures.
 
ULM FEATURES DEEP, PRODUCTIVE BENCH –
Throughout preseason practice, ULM head coach Keith Richard noted the improved depth on the 2020-21 roster. Take a look his playing rotation through the first 11 games and you'll see nine different players are logging at least 13 minutes per game. In addition, the Warhawk bench has outscored the opponent's reserves in six of the first 11 games while providing 21.8 points per game. The bench accounted for more than 30 points in two games: a season-high 39 points in ULM's 84-72 victory over Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Conference opener and 38 in a 92-83 overtime win at Northwestern State.
 
WARHAWK STAT LEADERS –
Double-figure scoring games (31): Russell Harrison 9, Koreem Ozier 7, Josh Nicholas 6, Marco Morency 3, Elijah Gonzales 2, Chris Efretuei 1, Thomas Howell 1, Luke Phillips 1, Johnnie Williams 1. Opponents: 35.
 
20-point games (3). Russell Harrison 1, Josh Nicholas 1, Koreem Ozier 1. Opponents: 3.
 
Double-figure rebounding games (0): None. Opponents: 9.
 
Double-doubles (0): None. Opponents: 5.
 
Games leading ULM in scoring: Russell Harrison 6, Koreem Ozier 4, Josh Nicholas 2, Chris Efretuei 1.
 
Games leading ULM in rebounding: Russell Harrison 4, Koreem Ozier 4, Chris Efretuei 1, Thomas Howell 1, Luke Phillips 1.
 
Games leading ULM in assists: Elijah Gonzales 4, Koreem Ozier 3, Russell Harrison 2, Josh Nicholas 2, Marco Morency 1.
 
2020-21 ULM STARTING LINEUPS –
Dec. 3 at Louisiana Tech: Olonade, Ozier, Morency, Harrison, Efretuei
Dec. 6 at Northwestern State: Olonade, Ozier, Morency, Harrison, Howell
Dec. 9 vs. Lamar: Olonade, Ozier, Morency, Harrison, Efretuei
Dec. 12 vs. Stephen F. Austin: Nicholas, Ozier, Morency, Harrison, Efretuei
Dec. 16 vs. Grambling State: Gonzales, Ozier, Morency, Harrison, Efretuei
Dec. 19 at Southern Miss: Olonade, Ozier, Harrison, Howell, Efretuei
Dec. 22 vs. Louisiana Tech: Olonade, Ozier, Harrison, Howell, Efretuei
Jan. 1 vs. Arkansas State: Olonade, Ozier, Harrison, Howell, Efretuei
Jan. 2 vs. Arkansas State: Olonade, Ozier, Nicholas, Harrison, Efretuei
Jan. 8 vs. UT Arlington: Olonade, Ozier, Nicholas, Harrison, Efretuei
Jan. 9 vs. UT Arlington: Olonade, Ozier, Nicholas, Harrison, Efretuei
                                
Different Starting Combinations (6):
Olonade, Ozier, Morency, Harrison, Efretuei: 2 (0-2)
Olonade, Ozier, Morency, Harrison, Howell: 1 (1-0)
Nicholas, Ozier, Morency, Harrison, Efretuei: 1 (1-0)
Gonzales, Ozier, Morency, Harrison, Efretuei: 1 ( 0-1)
Olonade, Ozier, Harrison, Howell, Efretuei: 3 (1-2)
Olonade, Ozier, Nicholas, Harrison, Efretuei: 3 (1-2)
 
2020-21 WARHAWK STATISTICAL TRENDS –
Games played in Fant-Ewing Coliseum: 2-5
Games played on the road: 2-2
Games played at a neutral site: 0-0                    
 
Games played in December: 2-5
Games played in January: 2-2
Games played in February: 0-0
Games played in March: 0-0                              
 
When leading at halftime: 2-1
When trailing at halftime: 2-6
When tied at halftime: 0-0
 
When shooting .500 or better from the field: 1-0
When shooting less than .500 from the field: 3-7
When opponent shoots .500 or better from the field: 0-1
When opponent shoots less than .500 from the floor: 4-6
 
When outrebounding opponent: 1-1
When outrebounded by opponent: 2-6
When rebounding totals are equal: 1-0
 
When hitting more free throws than opponent: 2-1
When hitting fewer free throws than opponent: 2-6
When hitting the same number of free throws as opponent: 0-0
 
When committing fewer turnovers than opponent: 3-5                    
When opponent commits fewer turnovers: 1-2
When turnover totals are equal: 0-0
 
When ULM scores less than 50 points: 0-1         
When ULM scores 50-59 points: 0-1
When ULM scores 60-69 points: 2-4
When ULM scores 70-79 points: 0-1
When ULM scores 80-89 points: 1-0
When ULM scores 90-99 points: 1-0
 
When opponent scores less than 50 points: 0-0  
When opponent scores 50-59 points: 2-0
When opponent scores 60-69 points: 0-3
When opponent scores 70-79 points: 1-4
When opponent scores 80-89 points: 1-0
When opponent scores 90-99 points: 0-0
 
Games decided by five points or less: 0-2
Games decided by 6-10 points: 2-0
Games decided by 11-19 points: 2-5
Games decided by 20 points or more: 0-0
 
Last five games: 2-3                                                 
Last 10 games: 4-6
 
Largest deficit overcome to win: 8 (12-4 vs. Arkansas State, Jan. 1)
Largest lead surrendered in a loss: 13 (38-25 vs. Lamar, Dec. 9)

 
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