ULM Warhawks

ULM (4-9 overall, 0-0 Sun Belt Conference) at Texas State (7-6 overall, 0-0 Sun Belt Conference)
7 p.m. Thursday, December 28, 2022 | Strahan Arena | San Marcos, Texas
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.3 FM KLIP | LIVE STATS
GAME NOTES

MONROE, La. - The ULM Warhawks open Sun Belt Conference play at 7 p.m. Thursday when they visit Strahan Arena in San Marcos, Texas, to face off with the Texas State Bobcats.

ULM (4-9 overall) closed non-conference play on Dec. 20 with a 66-55 loss to Jacksonville at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. The Warhawks led 11-5 near the midway point of the first half before going scoreless for the next 8:24, allowing the Dolphins to go on an 18-0 run to claim a 23-11 lead with 3:55 remaining before halftime. Neither team put together a significant run over the remainder of the game, with JU leading by no more than 14 and ULM never getting closer than six, which followed a seven-point possession by Langston Powell in the second half.

Thomas Howell paced ULM with 12 points and five rebounds. Savion Gallion added 11 points and Tyreke Locure finished with 10. Kevion Nolan led Jacksonville with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Through 13 games, Locure leads ULM at 13.3 points per game, which ranks 11th in the Sun Belt Conference through games on Dec. 22. He has scored in double figures 11 times. He also leads the team with 2.08 steals per game, which is tied for third-best in the SBC. He is second on the team at 3.38 assists per game, which ranks 11th in the SBC. 

Four other active Warhawks are averaging over eight points per game. Jamari Blackmon is second on the team at 9.7 points and 1.5 steals (15th SBC) per game. He leads the team with 3.42 assists (10th SBC) per game. Savion Gallion is third on the team at 9.0 points per game. Thomas Howell is averaging 8.7 points and a team-best 7.3 rebounds per game (eighth SBC). Victor Bafutto is averaging 8.5 points and leads the team with 2.2 blocks per game (third SBC).

Thursday's game is the 63rd all-time meeting between ULM and Texas State, with the series tied at 31. Texas State has won the last eight meetings. ULM last defeated Texas State, 63-60, on Feb. 21, 2019, in San Marcos.

THURSDAY'S GAME BASICS    
ULM and Texas State open Sun Belt Conference play at 7 p.m. Thursday at Strahan Arena in San Marcos, Texas. ULM closed non-conference play at 4-9 after suffering a 66-55 loss to Jacksonville on Dec. 20, while Texas State wrapped up the non-conference slate with an 87-72 win over Science & Arts of Oklahoma on Dec. 21.

The Warhawks (4-9 overall) are led by Tyreke Locure's 13.3 points per game, which ranks 11th-best in the Sun Belt Conference. He is the only ULM player averaging double figures on the season. Thomas Howell leads ULM with 7.3 rebounds per game while also adding 8.7 points per game.

ULM continues to have success on the defensive end, forcing steals and turnovers. The Warhawks are averaging 8.9 steals per game, which ranks fifth in the SBC and 42nd in NCAA Division I. ULM is forcing 15.54 turnovers per game, good for fifth in the SBC and 65th nationally. The Warhawks have forced double-digit steals in six contests this season, most recently with 12 against Sam Houston on Dec. 14.

On the offensive end, ULM has done a nice job of creating points off the forced turnovers, averaging 12.85 fast-break points per game, which ranks fifth in the SBC and 71st nationally. The Warhawks have also shared the ball effectively, averaging 15.5 assists per game, good for sixth in the SBC and 72nd nationally. ULM is 4-2 this season when dishing out 15-or-more assists in a game.

Texas State (7-6 overall) enters SBC play having lost two of its last three games. The Bobcats are led by two-time All-SBC selection Mason Harrell, who is averaging 18.3 points, good for fourth in the SBC. Harrell also is tied for the team lead with 2.6 assists per game. Nighael Ceaser is averaging 11.8 points and 9.2 rebounds while playing in just five games for Texas State.

The Bobcats have been able to take care of the basketball, averaging 12.1 turnovers per game, which ranks eighth in the SBC and 98th in NCAA Division I. Texas State has a +2.3 turnover margin, which is seventh in the SBC and 81st nationally. The Bobcats have been sound in defending the rim as well, averaging 4.0 blocks per game to rank fourth in the SBC and 92nd nationally. They also reach the free-throw line at a high rate, attempting 19.5 free throws per game to sit fourth in the SBC and 92nd nationally.

Thursday's game will stream on ESPN+ with Brant Freeman (play-by-play) and Suzanne Fox (analyst) on the call. The game will also air on 105.3 FM KLIP, la105.com and the TuneIn app on the Warhawk Radio Network from Learfield with Mike Hammett on the play-by-play.

PREVIEWING TEXAS STATE
The Bobcats are 7-6 on the season after an 87-72 win over Science & Arts of Oklahoma on Dec. 21. Texas State has also picked up non-conference wins over Mid-America Chrisian, at Rhode Island, at California, vs. Southern Utah, at Lamar and vs. UT Arlington. 

ULM and Texas State have two common opponents. ULM defeated Lamar, 83-59, on Dec. 17 and lost to Sam Houston, 79-53, on Dec. 14. Texas State won at Lamar, 65-55, on Dec. 1, and lost to Sam Houston, 69-62, on Dec. 17.

Terrence Johnson is in his third season leading the Texas State men's basketball team after starting with the program as an assistant coach in 2015-16. He has led the Bobcats to back-to-back Sun Belt Conference regular season championships and the program's first-ever appearance in the National Invitation Tournament in 2022.

Mason Harrell leads the team at 18.3 points per game, which ranks fourth in the SBC and 54th in NCAA Division I. He has scored in double figures in 11 games and topped 20 points seven times, including a season-high 27 points against USAO. He also ranks third in the SBC in minutes played (33.62), sixth in free-throw percentage (.836) and 15th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.389).

Nighael Ceaser has made an impact in the last five contests after missing the first eight games of the season. He is second on the team at 11.8 points per game and leads the Bobcats at 9.2 rebounds per game. He has two double-doubles, pouring in 23 points and grabbing 11 rebounds vs. UT Arlington in Fort Worth on Dec. 10, while adding 19 points and 13 rebounds vs. Sam Houston on Dec. 17. He also had five points to go with 10 rebounds against USAO.

Three more Bobcats average at least seven points per game, with Tyrel Morgan at 9.2 points, Brandon Davis at 8.1 points and Nate Martin at 7.3 points per game.

LOCURE SHOOTS TO TOP OF SCORING COLUMN    
ULM junior guard Tyreke Locure leads the team in scoring at 13.3 points per game, which ranks 11th in the Sun Belt Conference. He also leads the team at 2.1 steals per game, which ranks third in the SBC, and is second on the team at 3.4 assists per game, which is 11th in the SBC. He is 14th in the SBC in assist-to turnover ratio (1.47) and 24th in minutes per game (28.46). 

He has become more selective in his shooting, and more efficient as a result, over the last five games. He leads the team in scoring over the last five games at 13.6 points per game while shooting 49% (25-of-51) from the field and 39% (9-of-23) from 3-point range. He also has a 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio in that span, with 20 assists to 10 turnovers.

He has scored in double figures in 11 of 13 games this season. Locure had an efficient outing on Dec. 17 vs. Lamar, scoring 17 points (7-of-9 field-goal attempts, 3-of-4 3-point field-goal attempts), with four rebounds, seven assists and one turnover. He led ULM with 14 points (5-of-9 field-goal shooting), four rebounds, four steals and three assists on Wednesday vs. Sam Houston. He scored 13 points with two rebounds, two assists and two steals on Dec. 10 at Northwestern State. Locure picked up 14 points with seven assists, two rebounds and one steal on Dec. 3 vs. Champion Christian. He led the team with 14 points and added five rebounds, three assists and two steals on Nov. 28 at Tulane. Locure had 14 points, reaching double figures for the fifth consecutive game, with two assists and two steals vs. Omaha at the Emerald Coast Classic on Nov. 25. He netted 18 points with six rebounds and four steals at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 21. He picked up 14 points with two steals at No. 15/18 TCU on Nov. 17. Locure scored 13 points with four assists, three rebounds and two steals vs. Central Baptist on Nov. 14. In his home debut, he flirted with a triple-double, leading the team with 19 points while adding eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals against Dallas Christian on Nov. 10.

He spent last season at UAB but began his collegiate career at Sun Belt Conference rival South Alabama, where he started 34 of 49 games over two seasons. As a sophomore in 2020-21, Locure started 25 of 26 games and averaged 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

BAFUTTO STEPS UP FOR WARHAWKS    
ULM graduate forward Victor Bafutto has scored in double figures in three of his seven starts. He has picked up eight or more rebounds in six games this season, including a pair of games with 10 rebounds. He is averaging 8.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.

He ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference and 22nd in NCAA Division I with 2.2 blocks per game. He also is 11th in the SBC in field goal percentage (.577), 13th in offensive rebounds per game (2.38 pg.) and 15th in rebounding (6.2 pg.).

Over his seven starts this season, Bafutto is averaging 10.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 1.6 assists and 30.0 minutes per game while shooting 57.8% (30-of-52) from the field.

Bafutto nearly reached a double-double on Dec. 17 against Lamar, posting eight points (4-of-5 field-goal attempts) with 10 rebounds. He had double-figure rebounds at Northwestern State on Dec. 10, pulling in 10 boards with six points and a career-high six blocks.

He notched his third consecutive double-figure scoring effort on Dec. 3 against Champion Christian, matching a career high with 20 points. He has scored in double figures five times this season. He had five double-figure games over four seasons and 80 career games at Mercer.

Bafutto scored 13 points while matching a season high with nine rebounds at Tulane on Nov. 28. He added three blocks and two assists. He set career highs in points (20), field goals made (8) and minutes (39) and matched career highs in free throws made (4) and free throws attempted (4) against Loyola Maryland on Nov. 26. He also added eight rebounds, two blocks and one assist in his first start as a Warhawk. He smashed previous career highs of 14 points, six field goals made and 25 minutes.

The 6-10 forward from Brasilia, Brazil, transferred to ULM after playing in 80 games over four seasons at Mercer. He earned both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in civil engineering from Mercer, and is working on a master's of business administration degree at ULM.

BLACKMON BRINGS EXPERIENCE AT POINT GUARD    
ULM senior guard Jamari Blackmon has provided a steady and veteran hand on the perimeter for the Warhawks. He is second on the team at 9.7 points and 1.5 steals per game while adding a team-best 3.4 assists per game. He also averages 2.4 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures seven times.

He ranks 10th in the Sun Belt Conference in assists per game (3.42 pg.) and assist-to-turnover ratio at (1.64). He is 15th in the SBC with 1.50 steals per game and 16th in minutes per game at 30.25. 

He had a season-high 16 points (5-of-7 field-goal attempts, 3-of-5 3-point field-goal attempts) with four assists, three steals and one block on Dec. 17 vs. Lamar. He tallied 12 points on 7-of-9 free-throw shooting on Dec. 10 at Northwestern State. He matched a career high with nine assists vs. Dallas Chrisitan on Nov. 10 and picked up eight assists on Nov. 28 at Tulane.

Blackmon was named to the Emerald Coast Classic All-Tournament Team, as announced on Nov. 27.

Blackmon tied for the team lead with Tyreke Locure with 11.3 points per game over the three-game classic against No. 15/18 TCU, Omaha and Loyola Maryland. Blackmon shot 54.2% from the field (13-of-24) and 53.8% from 3-point range (7-for-13).

Blackmon added seven assists and six rebounds over the two games.

He started his Emerald Coast Classic run with nine points and one assist at TCU on Nov. 17. He then scored a season-high 15 points on 3-of-6 3-point shooting while adding three rebounds and two steals against Omaha on Friday. He closed out the tournament with 10 points, hitting 2-of-3 from deep, and five assists on Saturday against Loyola Maryland.

Blackmon played four seasons at North Alabama, ranking as the sixth all-time leading scorer in UNA history with 1,346 points after starting 111 of 113 career games from 2018-22. 

HOWELL ANCHORS THE POST
ULM sophomore forward Thomas Howell is one of just two post players remaining on the 2022-23 roster. The third-year player from Natchitoches, Louisiana, is averaging 8.7 points, a team-best 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He led ULM with 12 points while adding five rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal vs. Jacksonville on Dec. 20.

He ranks eighth in the Sun Belt Conference in rebounding, 10th in defensive rebounds per game (5.00 pg.) and 15th in offensive rebounds per game (2.31 pg.) and in field-goal percentage (.538). He is 21st in the SBC in minutes played per game (29.00 pg.).

He put together a big game against Northwestern State on Dec. 10 in his hometown of Natchitoches. Howell led ULM with 16 points and nine rebounds. It was his fourth career game against his hometown university. 

He just missed his second double-double of the season on Dec. 3, finishing with nine points and a career-high 15 rebounds against Champion Christian. The 6-8 sophomore forward had a strong three-game road swing to the Emerald Coast Classic and Tulane. He averaged 10.3 points and 9.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game against Omaha, Loyola Maryland and Tulane. Howell picked up a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double against Omaha on Nov. 25, the second double-double of his ULM career. He added 12 points and six rebounds vs. Loyola Maryland on Nov. 26. He closed out the three-game road swing at Tulane on Nov. 28 by matching his career high with 11 rebounds and added six points.

After struggling to two points and five rebounds in the season opener Nov. 7 at Texas A&M, Howell bounced back. He scored 14 points (7-of-10 field-goal attempts) with six rebounds against Dallas Christian on Nov. 10. He followed it up with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists against Central Baptist on Nov. 14. He tallied six points and led the team with six rebounds at No. 15/18 TCU on Nov. 17. He had seven rebounds at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 21.

Howell is back for his third season with the Warhawks in 2022-23. He is the only returning starter from the 2021-22 team. He came into the program as a freshman and has steadily evolved his game. He started 30 of 31 games as a second-year freshman in 2021-22, averaging 8.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 59.4 percent (107-of-180) from the field, ranking as the sixth-best field-goal percentage in a single season in program history. Howell led the Warhawks with 44 offensive rebounds and scored in double figures 10 times.

GALLION FINDING CONSISTENCY    
ULM junior guard Savion Gallion is averaging 9.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He has started the last seven contests while scoring at least eight points in all seven games. He has scored in double figures four times in the stretch, including 11 points and four rebounds on Dec. 20 vs. Jacksonville. 

He has scored in double figures six times on the season. He picked up 11 points with a career-high four assists vs. Lamar on Dec. 17. He matched his career high with 13 points while adding two rebounds and two assists at Northwestern State on Dec. 10. He had 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal against Loyola Maryland on Nov. 26. He posted 13 points with three rebounds and one assist vs. Central Baptist on Nov. 14. In the home opener, he notched 12 points with two assists and one rebound against Dallas Christian on Nov. 10.

He is one of six incoming transfers on the 2022-23 Warhawk roster. Gallion spent the 2021-22 season at South Plains Junior College, where he averaged 9.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in 32 games with 12 starts. He played his first two collegiate seasons at Buffalo, where he earned two letters after playing in 29 games over two seasons.

HANCOCK FINDS HIS SHOT OFF BENCH    
ULM sophomore guard Devon Hancock matched a career high with 13 points against Champion Christian on Dec. 3. Hancock shot 4-of-6 from the field and 3-of-4 on 3-point field-goal attempts.

Hancock also scored 13 points (4-of-9 3-pointers) at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 21. He had 11 points in a start against Central Baptist on Nov. 14. In 13 games, he is averaging 4.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.

He played in 46 games for Milwaukee over the last two seasons, averaging 3.2 points and 1.1 rebounds per game. He shot 38% (22-of-58) from 3-point range as a second-year freshman in 2021-22.

WILSON FINDING ROLE OFF BENCH    
Over the last five games, ULM freshman guard Jacob Wilson leads the Warhawk bench in scoring at 7.4 points per game while shooting 65% (15-of-23) from the field and knocking down 3-of-7 3-pointers.

On Dec. 17 against Lamar, Wilson scored 12 points in 13 minutes, hitting 4-of-8 shots, and tracked down four rebounds with two assists. Last Wednesday, he scored nine points on 4-of-4 shooting against Sam Houston.

He reached double figures for the first time on Dec. 3 against Champion Christian. In just 15 minutes of action against the Tigers, Wilson went 6-of-8 from the field and 1-of-1 from 3-point range to reach 13 points and finished as one of four Warhawks to score in double figures.

In 11 games, Wilson is averaging 4.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 10.0 minutes per game. He is averaging 18.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per 40 minutes on the season.

Wilson was a First-Team All-State Class 4A selection by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and Second-Team All-State by the Louisiana High School Basketball Coaches Association after averaging 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game as a high school senior. He was selected to play in the Louisiana East-West All-Star Game.
 
Wilson scored 1,875 career points, pulled down 646 rebounds, handed out 469 assists and totaled 272 steals, helping the Liberty Magnet Patriots to a Division II state semifinals appearance in 2021 and a state runner-up finish in 2022. 

METSKHVARISHVILI TO MISS REMAINDER OF THE 2022-23 SEASON    
ULM junior forward Nika Metskhvarishvili will miss the remainder of the 2022-23 season due to an injured knee that requires surgery.

The Third-Team Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selection played in five games before his injury forced him to the sideline. He averaged 9.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, scoring a season-high 15 points against Central Baptist on Nov. 14 and earning a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Dallas Christian on Nov. 10.

He is the second post player to suffer a season-ending injury for ULM, following AD Diedhiou's ACL injury in October.

"It's a tough blow for Nika and our team," ULM head coach Keith Richard said. "We were already shorthanded in the post after losing AD in October. We will find a way to make it work with the post players that we have remaining in Thomas Howell and Victor Bafutto. We wish Nika a speedy recovery from his surgery."

DOUBLE VISION    
Through the first 13 games of the season, two different Warhawks have posted double-doubles.

Junior forward Nika Metskhvarishvili posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. Dallas Christian on Nov. 10. It was the second double-double of his ULM career, joining a 15-point, 11-rebound effort at Texas State on Jan. 13, 2022.

Sophomore forward Thomas Howell joined the double-double club on Nov. 25 against Omaha, posting season highs with 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Mavericks at the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida. It was Howell's second career double-double after picking up 13 points and 11 rebounds against his hometown team, Northwestern State, on Nov. 22, 2021, in a neutral-site game in Ruston, Louisiana.
 
SEVEN WARHAWKS IN DOUBLE FIGURES IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES    
ULM put seven players in double figures in back-to-back games against Central Baptist on Nov. 14 and Dallas Baptist on Nov. 10. 

Nika Metskhvarishvili led the Warhawks against Central Baptist with 15 points. Victor Bafutto came off the bench to match a career-high with 14 points (6-of-6 field-goal attempts). Tyreke Locure and Savion Gallion added 13 points apiece. Thomas Howell and Langston Powell posted 12 points each. Devon Hancock picked up 11 points (4-of-5 field-goal attempts).

In the previous game against Dallas Christian, Locure (19 points), Howell (14 points), Gallion (12 points), Bafutto (11 points) and Metskhvarishvili (10 points) were all part of another effort with seven players in double figures. Jalen Bolden scored 13 points and Jamari Blackmon, who missed the Central Baptist game with an injury, had 10 points.

WARHAWKS ACHIEVE BIG NUMBERS AGAINST DALLAS CHRISTIAN    
In the home opener against Dallas Chrisitan on Nov. 10, 2022, ULM put up big numbers in several stat categories. The Warhawks put seven players in double figures in the win, marking the first time ULM had put at least six players in double figures since Nov. 16, 2021. ULM also tallied 32 assists in the victory, marking the most assists for the Warhawks since tallying a school-record 34 assists against Arkansas-Monticello on Dec. 3, 1996. ULM also pulled down 27 offensive rebounds in the win, which marks the most since at least the 2009-10 season.