MONROE, La. - The ULM Warhawks open their final homestand of the regular season when they host the rival Ragin' Cajuns at 2 p.m. Saturday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. The Warhawks will play the final three games of the regular season in Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
Saturday's game will air on ESPN+ with Chris Harris on play-by-play and Mike Vining as the analyst. 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 is the 63rd all-time meeting between the Warhawks and Ragin' Cajuns, with ULM leading the series 40-22. However, the Cajuns have controlled the series as of late, winning 15 straight games in the series dating back to Feb. 12, 2015. The Warhawks last defeated the Cajuns, 67-60 in overtime, on Jan. 19, 2015, in Lafayette. ULM last won at home against the Cajuns on March 2, 2013, 64-50. The Cajuns won the first meeting this year, 76-55, in Lafayette on Jan. 29.
Second-year freshman
Kyren Whittington continues to put together an amazing season for ULM. She matched her career-high with 26 points on Saturday at Texas State, scoring 18 points in the first half. Whittington ranks fifth in the Sun Belt Conference at 14.9 points per game. Her average leaps to 18.3 points per game in SBC games, good for third in the conference.
ULM had a hot-shooting first half at Texas State last Saturday. The Warhawks hit 9-of-12 shots in the first quarter and 7-of-15 in the second quarter to shoot 59% (16-for-27) in the half, as ULM led 37-29 at halftime. However, the Warhawks struggled from the field in the second half, shooting 27% (7-for-26) after halftime.
All nine Warhawks that played last Saturday at Texas State. In addition to Whittington's 26 points, senior
Kierra Crockett, second-year freshman Sassy McDowell and true freshman
Katlyn Manuel had six points each.
The Ragin' Cajuns are 14-6 overall and 6-4 in the Sun Belt Conference after last Saturday's 62-57 win at UT Arlington. The Cajuns have alternated wins and losses over their last seven games entering Saturday's contest at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
The Cajuns are led by the SBC Preseason Player of the Year, Ty'Reona Doucet. She averages a team-best 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. She ranks first in the SBC in defensive rebounds per game (6.7), third in rebounding and blocked shots (1.9 per game), fifth in field goal percentage (.543), 10th in offensive rebounds per game (2.3), 12th in scoring and free throw percentage (.744).
Makayia Hallmon averages 11.4 points per game while Lanay Wheaton adds 10.9 points per game. Tamera Johnson is just outside of double figures at 9.6 points and is second on the team at 5.1 rebounds per game. Destiny Rice is averaging 9.3 points and a team-best 2.7 assists per game.
As a team, the Cajuns lead the SBC in field goal percentage (.454), are second in scoring defense (58.5 points per game) and field goal percentage defense (.361) and third in free throw percentage (.696).
