2022-23 ULM Women's Basketball Notes: Game 2 vs. LA Tech
MONROE, La. – ULM is in the midst of a four-game homestand, one of three times the Warhawks will enjoy four-straight home games this season, and welcomes Louisiana Tech for a 2 p.m. CT matchup in Fant-Ewing Coliseum with the broadcast streamed on ESPN+. ULM plays nine home games in November and December, including its first two Sun Belt Conference matchups before the end of the calendar year. The Warhawks leave the state for only two games in the first two months of the season with a Nov. 22 game at UCF and Nov. 29 contest at Mississippi State.
Sunday's game between ULM and Louisiana Tech marks the 58th time the two programs will compete against each other in women's basketball. The Lady Techsters have the series advantage, 47-10, and last lost at Fant-Ewing Coliseum on Dec. 8, 2006, when ULM topped LA Tech 58-54 in the Taco Bell Classic. ULM last won in the series, 71-50, on Dec. 11, 2007, in Ruston.
Louisiana Tech head coach Brooke Stoehr was the last point guard for the Lady Techsters' Hall of Fame head coach Leon Barmore and helped guide the program to four NCAA Tournament appearances, two Elite Eights and one Final Four. The Lady Techsters have won four-straight games over ULM since Stoehr returned to Ruston. This is the first trip to Monroe for LA Tech since 2016.
"They are a very talented team and return all of their offensive production from last year," said ULM head women's basketball coach Brooks David Williams. "Anna Larr is tough to handle in the paint. Everything offensively goes through her. She just simply gets the job done putting up points and grabbing big boards.
"Their perimeter play is tough," Williams continued. "Bates is a talented lefty point guard who does a great job of creating within their offense. Walker can flat-out score. She's tough. It will be a great challenge for us and we look forward to getting a great test this early in our season."
ULM is coming off a season-opening win vs. Louisiana College (88-58) that produced the highest point total for the Warhawks since they scored 96 vs. the Wildcats in the 2020-21 opener on Dec. 6, 2020 (W, 96-48). The 88 points are the third-most scored by the Warhawks in the Brooks Donald Williams era. LA Tech is 2-0 and averaging 72.5 points per game, but holding its opponents to an average of 43.0 points per contest.
Twelve Warhawks saw action in the home opener at Fant-Ewing with forward Katlyn Manuel and Kierra Brimzy spending the most time on the court at 30 and 29 minutes, respectively. Sophomore guard/forward Amaya Ford chipped in a productive 22 minutes with 10 points and three steals off the bench. The other three starters, sophomore Aasia Sam and newcomers in point guard Olivia Knight and junior guard Amani Brown shouldered roughly 18 minutes of playing time each.
The biggest contributions, other than the team points scored, were the Warhawks' assists. ULM shared and distributed the ball with ease, racking up 26 on 31 field goals made. That total was the most since the Warhawks had 27 on 38 buckets vs. Louisiana College in the 2013-14 home opener (Nov. 11, 2013, W-92-52).
