Olivia Knight 3-pointer vs Millsaps 2022
Luke Richard/ULM Athletics
47
Millsaps Mill 0-0,0-0 SAA
83
Winner ULM ULM 0-0,0-0 Sun Belt
Millsaps Mill
0-0,0-0 SAA
47
Final
83
ULM ULM
0-0,0-0 Sun Belt
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Millsaps Mill 8 13 14 12 47
ULM ULM 22 16 18 27 83

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

ULM Cruises to Exhibition Win Over Millsaps, 83-47

MONROE, La. – Katlyn Manuel and Olivia Knight scored 16 points each to lead ULM to an 83-47 exhibition win over NCAA Division III Millsaps College Tuesday, Nov. 1 in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. The Warhawks never trailed in the game and held the lead for more than 38 minutes.
 
ULM's defensive pressure set the tone in the first quarter. Back-to-back layups by Manuel sparked an 11-0 run as the Warhawks raced out to a 22-6 lead with 29 seconds left in the period. Manuel accounted for seven points during that stretch. ULM limited the Majors to 1-of-9 field-goal shooting over the first 10 minutes and parlayed Millsaps' 11 turnovers into 15 points. The Warhawks led 22-8 at the end of the opening period.
 
"That's the way we've wanted to play since we got here, but because of injuries and whatever else, we haven't been able to play like that," ULM head coach Brooks Donald Williams said. "We love that up-tempo defensive style. So, it was great to be able to do that tonight. It's something we've been working on in the preseason and leading up to this exhibition game. We looking forward to getting better and better and adding some different presses to the mix."
 
Millsaps reeled off seven-straight points and cut its deficit to 22-13 on Briasha King's layup with 8:52 remaining in the second quarter. ULM closed out the period with an 8-0 spurt and took a 38-21 advantage into the locker room at halftime. The Majors went scoreless over the last 4:23, missing their last three field-goal attempts combined with four turnovers.
 
Amani Brown's traditional three-point play fueled a 9-3 run as the Warhawks closed the third quarter with a 56-35 lead.
 
Sha'Miya Butler's hook shot in the lane ignited a 17-1 run as ULM extended its lead to 75-42 on Brown's layup with 2:32 to play in the fourth quarter, off Amaya Ford's steal and assist. Knight's deep 3-pointer from the top of the circle gave the Warhawks their biggest lead at 80-43 with 1:02 left. ULM matched that 37-point margin on Gara Beth Self's 3 from straightaway with 23 seconds on the clock.
 
The Warhawks shot 44 percent (10-of-23) from the field in the fourth quarter, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, and finished the game by hitting 28-of-74 from the floor (38 percent). By comparison, Millsaps shot 34 percent (13-of-38) from the field, including just 3-of-15 (20 percent) from beyond the 3-point arc. ULM outrebounded the Majors, 46-34, and held a decided in advantage in points off turnovers, 37-10; points in the paint, 36-18; second-chance points, 14-2; and bench points, 31-21.
 
"The biggest difference was our energy," Williams said. "We had great energy tonight. We got to see a lot of different lineups and how all those different groups looked in the press and in the half court, but the most impressive thing was the team played with consistent energy throughout the entire game. Even when Millsaps went on a run and hit some shots while we had some misses, we continued to played with great energy. We also got a lot of leadership from the point guard position and that was huge. The energy and leadership are big improvements from last year."
 
Manuel, who netted 10 of her 16 points in the first half, connected on 5-of-10 shots from the field and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line and collected seven rebounds.
 
"Katlyn Manuel did some really good things, especially on the offensive end of the floor," Williams said. "She assumed a bigger role and really looked to score. You didn't see her do that as a freshman last season. Her offense took a backseat to different things. Tonight, she looked like wanted the ball. She was really aggressive taking the ball to the rim, went up strong and finished."
 
Knight played a solid all-around game, hitting 6-of-10 field-goal attempts, including 4-of-7 3-pointers, for 16 points to go along with five assists and four steals.
 
"Olivia Knight is already one of the fan favorites," Williams said. "'Little Bit' has special vocal leadership skills that we haven't had. So, it was great to see her directing everyone, from the returners to the newcomers. It was incredible watching the effectiveness of her vocal leadership. She can become one of our biggest difference makers."
 
Ten different Warhawks scored in the game.
 
"We were able to play a lot of different combinations and see some of that chemistry on the offensive end," Williams said. "Of course, our defense created a great deal of our offense tonight. But, we were able to see some different juice from different groups on the offensive end. It was really nice to see that kind of production."
 
Two Millsaps players scored in double figures, led by Haley Franklin who netted 16 points while hitting 4-of-7 field-goal attempts and 8-of-9 shots from the free-throw line. The Majors also got 10 points from King.
 
With the 2022-23 regular-season and home opener against NAIA Louisiana Christian less than a week away (Monday, Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m.), Williams has already identified some points of emphasis.
 
"We've got to clean up some things in our half-court defense," Williams said. "We want our players to be aggressive defensively and we did do that tonight; however, you have to adjust to the hot stove and focus on getting our hands in the right positions, and not allowing a team to get to the (free-throw) line, like they did at times.
 
"Offensively, we want to continue to gel. Focus on making the right pass at the right time or sealing off (the defender in the post) at the right time. That's what it means to play together. I know we'll continue to get better offensively."
 
BUZZER BEATERS (Postgame Notes & Observations)
• ULM converted 22-of-26 free-throw attempts (85 percent) against Millsaps.
 
"The sign of a good team is getting to the line, and the goal remains to make more free throws than your opponents take on a given night," Williams said. "We didn't quite reach that goal tonight, but we did a really good job of burying our shoulder and getting into the paint … even with a crowd around us. That's a big difference from last year, especially due to our youth. Now, they have a year or two years under their belt, playing at this level. They displayed the willingness to play with a little more physicality and absorb a little more contact. We look forward to continuing to find ways to get to the line and score points."
 
In 29 games in 2021-22, the Warhawks took an average of 18 trips per game to the free-throw line and made 12 per game while shooting 66 percent.
 
• On a rainy night in Monroe, a crowd of more than 400 attended Tuesday's exhibition game, and ULM's second-year coach expressed her appreciation for the turnout.
 
"Fans that continue to come to Fant-Ewing Coliseum are going to make a difference," Williams said. "The crowd made a difference tonight. When we started to go on those deep runs, they were the energizer. We appreciate all of the fans who came out tonight, and we're looking forward to having great crowds throughout the season."
 
Katlyn Manuel dribble drive vs Millsaps 2022

 
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