MONROE, La. - ULM plays in its first multi-team event since the 2014-15 season starting Friday at the Van Chancellor Classic at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. ULM faces Stetson at 1:30 p.m. Friday, New Mexico at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Stephen F. Austin at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Second-year freshman guard
Kyren Whittington continues to pace ULM offensively. She is the only Warhawk averaging in double figures at 11.8 points per game. She has scored in double figures in four of the first five games, including a career-high 17 points at Southern Miss on Nov. 13.
Fifth-year senior
Kierra Crockett and sophomore
Gara Beth Self are the only two Warhawks to start all five games. Crockett is averaging 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, scoring in double figures twice. Self is averaging 5.4 points and is coming off a season-high 13 points vs. Centenary on Monday.
The Warhawks have won two of their last three games coming into the Van Chancellor Classic after Monday's 70-36 win over Centenary. ULM limited the Ladies 24.5% shooting in the contest.
Stetson is 2-2 to open the season after going 1-1 at the ASUN/MAAC Challenge over the weekend. The Hatters won Saturday's contest against Manhattan, 57-55, after dropping Friday's game to Fairfield, 59-50. Stetson has also defeated Johnson University-Florida, 127-36, on Nov. 9 and lost at Miami (Fla.), 54-39, on Nov. 14.
The Hatters are led by Yaz Wazeerud-Din, who has played in three games and started two. She is averaging 18.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest. Tatiana Streun has played in four games with one start, averaging 12.0 points and leads the team at 8.0 rebounds per contest.
Friday's contest is the first-ever meeting between ULM and Stetson.
New Mexico is 3-1 to begin the season entering a game Tuesday night vs. Houston Baptist in Albuquerque. The Lobos opened the season with a 71-54 win vs. Lamar on Nov. 9 before rolling past Northern New Mexico, 96-40, on Nov. 12 and Prairie View A&M, 88-71, on Nov. 16. UNM lost Saturday's game at Houston, 89-60.
The Lobos are led by Shaiquel McGruder at 14.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. LaTora Duff and Jaedyn De La Cerda are averaging 12.5 points each while Antonia Anderson is posting 12.0 points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds per game.
Saturday's game is the third meeting between ULM and UNM, with the Lobos leading the series 2-0. UNM won the last meeting, 70-57, on Dec. 9, 2005, in Albuquerque. The Lobos also won, 64-50, in Albuquerque on Dec. 5, 1998.
SFA is 4-1 entering the Van Chancellor Classic. The Ladyjacks are coming off a 137-46 win over Arlington Baptist on Saturday. SFA opened the season with three straight wins, beating UTSA (77-50), Houston (73-52) and Southeast Missouri State (83-59) before falling at Texas A&M, 82-75, on Nov. 18.
The Ladyjacks are averaging 89 points per contest and shooting 46.6% from the field. Stephanie Visscher leads SFA at 14.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Avery Brittingham is averaging 11.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest. Aiyana Johnson is also averaging double figures at 10.6 points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds per game.
Sunday's game is the 60th meeting between the two former Southland Conference foes. SFA won the last meeting, 82-54, in Nacogdoches, Texas, on Nov. 21, 2014. ULM won the last meeting in Monroe, 85-83, on Dec. 8, 2013. SFA leads the series, 44-15.
Links to live radio coverage for all three games is available on the women's basketball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.
