MONROE, La. – The ULM women's basketball team (1-0) got the 2022-23 season off to a great start with an 88-58 win over Louisiana Christian in Fant-Ewing Coliseum Monday night. Four Warhawks posted double figures in the points column with Kierra Brimzy scoring a game-high 18 and Katlyn Manual 16 to match her double-double combination with 16 rebounds. In her ULM debut, Olivia "Little Bit" Knight had a career-best 14 points and Amani Ford scored 10.
 
As a team, ULM dished off 26 assists on 31 baskets, its highest assist total since Nov. 11, 2013, when the Warhawks had 27 assists on 38 made field goals with Knight tallying a career-best five in her debut with ULM. The Warhawks also converted 27 Wildcat turnovers into 30 points and ULM scored 38 points in the paint compared to 24 for Louisiana Christian.
 
"This is the best that we have shared the ball since I've been here," said ULM women's basketball head coach Brooks Donald Williams. "This team has a different chemistry and we are getting glimpses of the connection we are starting to form with each other."
 
Manual's rebound total matched the 16 by Linda Van Schaik, who had that total vs. Mississippi Valley in December 2021 and by Stephanie Ratliff who pulled down 16 vs. Grambling at the start of the 2016-17 season. Manual had six offensive rebounds and a career- and game-best four steals.
 
"I thought Katlyn had an advantage all night long and she took advantage of that," Williams said. "Katlyn continues to be a little bit more proactive on the offensive end, which is what we need her to do, and, boy, she showed up on the boards tonight as well."
 
The Warhawk starters accounted for 31 of the 44 first-half points and the Warhawks shot 48.4 percent (16-33) from the field. After the break, ULM used a 13-0 run to start the third quarter and went up by 23 points at 53-30. The Warhawks' 17-2 run through the first five minutes of the period extended the advantage to 25, largest of the game to that point.
 
The offensive breakthroughs came after a tight first quarter where both teams scored four 3-pointers and the Warhawks led by only one at 17-16. Brimzy was the top scorer in that period with her first six points of the night. Knight added eight in the second quarter as the Warhawks' leading scorer with 11 after the first half."
 
"Olivia really helped separate the game in the first half," Williams commented. "She hit a couple of threes, she brought a little bit of fire for us, offensively, and it just sparked everybody, sparked everybody on the bench, sparked everybody for us on the court, she did some big things momentum-wise."
 
The Warhawks took advantage of 15 first-half Wildcat turnovers and scored 23 points off those miscues, more than half of their 44 points by intermission. ULM closed out the first half connecting on five of their last seven field goals and outscored Louisiana Christian 27-14 in the second quarter.
 
Twelve Warhawks registered playing time, nine with at least 10 or more minutes, and 11 adding their names to the scoring column.
 
"We've got a lot of depth, having depth and different folks getting different opportunities, keeps that intensity up. Everybody's fighting for some time right now, we haven't had that luxury in our time here, so it's exciting. It's exciting to see them compete, and we look forward to getting better."
 
Louisiana Christian, under the leadership of former Wildcat Anna Phillips, got 12 points and 12 rebounds from Miya McKinney and 11 points from Olivia Scott. Claire Borot matched Knight with five assists for game-high honors and had a game-best two blocks.
 
ULM fans came out to watch the Warhawks in the exhibition game last week and returned to support the team in the team's first season opener at home since 2017. The Warhawks picked up their 13^th win in the series over Louisiana Christian.
 
"We had another great crowd and we were really excited to see some excitement and all the fans," Williams said. "I thought everybody contributed to it and it was just a really great night."
 
ULM resumes its­ schedule with the second contest of the four-game homestand on Sunday, Nov. 13 vs. Louisiana Tech. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be available on ESPN+.