ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. -  For the first time since Nov. 20 at Central Arkansas, the ULM Warhawks will play a true road game as they visit Sun Belt Conference foe Arkansas State at 1 p.m. Saturday at First National Bank Arena. ULM has played nine home games and three neutral site contests since its last road game.

Saturday's game will air on ESPN+ with Brad Bobo (play-by-play) and Carol Halford (analyst) on the call. The game will also be broadcast on 105.7 FM/540 AM KMLB, KMLB.com and the TuneIn app on the Warhawk Radio Network from Learfield with Mike Hammett on the play-by-play.

Saturday's game marks the 48th all-time meeting between ULM and Arkansas State, with the Red Wolves leading the series, 32-15. A-State has won three straight games in the series, including a pair of wins last year. The Red Wolves defeated ULM on Jan. 15-16, 2021, 64-50 and 59-44, at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe. ULM last played in Jonesboro on Jan. 5, 2019, a 64-54 A-State win. ULM last won in Jonesboro, 61-45, on Jan. 26, 2011.

ULM was one of four Sun Belt Conference teams to play both of its games on the opening weekend of conference play. Only ULM, Texas State, UT Arlington and UL Lafayette played both ends of their respective weekend series after other contests were postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. The Warhawks had their first contest impacted by COVID-19 in 2021-22 on Thursday with a cancelation at Little Rock.

Second-year freshman Kyren Whittington continued to pace the Warhawks, pouring in a career-high 18 points last Saturday vs. UT Arlington. At 17.0 points per game, she ranks eighth in the SBC in scoring inside of conference play. She leads ULM at 12.2 points per game, scoring in double figures nine times in her 13 appearances in 2021-22.

True freshman point guard Bre Sutton made her first career start vs. UTA last Saturday and responded with 11 points, four rebounds and two assists and helped ULM sprint out to a 10-2 lead in the first four minutes. Sutton is averaging 6.5 points and 2.6 assists per game.

Arkansas State is 7-7 on the season and is 0-1 inside Sun Belt Conference play after suffering an 84-75 loss at Georgia Southern on Dec. 30. The Red Wolves have had each of their last two games canceled due to COVID-19 protocols: against Georgia State (Jan. 1) and vs. the Ragin' Cajuns (Jan. 6).

The Red Wolves rank third in the SBC in scoring offense at 79.1 points per game. A-State features four players scoring in double figures. Keya Patton, a transfer from Auburn, leads the way at 12.4 points per game, which ranks eighth in the SBC. She is followed by Trinitee Jackson averaging 11.9 points and a team-best 8.5 rebounds per game, which ranks second in the SBC. Morgan Wallace is right behind at 10.8 points and 7.4 rebounds a contest. Freshman Lauryn Pendleton has made an impact, averaging 10.3 points with 5.4 rebounds while tallying a team-high 36 assists.

ULM and A-State have three common opponents. A-State defeated McNeese (96-72) and Mississippi Valley State (81-47) and lost to Northwestern State (80-76). ULM lost to McNeese (81-54), Northwestern State (76-72) and Mississippi Valley State (73-72 in overtime).