Russell Harrison 3 vs Louisiana Christian
Luke Richard/ULM Athletics
68
Louisiana Col. M-506553 1-1
89
Winner La.-Monroe M-498 5-4,0-0 Sun Belt
Louisiana Col. M-506553
1-1
68
Final
89
La.-Monroe M-498
5-4,0-0 Sun Belt
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Louisiana Col. M-506553 30 38 68
La.-Monroe M-498 37 52 89

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Harrison Scores 24 as ULM Pulls Away from LCU in Second Half for Third-Straight Win

MONROE, La. – Russell Harrison scored a game-high 24 points, hitting 8-of-13 shots from the field including 5-of-8 3-pointers, to lead ULM to an 89-68 victory over NAIA Louisiana Christian Wednesday in Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
 
It marked ULM's third-straight win as the Warhawks (5-4) climbed above the .500 mark for the first time this season. It also marked ULM's 11th consecutive victory over Louisiana Christian, formerly known as Louisiana College.
 
There were three ties and four lead changes in a tightly contested first half.
 
With the score tied at 12-all, Andre Jones made back-to-back layups to spark a 16-4 run as ULM built a 28-16 lead on Thomas Howell's left-handed layup, off a nifty pass from Nika Metskhvarishivili, with 6:10 left in the opening half. During that 6:08 stretch, the Wildcats committed six turnovers and hit just 2-of-6 field-goal attempts. LCU converted four-straight free-throw attempts in the final five seconds of the first half to cut its halftime deficit to seven points at 37-30.
 
Both teams shot below 40 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes. ULM hit 12-of-32 field-goal attempts (38 percent), including 4-of-11 3s, while LCU went 11-of-28 from the field (39 percent), including 3-of-12 from 3-point range. The Warhawks scored 11 points off the Wildcats' 10 first-half turnovers.
 
Jones (12) and Harrison (11) combined for 23 first-half points to pace the Warhawks.
 
"We struggled some in the first half, but it wasn't due to a lack of effort," ULM head coach Keith Richard said. "We also played great defense in the first half. The problem was we missed nine shots right around the rim in the first half. We got the shots we wanted, but we missed them from close range. We shot 38 percent from the field in the first half and had a seven-point lead because of our inability to finish at the rim."
 
Kae'ron Baker buried a 3-pointer from the left wing as LCU pulled to within 44-40 with 15:48 remaining in the second half, but the Wildcats failed to close the gap any further. ULM put together a 14-2 spurt to take control of the game. Harrison started the run with a 3-pointer from the right wing and capped it with another trey from the top of the circle with 10:26 on the clock. Langston Powell's 3 from the left baseline gave ULM its largest lead at 85-62 with 2:09 left.
 
"At the half, I told them to keep playing the same way, but when you get the ball close to the basket, then concentrate on finishing," Richard said. "I also told them to slow down a little on the fast break and make a better pass. That's what we did a lot better in the second half and our field-goal percentage reflected that."
 
The Warhawks shot 56 percent (19-of-34) from the floor in the second half, including 4-of-9 from behind the 3-point arc, while outscoring the Wildcats, 52-38, over the final 20 minutes. For the game, ULM held a decided edge in points off turnovers, 20-6; points in the paint, 42-20; and fast-break points, 12-3. The Warhawks outscored LCU, 19-8, from the free-throw line and outrebounded the Wildcats, 41-35.
 
Harrison, who recorded his second-straight 20-point game and the fourth of his career, netted 13 second-half points and collected six of his seven rebounds after the intermission.
 
"Russ has looked confident shooting the ball," Richard said. "He's become a more patient offensive player, allowing the game to come to him. It's pretty neat because in these last two games, he's a different looking player than he was last year. Russ has a better understanding of knowing when to take a shot and when to turn one down. The experience he's gained is really beginning to show, and hopefully, he can keep that going as we continue to prepare to head into conference play."
 
ULM featured a balanced-scoring attack as four of five starters posted double figures. Jones finished with 18 and a season-high eight rebounds (three offensive boards). Powell added 14 points while Howell contributed 12 points and seven rebounds, including three off the offensive glass.
 
"Andre made some great drives to the basket," Richard said. "He missed some finishes at the rim; shots rolled in and out. But he always brings great energy to the floor.
 
"Andre and Langston are dead tired, and one of the reasons they are is because they were asked to guard Louisiana Christian's best player, in Kae'ron Baker. They had to pay attention at all times when guarding him because he moves so well without the basketball. They both really had to work hard to hold him to 19 points. He came into the game averaging nearly 21 points per game. Both Andre and Langston exerted a lot of energy because they played a lot of minutes and played so hard."
 
Elijah Gonzales tallied a career-best seven rebounds (all defensive) to go along with nine assists, just one off his career high.
 
"Louisiana Christian does a good job of switching defenses, from zone to man-to-man, so we needed Elijah to get us into the right offense," Richard said. "We also needed his help on the defensive boards and we needed for him to be good on the fast break. We started getting some defensive stops, so we needed for him to be good with the ball in his hands on the break, not only in terms of decision making but with completing passes that led to layups and dunks. He's tired because he played almost 39 minutes, but he played well on both ends of the floor."
 
All 10 players who saw action for the Warhawks scored in the game.
 
Three LCU players scored in double figures, led by Baker who managed 19 points on 6-of-18 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 3s. The Wildcats also got 14 points from KJ Bilbo and 12 from Jakobey Hitchens.
 
ULM improved to 4-0 in Fant-Ewing Coliseum while averaging nearly 98 points per game at home.
 
After a five-day break, ULM resumes its non-conference schedule on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at SFA (6:30 p.m. tipoff). The Warhawks and Lumberjacks will be meeting for the sixth consecutive season.
 
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