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ULM Closes Out First Weekend of SBC Play at App State

ULM Closes Out First Weekend of SBC Play at App State

Men's Basketball Dec 31
Game 14: ULM (8-5, 0-1 SBC) at App State (6-8, 0-1 SBC)
Saturday, Jan. 1 | 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT
Holmes Convocation Center (8,325) | Boone, N.C.
ESPN+ | KLIP 105.3 FM


2021-22 ULM Basketball Notes: Game 14 vs. App State
 
THE STORYLINE –
ULM returns to action with Saturday's Sun Belt matchup at App State after its six-game win streak was snapped at Coastal Carolina in the SBC opener Thursday night.
 
Sophomore forward Nika Metskhvarishvili posted his second career 20-point scoring game vs. the Chanticleers, going 7-of-9 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Freshman forward Thomas Howell scored in double digits for the third-straight game with 12 and had a team-best six rebounds.
 
Four of the last five games between ULM and App State have been decided by six points or less.
 
All 10 of the meetings between ULM and App State have occurred during Sun Belt Conference play. Due to the COVID-modified intra-divisional schedule format in 2020-21, the two programs did not play each other.
 
THE STARTING FIVE –
• ULM looks to rebound from its loss in the Sun Belt opener at Coastal Carolina and get back to its winning ways. The Warhawks started the 2020-21 adjusted SBC schedule 2-0 and were 2-0 to start conference play in 2018-19. ULM won nine conference games in back-to-back seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
 
• Four different Warhawks, Nika Metskhvarishvili the most recent to add his name to the list, Russell Harrison, Andre Jones and Russell Harrison, have led the Warhawks in scoring three times in 2021-22.
 
• The Warhawks' high-powered scoring offense has run into challenges on the road with a 67.3 scoring average in seven true road games. ULM's two highest-scoring outputs came in their back-to-back road wins: 82 points at SFA and 80 points at Lamar.
 
• Four starters, led by senior Russell Harrison's 17.6 points-per-game average, had scoring averages in double digits during the month of December. Andre Jones checked in at 14.6 ppg., Koreem Ozier at 11.3 and Thomas Howell at 10.4.
 
• ULM returns home to Fant-Ewing Coliseum for its Sun Belt Conference home opener against Little Rock on Thursday, Jan. 6 at 6:30 p.m. Arkansas State visits for a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday, Jan. 8.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS –
3.55 — Junior guard Elijah Gonzales, who possesses an overall assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.30, had only nine turnovers in seven games during the month of December. With 32 assists, his assist-to-turnover ratio for the month was 3.55.
 
10 — ULM had 10 steals at Coastal Carolina, marking the fifth time this season the Warhawks have recorded double digits in that category and posting back-to-back games with 10+ for the second time in 2021-22.
 
198 — Junior guard Koreem Ozier is just two assists away from reaching the 200-career milestone.  Ozier had 70 in 2020-21 in his first season as a Warhawk and has 33 in 12 games so far this season.
 
72.7% — With 16 assists in the Sun Belt Conference opener, the Warhawks had a .727 assist-to-field goals made percentage (22 FGs made). Junior guards Koreem Ozier and Elijah Gonzales shared team-high honors with five each. For Ozier, he tied his season-best total and did not commit a turnover.
 
82.4 — ULM averaged 82.4 points in the seven December games and had a +9.4 scoring margin over its opponents. Six Warhawks scored at least 20 points in those seven games.
 
223 — The Warhawks continue to lead the Sun Belt with 223 total assists (21st nationally) and an assists-per-game average of 17.2, good for 23rd in the nation.
 
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE –
According to kenpom.com (as of Dec. 31, 2021), ULM's strength of schedule in 2021-22 is 85th with a rating of +3.60. ESPN.com ranks the Warhawks' SOS at No. 90.
 
APPALACHIAN STATE SCOUTING REPORT –
Head Coach: Dustin Kerns (Florida State, 1968)
Record at Appalachian State: 41-35 (3rd season)
Career record: 72-72 (5th season)
Kerns' Record vs. ULM:  0-1
Mountaineers top scorer: Senior G Adrian Delph (15.1 ppg.)
Mountaineers' top rebounders: Senior F James Lewis Jr. (5.7 rpg.)
 
Head coach Dustin Kerns is one of 25 coaches who made a postseason appearance with two or more teams in their first two seasons as head coach at each coaching stop. After a 21-year wait, App State made its third appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history in 2021. The Mountaineers won four-straight games in the Sun Belt Tournament to punch the program's ticket to the tournament.
 
With 12 players returning from last season's team, App State returned more than 90 percent of its points from 2020-21. The Mountaineers' 92.3 percent – or 64.9 points per game returning – ranked 17th nationally.
 
Senior guard Adrian Delph had a career night on Nov. 22 against Delaware, finishing with career highs in points (39), field goals made (13) and 3-pointers made (7). Delph started the game a perfect 10-of-10 from the field. His scoring output was the most points scored by a Mountaineer since Ronshad Shabazz tallied 47 points at ULM on Feb. 28, 2019, a mark is tied for the 12th-highest single-game scoring output in program history.
 
App State concluded the 2020-21 regular season with a 13-11 overall mark, the first time the Mountaineers ended the regular season with back-to-back winning records since the 2009-10 season (20-11) and 2010-11 campaign (15-14). App State finished the regular season in 2019-20 with a 17-14 mark.
 
App State dropped its Sun Belt Conference opener to the Ragin' Cajuns, 71-55, at home Thursday, with the Ragin' Cajuns jumping out to a 27-9 lead and 43-19 advantage at the break. Delph drained five 3-pointers to finish with a game-high 17 points while adding seven rebounds. CJ Huntley also reached double figures with 13 points, to go along with four rebounds. Michael Almonacy had eight points and a season-best six assists. James Lewis Jr. pulled down a team-high eight rebounds (5 offensive) and added a pair of steals.
 
ULM/APP STATE SERIES NOTES –
The Warhawks lead the all-time series, 6-4, with all games occurring since the 2014-15 season when the Mountaineers joined the Sun Belt Conference. However, Appalachian State had traveled to Monroe, Louisiana, prior to the two teams competing as conference opponents for the 1979 Pacemaker Classic during the Bobby Cremins era. The two teams did not meet in the tournament bracket.
 
ULM has won two of the last three meetings, falling in the 2019-20 regular-season finale, 61-57, in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. Due to the COVID-modified intra-divisional schedule format in 2020-21, the two programs did not play each other. Four of the last five games have been decided by six points or less.
 
Keith Richard is 6-4 vs. Appalachian State as ULM head coach.
 
THE LAST MEETING –
App State 61, ULM 57, (March 3, 2020, in Monroe, La.): Appalachian State ended ULM's hopes at postseason play as the 2019-20 season ended with a 61-57 loss to the Mountaineers at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. The Warhawks lost 14 of its 29 games by eight points or less.
 
On a night when the shots weren't falling for the home team, the Warhawks couldn't muster enough offense to overcome App State despite a late-game surge.
 
After trailing by 12 (49-37) with 8:22 left in the game, ULM used a 10-5 run to get within 54-47 on Langston Powell's layup with 3:41 showing. Tyree White's bucket at the 1:53 mark cut the lead to 58-52, then a turnover and layup by Josh Nicholas had ULM within four at 58-54 with a minute remaining.
 
After a timeout, App State's O'Showen Williams hit a spinning layup with 35.1 seconds to go, and Nicholas answered with a 3-pointer from the corner for a 60-57 score at the 22.8 mark. ULM would get no closer.
 
Tyree White scored 16 points with 11 rebounds and six assists and senior Youry White scored 11 points with 12 rebounds in their final game. Nicholas added 11 points while Michael Ertel scored 10.
 
ULM shot 36 percent from the field, making 22-of-61 field goals. The team made three of its 18 3-point attempts (17 percent).
 
ULM trailed 27-22 at halftime after failing to hit a field goal over the last 5:42 of the first half.  The Warhawks trailed by as many as seven during a 5:39 scoring drought that finally ended when Ertel stroked a pair of free throws with 2.9 seconds left. ULM shot just 32 percent in the half (8-for-25), led in scoring by Ertel's seven points.
 
Early in the second half, App State used a 9-0 run to increase its lead to 12 points at 38-26.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT –
Coastal Carolina 94, ULM 64 (Dec. 30, 2021, in Conway, S.C.): Coastal Carolina's Vince Cole and Rudi Williams combined for 36 points and Essam Mostafa posted his seventh double of the season with 13 points and a career-high 17 rebounds as the Chanticleers rolled to a 94-64 victory over ULM Thursday night in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams. Five different Coastal players scored in double figures. The loss snapped ULM's six-game winning streak – its longest since the 2015-16 season.
 
Coastal Carolina led by as many as six points early in the game, including at 17-11 on Josh Uduje's layup with 11:57 left in the first half. ULM (8-5, 0-1) answered with an 18-8 run and took a 29-25 lead on Nika Metskhvarishvili's reverse layup, off a feed from Koreem Ozier, with 5:51 on the clock. Metskhvarishvili accounted for 11 points during the stretch that lasted 5:58. The Chanticleers reeled off six-straight points and regained the lead at 31-29 on Isaac Hippolyte's left-handed hook over Luke Phillips with 4:08 on the clock. Johnnie Williams buried a 3-pointer from the right wing and Andre Jones finished the fast break with an alley-oop dunk from Ozier as the Warhawks built a 34-31 advantage with 3:03 remaining. Coastal outscored ULM, 14-2, over the final 2:36, including the last nine points of the first half to take a 45-36 lead into halftime. 
 
The Chanticleers shot 50 percent (16-of-32) from the field in the first 20 minutes, hitting 5-of-12 3-pointers (42 percent). ULM made 13-of-33 first-half field-goal attempts (39 percent), including 5-of-16 from 3-point range (31 percent). Over the final 2:36, the Warhawks went 1-for-5 from the floor. In addition, Coastal outrebounded ULM, 25-13, in the opening half, with the Chanticleers holding a 10-0 advantage in second-chance points. 
 
Coastal opened the second half with a 23-5 run to take control of the game. ULM's first field goal came 3:44 into the second half when Metskhvarishvili rattled home a 3-pointer from the top of the circle. The Chanticleers led by as many as 34 points after the intermission.  
 
For the game, Coastal made 32-of-62 field-goal attempts (52 percent), including 12-of-25 3s (48 percent). ULM shot 33 percent (22-of-67) from the floor, including a dismal 26 percent (9-of-35) from behind the 3-point arc. The Chanticleers outmuscled ULM on the backboards, 51-26 (+25 rebound margin). Coastal held a decided edge in points in the paint, 34-20; second-chance points, 19-8; bench points, 33-23; and fast-break points, 23-16.
 
Coastal also got 13 points from Garrick Green and 12 from Uduje. Ten players scored in the game for the Chanticleers. Ebrima Dibba also recorded a career-high 12 assists.
 
Metskhvarishvili came off the bench to score a game-high 20 points – one shy of his career high (at SFA) – in 22 minutes played. He connected on 7-of-9 field-goal attempts, including a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point range. Two other ULM players scored in double figures, as Russell Harrison finished with 14 points while Thomas Howell contributed 12 points and a team-best six rebounds, including four off the offensive glass. Ozier matched his season high with five assists.
 
2021-22 ULM STARTING LINEUPS –
Nov. 9 at LSU: Gonzales, Jones, Gee, Harrison, Howell
Nov. 12 at Auburn: Gonzales, Boston, Gee, Harrison, Howell
Nov. 16 vs. Champion Christian: Gonzales, Jones, Gee, Harrison, Howell
Nov. 22 vs. Northwestern State: Gonzales, Jones, Ozier, Harrison, Howell
Nov. 24 vs. Louisiana Tech: Gonzales, Jones, Ozier, Harrison, Howell
Nov. 28 at SMU: Jones, Ozier, Powell, Harrison, Howell
Dec. 1 vs. Centenary: Jones, Ozier, Powell, Harrison, Howell
Dec. 4 vs. Northwestern State: Gonzales, Ozier, Jones, Harrison, Howell
Dec. 8 vs. Louisiana Christian: Gonzales, Powell, Jones, Harrison, Howell
Dec. 14 at SFA: Gonzales, Powell, Jones, Harrison, Howell
Dec. 18 vs. Southern Miss: Gonzales, Ozier, Jones, Harrison, Howell
Dec. 20 at Lamar: Gonzales, Ozier, Jones, Harrison, Howell
Dec. 30 at Coastal Carolina*: Gonzales, Ozier, Jones, Harrison, Howell
                                      
Different Starting Combinations (5):
Gonzales, Ozier, Jones, Harrison, Howell: 6 (4-2)
Gonzales, Jones, Gee, Harrison, Howell: 2 (1-1)
Jones, Ozier, Powell, Harrison, Howell: 2 (1-1)
Gonzales, Boston, Gee, Harrison, Howell: 1 (0-1)
Gonzales, Powell, Jones, Harrison, Howell: 2 (2-0)
 
2021-22 WARHAWK STATISTICAL TRENDS –
Games played in Fant-Ewing Coliseum: 5-0
Games played on the road: 2-5
Games played at a neutral site: 1-0                        
 
Games played in November: 2-4
Games played in December: 6-1
Games played in January: 0-0
Games played in February: 0-0
Games played in March: 0-0                                    
 
When leading at halftime: 6-2
When trailing at halftime: 1-3
When tied at halftime: 1-0
 
When shooting .500 or better from the field: 6-0
When shooting less than .500 from the field: 2-5
When opponent shoots .500 or better from the field: 0-3
When opponent shoots less than .500 from the floor: 8-2
 
When outrebounding opponent: 5-0
When outrebounded by opponent: 3-5
When rebounding totals are equal: 0-0
 
When hitting more free throws than opponent: 5-0
When hitting fewer free throws than opponent: 3-5
When hitting the same number of free throws as opponent: 0-0
 
When committing fewer turnovers than opponent: 8-1                         
When opponent commits fewer turnovers: 0-4
When turnover totals are equal: 0-0
 
When ULM scores less than 50 points: 0-1           
When ULM scores 50-59 points: 0-0
When ULM scores 60-69 points: 0-3
When ULM scores 70-79 points: 1-1
When ULM scores 80-89 points: 4-0
When ULM scores 90+ points: 3-0
 
When opponent scores less than 50 points: 0-0  
When opponent scores 50-59 points: 1-0
When opponent scores 60-69 points: 5-0
When opponent scores 70-79 points: 2-1
When opponent scores 80-89 points: 0-0
When opponent scores 90+ points: 0-4
 
Games decided by five points or less: 1-0
Games decided by 6-10 points: 1-1
Games decided by 11-19 points: 2-0
Games decided by 20 points or more: 4-4
 
Largest deficit overcome to win: 10 (42-32 at Lamar, Dec. 20)
Largest lead surrendered in a loss: 10 (28-18 and 60-50 at SMU, Nov. 28)
 
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