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ULM Concludes Homestand Against Georgia State Saturday

ULM Concludes Homestand Against Georgia State Saturday

Men's Basketball Jan 29
Game 22: Georgia State (7-9, 1-4 SBC) vs. ULM (10-11, 2-7 SBC)
Saturday, Jan. 29 | 2 p.m. CT
Fant-Ewing Coliseum (7,000) | Monroe, La.
ESPN+ | KLIP 105.3 FM
 
ORDER TICKETS ONLINE HERE
Ticket prices: $15 reserved seat and $12 general admission. The Fant-Ewing Coliseum Ticket Office opens Saturday at 12:20 p.m.
 
2021-22 ULM Basketball Notes: Game 22 vs. Georgia State
 
THE STORYLINE –
ULM's four-game homestand, which featured four teams that the Warhawks did not face during the 2020-21 regular season, comes to a close with a Saturday afternoon contest against Georgia State. ULM starts February with two games on the road.
 
Graduate guard Andre Jones picked up his 300th career assist Thursday night with three to eclipse that milestone. He is averaging 4.2 per game, good for fifth in the Sun Belt rankings.
 
Senior Russell Harrison recorded his eighth career double-double Thursday night with 17 points and a career-best-tying 13 rebounds. He leads the team with 15.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in Sun Belt Conference play.
 
The Warhawks and Panthers become reacquainted with their first game in nearly two years as they did not face each other in 2020-21 as part of the Sun Belt Conference COVID-adjusted schedule. Georgia State swept the series in 2019-20 and has won five of the last seven games.
 
THE STARTING FIVE –
• ULM's final game in the four-game homestand at Fant-Ewing Coliseum features the Warhawks and Georgia State with the two teams meeting for the first time since the 2019-20 season. The Panthers are coming off their first Sun Belt Conference win this season after a 68-64 victory at the Ragin' Cajuns.
 
• Both the Warhawks' and Panthers' recent offensive outings have been below their season scoring averages. Georgia State has had six-straight games below its 72.1 scoring average with highs of 68 points in conference play in its last two games. ULM had its lowest offensive output of 2022 Thursday and its lowest point total this season in a win (62) in overtime two weeks ago.
 
• Senior Russell Harrison continues to put on a show for the Fant-Ewing Coliseum faithful. Harrison is averaging 16.6 points per game while shooting a remarkable .550 (61-for-111) from the field. More than half of his 3-pointers, 26, have dropped through the nets at home games in 2021-22 and he has a 6.7 rebounds per game average, best among active Warhawks. Three of his eight career double-doubles have occurred at Fant-Ewing Coliseum this season.
 
• ULM introduced its ninth-different starting lineup of the season on Thursday night. The Warhawks' projected lineup for Saturday night has stepped on the court three times previously with a 1-2 record.
 
• The Warhawks hit the road for the first weekend in February with the first of the "second meetings" with Little Rock and Arkansas State. ULM plays five road games next month with games at the Ragin' Cajuns, Georgia State and Georgia Southern.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS –
.222 — The Warhawks held Georgia Southern to a .222 (4-for-18) 3-point field-goal percentage Thursday night, the lowest by an opponent this season. The Eagles' .357 field-goal percentage (20-for-56) was the third-lowest percentage by an opponent this season.
 
1.29 — ULM's team assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.29 still stands at the top of the Sun Belt Conference chart and is ranked 51st nationally. The Warhawks' league-leading 342 assists total puts ULM 14th nationally in that category.
 
14 — Nika Metskhvarishvili connected on 14 of his 24 3-point baskets in the month of January, accounting for nearly 37 percent of his points this month. The sophomore is averaging 14.3 points in eight games this month and 10.6 ppg. overall this season
 
64 — Guards Elijah Gonzales, with 33 steals, and Andre Jones, with 31, have combined for 64 total this season and hold the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, respectively, in the Sun Belt Conference individual rankings in that category.
 
302 — Graduate guard Andre Jones now has 302 career assists in his career after leading the Warhawks with three against Georgia Southern to reach this significant milestone. Jones is averaging 4.2 assists per game, good for fifth in the Sun Belt Conference individual rankings.
 
976 — Senior Russell Harrison needs just 24 points to reach the 1,000-point career milestone with 976 total points, 581 points as a Warhawk, and 395 in his first year at Wayland Baptist. Harrison picked up his eighth career double-double with 17 points and a career-best 13 rebounds against Georgia Southern.
 
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE –
According to kenpom.com (as of Jan 25, 2021), ULM's strength of schedule in 2021-22 is 196th with a rating of -0.55. ESPN.com ranks the Warhawks' SOS at No. 167. ULM had a non-conference strength of schedule rating of +2.85 (No. 107), according to kenpom.com.
 
GEORGIA STATE SCOUTING REPORT –
Head Coach: Rob Lanier (St. Bonaventure, 1990)
Record at Georgia State/Career Record:
42-28 (third season)/100-98 (seventh season)
Lanier's Record vs. ULM: 2-0
Panthers' Top Scorer: Senior G Corey Allen (14.7 ppg.)
Panthers' Top Rebounder: Senior F Eliel Nsoseme (9.4 rpg.)
 
Georgia State head coach Rob Lanier recorded his 100th win with the Panther program with the 68-64 win at the Ragin' Cajuns Thursday night and snapped a five-game losing streak with the victory. His .648 winning percentage (35-19 record) is the best of any GSU head coach in their first two years leading the program. Senior guard Kane Williams and junior forward Jalen Thomas had 14 points each to pace the Panthers while senior forward Eliel Nsoseme had a game-best 10 rebounds in the win.
 
Georgia State is ranked 11th in the country in turnovers forced (17.75) and sixth in turnover margin at +5.6. The Panthers also rank No. 17 with 9.4 steals per game, which currently leads the Sun Belt Conference with Allen Corey (2.0 pg.) and Kane Williams (1.6 pg.) ranking ninth and 10th, respectively, on the individual list. ULM and Georgia State are the only two programs with two student-athletes in the Sun Belt's Top 10 in that category.
 
Senior guard Kane Williams is currently in fifth on GSU's all-time scoring list with 1,417 career points and is 62 points behind Terrence Brandon for fourth place. Senior guard Corey Allen, who has tallied 953 of his 1,804 career points at GSU, is among the nation's Top 30 active scorers. Senior Justin Roberts recorded his 1,000th career point and has 1,027, including 898 in a Panther uniform. He and Allen are looking to become the 24th and 25th 1,000-point scorers in program history.
 
Since joining the Sun Belt eight years ago, Georgia State is 99-50 in Sun Belt Conference regular-season games, the most wins in the league during that time. GSU has finished in the top two in the Sun Belt standings six times in the last eight years and has won three conference regular-season titles and three conference tournament championships.
 
Georgia State was one of just five teams in the country to return five players who averaged in double figures in 2020-21. That group includes UCLA, St. Bonaventure, Belmont and South Dakota State.
 
ULM/GEORGIA STATE SERIES NOTES –
Saturday's game marks the 19th meeting between ULM and Georgia State. The Panthers lead the all-time series, 10-8, including a 4-5 record in games played in Monroe. Georgia State has won two in a row and 10 of the last 13 meetings overall.
 
The two teams did not face each other in the 2020-21 season as part of the Sun Belt Conference COVID-adjusted schedule. Four of the last five outings have been tightly contested affairs with five of the last six games at Fant-Ewing Coliseum decided by single digits.
 
Keith Richard is 3-10 against Georgia State as ULM head coach.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT –
Georgia Southern 50, ULM 45 (Jan. 27, 2022, in Monroe, La.): ULM delivered a consistent offensive performance Thursday night but that wasn't a good thing.
 
Shooting woes plagued the Warhawks from start to finish at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in a 50-45 loss to Georgia Southern. ULM shot just 29.5 percent (18-of-61) in the contest while losing a third straight home game. The visiting Eagles shot 36 percent but pulled away in the closing minutes as ULM failed to make a field goal over the final 4:50.
 
Russell Harrison scored 17 points with 13 rebounds for his eighth career double-double. Andre Jones added 11 points. ULM made just 3-of-26 3-point shots.
 
Adding to ULM's woes, the Warhawks' starting point guard Elijah Gonzalez left the game at the 7:02 mark of the first half with an apparent injury to his left knee and did not return.
 
In a game with 10 lead changes and seven ties, the Warhawks never put together a decisive run in a game where the biggest edge was five points. Georgia Southern snapped a three-game losing streak with the road win.
 
ULM trailed 25-22 after an ugly first half that saw both teams struggle offensively.
 
The Warhawks opened the game 1-of-9 shooting from the floor and made just 10-of-33 shots overall in the half (30 percent). ULM finished the half on a 2-for-11 shooting skid and let the clock expire without getting off a final shot.
 
QUOTING KEITH RICHARD –
Georgia State scouting report
"Georgia State picked up its first Sun Belt Conference victory Thursday night at Lafayette. This team was the preseason favorite to win the conference title, but its development has been slowed by COVID. Georgia State has already had five cancellations this season. All five starters return from last year's team that won the East Division regular-season title and advanced to the Sun Belt Tournament Championship Game.
 
"This team really relies on its guard play. Georgia State likes to get out and run in transition. Offensively, they will also run a lot of ball-screen action. So, we will need to defend them one-on-one and keep them from getting inside the paint. We'll need to contest every shot and box out because they will attack the offensive glass.
 
"Georgia State is a well-balanced scoring team. Three starters are scoring in double figures, and they have five players scoring at least nine points per game.
 
"Corey Allen leads the team in scoring at nearly 15 points per game. Allen is always in the attack mode and scores extremely well off the dribble. He can hit mid-range jumpers, finish at the rim and his 35 3s lead the team.
 
"Eliel Nsoseme is a 6-foot-8 forward, who almost averages a double-double. He had 10 rebounds against the Ragin' Cajuns. He's a tough, physical player, who scores around the basket and aggressively hits the offensive boards.
 
"Defensively, Georgia State does a little bit of everything. It plays mostly man-to-man, but they will provide some 1-2-1-1 and man-to-man full-court pressure. They will also play some 2-3 zone.
 
"We must find ways to get inside the paint and finish at the rim. Despite Thursday's loss to Georgia Southern, we really moved the ball well, and we'll have to do that again Saturday against Georgia State. Now, we must have guys step up and make the open shots. We also must do a much better job of taking care of the basketball."
 
On offensive woes against Georgia Southern
"We really struggled on the offensive end the whole game. All that being said, it was still a close game with four minutes to go.
 
"We couldn't get to the rim and then we go 3-for-26 from the 3-point line. I know there were a few of them down the stretch we were wide open. We really moved the ball well to get those shots.
 
"It wasn't a pretty game to watch. I'm sure their coach would say the same thing. But give them credit. In those last four minutes, they found a way to muster up a few points and a couple of kids hit some big shots and we didn't."
 
On the late scoring drought vs. Eagles with Gonzales on the bench
"That's where you miss Elijah. He frees somebody up for a possible layup or easy shot."
 
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
Jan. 1 at App State*: Gonzales, Ozier, Jones, Harrison, Howell
Jan. 6 vs. Little Rock*: Jones, Ozier, Harrison, Metskhvarishvili, Howell
Jan. 8 vs. Arkansas State*: Jones, Ozier, Powell, Harrison, Howell
Jan. 13 at Texas State*: Gonzales, Powell, Harrison, Metskhvarishvili, Howell
Jan. 15 at UT Arlington*: Gonzales, Williams, Harrison, Metskhvarishvili, Howell
Jan. 20 vs. Troy*: Gonzales, Ozier, Jones, Harrison, Howell
Jan. 22 vs. South Alabama*: Jones, Ozier, Harrison, Metskhvarishvili, Howell
Jan. 27 vs. Georgia Southern*: Gonzales, Ozier, Jones, Harrison, Metskhvarishvili
*Sun Belt Conference game
                                      
Different Starting Combinations (9):
Gonzales, Jones, Ozier, Harrison, Howell: 8 (4-4)
Jones, Ozier, Powell, Harrison, Howell: 3 (1-2)
Gonzales, Powell, Jones, Harrison, Howell: 2 (2-0)            
Gonzales, Jones, Gee, Harrison, Howell: 2 (1-1)
Jones, Ozier, Harrison, Metskhvarishvili, Howell: 2 (1-1)
Gonzales, Williams, Harrison, Metskhvarishvili, Howell: 1 (1-0)
Gonzales, Ozier, Jones, Harrison, Metskhvarishvili: 1 (0-1)
Gonzales, Powell, Harrison, Metskhvarishvili, Howell: 1 (0-1)
Gonzales, Boston, Gee, Harrison, Howell: 1 (0-1)
 
2021-22 WARHAWK STATISTICAL TRENDS –
Games played in Fant-Ewing Coliseum: 6-3
Games played on the road: 3-8
Games played at a neutral site: 1-0                        
 
Games played in November: 2-4
Games played in December: 6-1
Games played in January: 2-6
Games played in February: 0-0
Games played in March: 0-0                                    
 
When leading at halftime: 7-5
When trailing at halftime: 2-6
When tied at halftime: 1-0
 
When shooting .500 or better from the field: 7-0
When shooting less than .500 from the field: 3-11
When opponent shoots .500 or better from the field: 0-6
When opponent shoots less than .500 from the floor: 10-5
 
When outrebounding opponent: 7-2
When outrebounded by opponent: 3-9
When rebounding totals are equal: 0-0
 
When hitting more free throws than opponent: 6-1
When hitting fewer free throws than opponent: 4-8
When hitting the same number of free throws as opponent: 0-2
 
When committing fewer turnovers than opponent: 8-4                         
When opponent commits fewer turnovers: 2-7
When turnover totals are equal: 0-0
 
When ULM scores less than 50 points: 0-2           
When ULM scores 50-59 points: 0-2
When ULM scores 60-69 points: 1-5
When ULM scores 70-79 points: 1-1
When ULM scores 80-89 points: 5-1
When ULM scores 90+ points: 3-0
 
When opponent scores less than 50 points: 0-0  
When opponent scores 50-59 points: 3-0
When opponent scores 60-69 points: 5-1
When opponent scores 70-79 points: 3-3
When opponent scores 80-89 points: 0-1
When opponent scores 90+ points: 0-5
 
Games decided by five points or less: 1-1
Games decided by 6-10 points: 3-4
Games decided by 11-19 points: 2-2
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: 11 (66-55 vs. Arkansas State, Jan. 8; 25-14 vs. South Alabama, Jan. 22)
 
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