ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. - ULM concludes the 2020-21 regular season with a pair of home games against Texas State Friday and Saturday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday. The Warhawks split last weekend's series vs. Little Rock, suffering a 66-46 loss on Sunday before bouncing back with a 62-44 win on Monday to snap a 15-game losing streak. It was also ULM's first win over Little Rock since 2012. Texas State did not play last weekend after its series with Arkansas State was canceled over dangerous travel conditions caused by winter storms across the region.

Both games will be televised by ESPN+ with Chris Harris (play-by-play) and Mike Vining (analyst) on the call. Both games will air on the Warhawk Radio Network from Learfield IMG College on 105.7 FM/540 AM KMLB. Mike Hammett will have the call of both games. There will not be an audio streaming option available due to ULM baseball internet-only broadcasts.

Sophomore guard Linda van Schaik led the Warhawks to Monday's victory. Van Schaik scored a career-high 19 points and set a career-best with eight rebounds. Van Schaik hit 5-of-6 shots, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. She connected on her first three treys of the afternoon and her only miss was on a forced shot late in the shot clock. She scored 10 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter, including hitting 6-of-8 free throws.

Monday's game marked the first time freshman guard Gracen Williams and sophomore guard Gara Beth Self started a game together. The pair played well together, with Self scoring 12 points, including three 3-pointers, and Williams matching a career-high with seven points and setting a new career-best with eight assists.

The Warhawks will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday by honoring Whitney Goins prior to the game. Entering the weekend, the Anacoco, Louisiana native has played in 108 games with 88 starts over her four year career and has scored 605 career points. Seniors Diamond Brooks and Kierra Crockett are planning to use the blanket waiver year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic and return for the 2021-22 season.

Texas State (8-10 overall, 5-8 Sun Belt Conference) has lost three of its last four games coming into this weekend's series in Monroe. The Bobcats last played on Feb. 13, dropping a 51-43 decision on the road to UT Arlington. One day earlier, the Bobcats beat UTA, 66-45, in San Marcos.

The Bobcats are led by Da'Nasia Hood at 16.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Hood has started all 18 games along with Lauryn Thompson and Kennedy Taylor. Hood has scored in double figures in 15 of 18 games, including five games of 20-or-more points. She has scored a season-high 25 points twice, doing so on Dec. 3 at SMU and again on Feb. 12 vs. UTA. Against ULM, Hood scored 23 points and tracked down four rebounds on Jan. 22 and added 19 points and nine rebounds on Jan. 23.

Lauryn Thompson is second on the team in scoring and rebounding at 10.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Thompson scored a career-high 25 points against the Ragin' Cajuns on Jan. 1 and also had 23 points and 11 rebounds in a double-double vs. ULM on Jan. 23. She had 12 points and seven rebounds vs. the Warhawks on Jan. 22. Thompson has reached double figures in 11 games and has three double-doubles on the season.

Kennedy Taylor has scored in double figures nine times and is averaging 10.2 points and 5.5 assists per game. She scored a season-best 18 points against ULM on 4-of-6 3-point shooting on Jan. 22 while also handing out six assists. The next day, she dished out a season-high 12 assists while scoring seven points vs. ULM.

CROCKETT CONTINUES TO CONTROL THE BOARDS        
Senior Kierra Crockett continues to be one of the top rebounders in the Sun Belt Conference and NCAA Division I. Crockett is averaging 8.4 rebounds per game, which ranks sixth in the Sun Belt and 103rd in the nation. She ranks sixth in the SBC in defensive rebounds (5.9 pg.) and eighth in offensive rebounds (2.6 pg.). She has tracked down at least seven rebounds in 16 of 20 games this season. She has topped 10 rebounds in a game six times this season and 13 times in her ULM career. Crockett plans to take advantage of the NCAA's blanket waiver for an additional year of eligibility and return for the 2021-22 season.

In the series with the Ragin' Cajuns, Crockett just missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds on Feb. 11 at Lafayette. On Feb. 13 in Monroe, Crockett tracked down eight rebounds.

She pulled down eight rebounds to go with five points on Feb. 5 vs. UT Arlington and added 10 rebounds, all defensive, to go with seven points on Feb. 6 vs. the Mavericks. It was the fifth time she reached double-digit rebounds on the season.

Crockett scored nine points and pulled in eight rebounds at Little Rock on Jan. 29. She tracked down eight rebounds in each game of the weekend series at Texas State on Jan. 22 and Jan. 23. She added 13 points on Jan. 22 and five points on Jan. 23.

Crockett bounced back on Jan. 16 vs. Arkansas State with eight points and 14 rebounds in nearly 36 minutes against the Red Wolves. On Jan. 15 contest, Crockett was limited to two points and four rebounds and played just 14 minutes due to foul trouble. It was the first time this season Crockett was held to less than seven rebounds in a game.

Crockett collected a career-high 15 rebounds, including 11 in the first half and seven in the first quarter, to go with eight points on Jan. 9 at UT Arlington. Crockett opened the weekend series with the Mavericks with six points and eight rebounds at UTA on Jan. 8.

Crockett pulled down seven rebounds Dec. 17 at Louisiana Tech and eight boards Dec. 15 vs. Mississippi Valley State, including six offensive rebounds. Crockett has tallied at least seven rebounds in all six contests and has at least four offensive rebounds in three of the last four games.

Crockett posted her first double-double of the season and the third of her ULM career Dec. 12 at Northwestern State. She scored a career-high 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting and made all six of her free throw attempts. She matched a career-high with 13 rebounds, with eight on the offensive end, in 32 minutes of action Saturday. She had nine rebounds against Grambling State and added seven boards against Louisiana College. She collected a game-high 11 rebounds in 27 minutes in the season-opener at Arkansas.

She is also known for posting social media videos showcasing her musical talent. Crockett took violin lessons while growing up and is a self-taught piano and guitar player.

BRIMZY'S BURST        
Junior guard Kierra Brimzy has led ULM in scoring in 11 games this season. She tallied 16 points to lead ULM in the first game of the series vs. Little Rock on Sunday. Brimzy led the Warhawks with 23 points on 4-of-5 3-point shooting on Feb. 13 vs. Ragin' Cajuns. It marked the fourth time this season Brimzy had eclipsed 20 or more points. She scored 22 points and a tracked down a season-high six rebounds vs. UT Arlington on Feb. 5.

The Natchitoches, Louisiana, native was held under 10 points in consecutive games for the first time this season in the weekend series at Little Rock on Jan. 29-30.

Brimzy paced ULM with 16 points on Jan. 22 at Texas State and matched a season-high with 24 points Jan. 23 against the Bobcats.

She led the Warhawks with 13 points on Jan. 15 vs. Arkansas State. 

Brimzy scored in double figures in her first six games of the season. She paced the Warhawks with 16 points at UT Arlington on Jan. 8 and at Louisiana Tech on Dec. 17. She scored 13 points against Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 15. 

Brimzy played in her hometown on Dec. 12, scoring a season-high 24 points while pulling down five rebounds and handing out an assist against Northwestern State. Brimzy scored eight points in the first quarter to help the Warhawks to an early 18-6 lead and had 22 points over the first three quarters. 

Brimzy led ULM with 11 points against Grambling. She made her ULM debut on Dec. 6 vs. Louisiana College, leading the team with 15 points while adding a rebound and an assist.

Brimzy leads the team in scoring at 13.4 points per game. She ranks fifth in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring.

Brimzy sat out the 2019-20 season following a transfer from Tyler Junior College. She averaged 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists as a sophomore with the Apache Ladies in 2018-19. She averaged 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game as a freshman in 2017-18.

CLIMBING THE HILL        
Freshman forward Morgan Hill broke through in the weekend series against the Ragin' Cajuns. The Houston native posted career highs in points and rebounds in each game against the Cajuns, going for a team-high 11 points and eight rebounds in Lafayette on Feb. 11 before backing up both of those totals on Feb. 13 with her first double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Hill entered the series averaging just 2.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. She averaged 13.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game on the series.

Hill has been receiving increased minutes in the post, and also earned career high totals on the floor against the Cajuns. Hill played a career-best 24 minutes in Lafayette on Thursday before topping that on Saturday with 27 minutes at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. Hill had not played more than 19 minutes prior to Thursday's contest.

In the Little Rock series, Hill scored six points with three rebounds on Sunday and followed it with four points and three rebounds on Monday. Over the last five games, Hill is averaging 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

GOINS TAKES THE FLOOR TWO FINAL TIMES AT FANT        
Senior guard/forward Whitney Goins is wrapping up her four-year career at ULM this season. Saturday's game against Texas State marks her final home game in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. Entering the weekend, Goins has played in 108 career games with 88 starts, averaging 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. She has hit 132 3-point field goals in her career. Some of her career highlights include a 19-point effort with five 3-pointers vs. Troy on Jan. 8, 2020, seven rebounds in three different games and a seven assist effort vs. Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 9, 2018.

She stepped up to help lead the Warhawks on the offensive end of the floor in games against UT Arlington and Little Rock. Goins scored 11 points on 3-of-5 3-point shooting with a season-high six rebounds vs. UT Arlington on Feb. 5.

Goins led the Warhawks in the series at Little Rock. Goins, who missed nearly the entire week of practice leading into the Little Rock series with a heel injury, was a game-time decision on Friday, but came off the bench to lead the team with 12 points and added six rebounds. She returned to the starting lineup on Saturday to score a season-high 17 points. She has knocked down at least two 3-pointers in four of the last five contests.

Goins snapped out of a statistical slide on the offensive end of the floor against Arkansas State. After scoring in double figures in two of the first three games of the season, Goins totaled five points over the next five contests while shooting 2-of-23 (1-of-14 3FG) from the field in that stretch. Head coach Brooks Donald Williams speaks highly of Goins' work ethic and time spent in the gym. Her hard work and stick-to-itiveness paid off against the Red Wolves. Goins knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter on Jan. 15, cutting an early 7-point A-State lead to one. She finished with 11 points to tie Gara Beth Self for second on the team. The next afternoon, Goins led the Warhawks with 10 points and canned two more treys.

Goins opened her senior campaign with 11 points and three 3-pointers at No. 16 Arkansas on Dec. 3 and added 10 points with a pair of treys vs. Grambling on Dec. 10.

DIAMOND IN THE POST    
Senior Diamond Brooks continues to be efficient in the post for ULM. The Kentwood, Louisiana, native is shooting 62% (34-of-55) from the field inside Sun Belt Conference play and 60% (48-of-80) for the season.

Brooks reached double-figures for the fourth time this season and the second time inside Sun Belt Conference play with 12 points and six rebounds vs. Little Rock on Saturday. She had eight points and tracked down seven points in the Jan. 23 loss at Texas State. She led the team with 10 points in the weekend finale at UT Arlington on Jan. 9. She set a new season-high with nine rebounds vs. Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 15. She matched her season-high with 11 points and added five rebounds at Northwestern State on Dec. 12. She scored 11 points in just eight minutes vs. Louisiana College on Dec. 6. 

Brooks saw a significant increase in her role in the post in 2019-20. Brooks moved into the full-time starting center position, playing in all 29 games while starting 28 last season. She nearly tripled her scoring average to 8.0 points per game while increasing her rebounding average by 2.3 boards per game to 5.9. Brooks averaged 26.0 minutes per game as a junior after averaging just 13.9 minutes per game as a sophomore.

VAN SCHAIK PROVIDES SPARK    
Sophomore guard Linda Van Schaik led ULM to its first victory in 19 tries against Little Rock on Feb. 22. Van Schaik came off the bench and hit her first three 3-point attempts of the day and finished 5-of-6 from the field with a career-high 19 points. She added eight rebounds, which is also a career-best. She finished the game strong, scoring 10 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter, including a 6-of-8 effort from the free throw line.

Van Schaik gave ULM a much-needed lift in the second half of a pair of games this season. Van Schaik came off the bench on Feb. 6 vs. UT Arlington and knocked down 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions to jump start a sputtering ULM offense. Van Schaik finished with a team-best 15 points on the game.

Van Schaik played a huge role in ULM's rally on Dec. 15 vs. Mississippi Valley State. Van Schaik entered the game for the first time at the 4:08 mark of the third quarter with ULM trailing 42-27. The native of South Holland, Netherlands, proceeded to score 16 of ULM's final 24 points to lead the team in scoring on the night. She shot 5-of-7 from the floor and 3-of-5 from 3-point range.

Van Schaik knocked down two 3-pointers and three free throws in the third quarter to help bring ULM within five at the end of the quarter, 45-40. In the fourth quarter, van Schaik hit a third trey and had a pair of layups that brought ULM within two points of MVSU each time.

Van Schaik has scored in double figures three times this season after scoring 11 points vs. Louisiana College on Dec. 6. Through 18 games, she is averaging 4.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.

SELF IMPROVEMENT    
Sophomore Gara Beth Self saw her numbers drastically improve after taking over the starting point guard position for the remainder of the 2019-20 season in the final non-conference game of the year vs. Mississippi Valley State. Self was handed the reigns after senior point guard Lauren Fitch suffered a season-ending injury at Texas Tech. Self flourished inside of Sun Belt Conference play, averaging 12.8 points and 2.5 assists over 34.5 minutes per game. She scored in double figures in 12 of 18 conference games, including an eight-game streak from Jan. 8 to Feb. 5. Self scored a career-high 28 points on the strength of 5-of-11 3-point shooting and added two rebounds, three assists and five steals at then-Sun Belt leading Coastal Carolina on Feb. 27. Self was named Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year and Honorable Mention All-Louisiana by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Self broke into double figures for the first time in 2020-21 at Northwestern State, scoring 12 points, seven in the fourth quarter, and handing out five assists against the Lady Demons. She followed it up with 14 points and four assists vs. Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 15. Self tallied 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting with three steals, two assists and one rebound in 25 minutes before suffering an apparent injury late in the third quarter Jan. 15 vs. Arkansas State. She returned to the lineup at Texas State, playing nine minutes on Jan. 22 and earning the start on Jan. 23, playing 23 minutes. Self remained in the starting lineup at Little Rock, scoring two points with a rebound and an assist in 26 minutes on Jan. 29 before adding nine points with four rebounds and two assists in 36 minutes on Jan. 30. She reached double figures for the fourth time on the season with 10 points and a season-high five assists on Feb. 5 vs. UT Arlington. Working with Gracen Williams with her in the back court for the first time in a starting role, Self responded with 12 points and three 3-pointers vs. Little Rock on Feb. 22.

WARHAWKS RETURN FROM LAYOFF    
The Jan. 8 game against UT Arlington marked ULM's first game in 22 days due to COVID-19 concerns within the Warhawk women's basketball program. It was the longest in-season layoff for ULM since a 23-day break in the nonconference schedule in the 1994-95 season (Dec. 6 – Dec. 29). ULM had three games postponed due to COVID-19: McNeese State (Dec. 21) and at Arkansas State (Jan. 1-2).