Thomas Howell dunk vs. Southern Miss 2021-22
Luke Richard/ULM Athletics
65
Southern Miss. USM 4-7,0-0 C-USA
74
Winner La.-Monroe ULM 7-4,0-0 Sun Belt
Southern Miss. USM
4-7,0-0 C-USA
65
Final
74
La.-Monroe ULM
7-4,0-0 Sun Belt
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Southern Miss. USM 31 34 65
La.-Monroe ULM 31 43 74

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

ULM Extends Winning Streaks; Surges Past Southern Miss, 74-65

MONROE, La. – Thomas Howell scored a career-high 14 points and Russell Harrison recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds as ULM remained unbeaten at home (5-0) while extending its winning streak to five in a row with a 74-65 victory over Southern Miss Saturday afternoon. It matched ULM's longest-winning streak since the 2017-18 season.
 
It also marked the Warhawks' seventh consecutive victory in Fant-Ewing Coliseum, dating back to the final Sun Belt Conference series last February.
 
There were six lead changes and nine ties in the tightly contested game.
 
ULM (7-4) scored the first six points of the game and took an 8-2 lead on Howell's rebound goal, off Koreem Ozier's missed 3-pointer from the left corner, with 16:40 left in the first half. Trailing 12-8, Southern Miss (4-7) put together a 15-7 run and took a 23-19 lead on Rashad Bolden's deep 3-pointer from the left wing with 7:06 on the clock. Bolden accounted for eight points during that stretch, including the last six in a row. Andre Jones drove through traffic in the lane for a layup and Howell followed with a left-handed hook as the Warhawks tied the score at 23-all with 6:17 to play in the opening half. The Golden Eagles regained the lead as DeAndre Pinckney tallied the next four points, converting a layup and a pair of free throws, for a 27-23 advantage with 4:41 remaining. Harrison buried a 3 from the top of the circle and Langston Powell hit the second of two free-throw attempts as ULM pulled even at 27-all with 3:09 left. Southern Miss and the Warhawks traded four baskets over the final 2:51, and Howell's tip-in at the buzzer, off a missed jumper by Jones in the lane, sent the teams to their respective locker rooms with the score tied at 31.
 
The Golden Eagles got 13 first-half points from Bolden, who went 5-for-5 from the field, including two 3s. Howell finished the first 20 minutes with 10 points, hitting 5-of-7 shots from the floor, and three offensive rebounds for the Warhawks. Southern Miss outrebounded ULM, 21-14, in the first half.
 
The Warhawks took the lead for good at 40-38 on Ozier's 3 from the right baseline with 15:56 remaining in the second half. Nika Metskhvarishvili rattled home a 3-pointer from the top of the circle to spark a 9-1 run as ULM moved out to a 57-46 lead on Jones' layup, off a feed from Elijah Gonzales. Southern Miss went nearly 4 1/2 minutes without a field goal (missed three-straight shots and committed two turnovers). Gonzales banked in a 3 to give ULM its largest lead at 65-53 with 1:34 left in the game.
 
ULM shot 56 percent (14-of-25) from the field in the second half, including 5-of-9 3-pointers, and went 10-of-13 from the free-throw line (77 percent). After being outmuscled on the backboards in the first half, the Warhawks outrebounded Southern Miss, 17-13, over the last 20 minutes.
 
"That's two games in a row that I've been pleased with the way the team responded after halftime," ULM head coach Keith Richard. "I call these grind games because you have to grind out every possession on both defense and offense. We were too anxious in the first half and got antsy at times, firing away from 3 too quickly. We attempted 12 3s in the first half and that's too many. We had success scoring inside the 3-point line but got away from it for stretches.
 
"We made some subtle adjustments at halftime, calmed down and played with more composure in the second half. We did a much better job of grinding out possessions in the second half, than we did in the first half. Offensively, we played really well in the second half. We got into a better flow, turned down some 3s and found ways to score inside the 3-point line.
 
"We made a few defensive adjustments that helped us too," Richard continued. "Their ability to listen at halftime is critical to winning games sometimes, and again, I liked the way our team responded in the second half."
 
Richard also was pleased by the way his team responded after an up-tempo road win (82-69) at SFA Tuesday night.
 
"We were well prepared for this kind of game, but I'm really happy about the way we responded to this type of game," he said. "This was different than the free-flowing style game we played at SFA. We had a lot of half-court possessions against Southern Miss, and this was good for us because in our league several teams play different styles. We're going to run into this numerous times during our league schedule where we have to shift gears from one opponent to the next. I'm happy with the win and playing in this (grind-it-out) way. It bodes well for us when we move through Sun Belt Conference play."
 
For the game, ULM held an edge in points in the paint, 38-24; second-chance points, 12-5; points off turnovers, 19-16; and fast-break points, 16-13.
 
All five of ULM's starters scored in double figures for the first time this season, led by Jones, who netted 14 of his 18 points in the second half while connecting on 5-of-6 field-goal attempts and 4-of-6 shots from the charity stripe.
 
"Our team really moved the ball well in the second half," Richard said. "The ball was popping, from inside to outside, as well as from side to side. When we play together like that and don't turn the ball over, we look and feel like a good team.
 
"Now, Andre Jones can drive it, especially in late-game situations. Andre has the ability to put the ball on the ground and beat people off the dribble. He has the combination of quickness and power to get to the rim and score layups or get fouled. In late-game matchups, Andre is a killer to opposing teams. That's just what he did tonight. He had two- or three-straight buckets that kept Southern Miss away from making a late run. Andre is a tremendous athlete, with good ball-handling skills. He's definitely a good weapon to have on the floor down the stretch in games."
 
Ozier reached double figures for his eighth consecutive game, contributing 15 points and four assists.
 
Howell, who made 7-of-11 shots from the field, added seven rebounds, including four off the offensive glass, three assists and a blocked shot. His 31 minutes played matched his season and career high (at SMU).
 
"Thomas Howell had great energy on the floor, and you could feel it," Richard said. "Thomas really rebounded the ball well. He was getting up high to grab the ball off the glass and he has great hands. He played a strong game on both ends of the floor and moved up and down the floor well. Thomas played strong in the post and carried the scoring load in the first half.
 
"I know I played him a lot, nearly 31 minutes, but that's the reason I put him back in the game during the second half because he was rebounding the ball so well. Thomas had an excellent all-around game."
 
Harrison, who posted his fifth career double-double, hit 2-of-3 3-pointers and grabbed six of this 10 rebounds during the second half. He has produced double-figure scoring in five-straight games, averaging 16.8 points and 6.4 rebounds during that stretch.
 
"Russell Harrison has always been a good defensive rebounder, and tonight, he did it against a taller team," Richard said. "Russ had eight defensive boards. Offensively, Russ struggled a little in the first half, but I keep him in there in the second half because he's always a scoring threat. He hit two big 3s there in the second half at the right moments. Russ played with more composure in the second half. That's five games in a row that he's played pretty well."
 
Gonzales put together another solid stat line with 10 points, six rebounds and three steals.
 
Bolden hit 7-of-9 field-goal attempts, including 3-for-3 from behind the 3-point arc, and finished with a game-high 19 points to pace the Golden Eagles. Tyler Stevenson added 11 points, hitting 5-of-10 shots from the floor, for Southern Miss, which dropped its fifth consecutive game.
 
ULM closes out its non-conference schedule at Lamar on Monday, Dec. 20, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. CT in the Montagne Center.
 
"We do have a quick turnaround with the game at Lamar on Monday, so well treat it like it's a Sun Belt Conference weekend," Richard. "We play Thursdays and Saturdays in conference play, so now, we have a Saturday-Monday setup. So, we'll go through the same routine as we would for a league weekend.
 
"Hopefully, we can continue to play well. We're in a good place right now, regardless of what happens Monday (at Lamar). I don't want to break for Christmas to tell you the truth; I really don't (laughing). We're in a good groove right now. We'd like to finish out the non-conference schedule with a winning streak and bring some momentum into conference play. It's another opportunity to win a road game, like we did at SFA last Tuesday. So, hopefully, we can add another confidence booster for our team."
 
Russell Harrison drive vs Southern Miss 2021-22

 
 
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