ULM Warhawks

ULM (9-11 overall, 5-2 Sun Belt Conference) at Troy (12-8 overall, 4-3 Sun Belt Conference)
4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023 | Trojan Arena | Troy, Alabama
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.3 FM KLIP | LIVE STATS
GAME NOTES

TROY, Ala. - ULM looks to sweep its second road conference weekend when the Warhawks square off with Troy at 4 p.m. Saturday at Trojan Arena.

ULM (9-11, 5-2 SBC) led by as much as 20 points in the second half as the Warhawks cruised to a 72-59 win over Georgia Southern Thursday night at Hanner Fieldhouse, snapping a five-game losing streak against the Eagles. Tyreke Locure led ULM with 19 points (5-of-10 3-point field-goal attempts), six rebounds and six assists. Jamari Blackmon added 15 points (3-of-4 3-point field-goal attempts), six rebounds and five assists. Thomas Howell scored 13 points for the third consecutive game. Langston Powell reached double figures with 10 points (4-of-5 field-goal attempts, 2-of-3 3-point field goal attempts). Victor Bafutto had nine points with a career-high 15 rebounds while setting a school single-game record with 10 offensive rebounds.

ULM is one of four teams tied for first place in the Sun Belt Conference at 5-2 in conference play. Marshall, the Ragin' Cajuns and Southern Miss also sit at 5-2 in SBC action. Three teams, Georgia Southern, James Madison and Troy, sit one game behind at 4-3 in SBC play.

With Thursday's win over Georgia Southern, ULM head coach Keith Richard earned the 300th victory of his career, which includes 150 victories in 13 seasons at ULM and 150 victories over nine seasons as head coach at Louisiana Tech.

Through 20 games, Locure leads ULM at 14.0 points per game, which ranks 11th in the Sun Belt Conference. He also leads the team with 1.90 steals per game (fifth SBC) and is second with 3.45 assists per game (11th SBC). In SBC play, he is averaging 15.3 points (eighth SBC), 5.0 rebounds, 3.57 assists (11th SBC) and 1.57 steals (eighth SBC) per game.

Blackmon also is averaging double figures at 11.9 points per game (22nd SBC). He leads the team at 3.47 assists per game (10th SBC) while ranking second on the team at 1.74 steals per game (seventh SBC). He is seventh in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage (.398). In SBC action, he leads the team at 15.9 points per game (seventh SBC) while adding 3.6 rebounds, 3.57 assists (11th SBC) and 2.1 steals (third SBC) per game.

Three other active Warhawks are averaging over eight points per game. Howell is third on the team at 9.5 points per game while adding a team-best 7.3 rebounds per game (10th SBC). Savion Gallion is averaging 8.4 points per game. Victor Bafutto is averaging 8.1 points per game while adding 6.7 rebounds (14th SBC) and 2.35 blocks per game (third SBC). Bafutto is averaging 2.57 blocks per game in conference play (tied second SBC).

Saturday's game is the 24th meeting between Troy and ULM, with Troy leading the series, 12-11. ULM has won three of the last four games. Troy won last season, 73-65, in Monroe on Jan. 20. ULM won its last game at Troy, 74-71, on Feb. 13, 2020.

SATURDAY'S GAME BASICS    
ULM and Troy meet for the first time in the 2022-23 season at 4 p.m. Saturday at Trojan Arena. The two teams will meet again in the final week of the regular season on Feb. 22 at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

The Warhawks (9-11 overall, 5-2 SBC) are led by Tyreke Locure's 14.0 points per game, which ranks 11th-best in the Sun Belt Conference. Jamari Blackmon joins him in double figures with 11.9 points per game, and is seventh in the SBC in 3-point field goal percentage (.398). Thomas Howell leads ULM with 7.3 rebounds per game, good for 10th in the SBC, while also adding 9.5 points per game.

Troy (12-8, 4-3) is led by Christyon Eugene's 12.1 points per game, which is 21st in the SBC. He also leads the team in assists per game (2.9). He is fifth in the SBC in 3-point field goal percentage (.410). Zay Williams has started all 20 games for the Trojans and is second on the team at 11.4 points per game and leads the team with 6.2 rebounds per game, which ranks 16th in the SBC. He is ninth in the league at 1.05 blocks per game. Aamer Muhammad is averaging 10.5 points per game. Nelson Phillips is fourth on the team at 10.4 points per game while adding 5.8 rebounds per game.

Statistically, ULM ranks 57th in NCAA Division I and fifth in the SBC at 8.0 steals per game and is 93rd nationally and fifth in the SBC by forcing 14.30 turnovers per game. The Warhawks also are 98th overall and fourth in the SBC at 3.9 blocks per game. Offensively, ULM ranks 100th nationally and fifth in the SBC at 14.5 assists per game. Victor Bafutto is 14th nationally and third in the SBC at 2.35 blocks per game, while Locure is 67th nationally and fifth in the SBC at 1.90 steals per game.

Troy has been strong on the defensive end, ranking 72nd nationally and fourth in the SBC in scoring defense (65.3 points allowed per game). The Trojans are 87th overall and fifth in the SBC in field-goal percentage defense (.415), 42nd nationally and second in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.301). Troy has excelled at forcing turnovers, ranking 34th nationally and third in the SBC in steals per game (8.8), 20th nationally and second in the SBC in turnovers forced per game (16.9) and 24th nationally and second in the SBC in turnover margin (13.0). On offense, Troy has created points off turnovers, ranking 44th overall and third in the SBC in fast break points (13.30 points per game). The Trojans are 45th overall and lead the SBC in 3-point field-goal attempts per game (25.2), 94th nationally and seventh in the SBC in offensive rebounds per game (11.3) and 95th nationally and fourth in the SBC in assists per game (14.6). Troy also showcases its depth, ranking 43rd nationally and fourth in the SBC in bench points per game (26.05). Phillips is 45th nationally and third in the SBC at 2.1 steals per game, while Kieffer Punter is 81st nationally and second in the SBC in free-throw percentage (.847).

Saturday's game will stream on ESPN+ with Barry McKnight (play-by-play) and Jerry Miller (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 TROY    
The Trojans are 12-8 on the season and 4-3 in the Sun Belt Conference, picking up SBC wins over Texas State (55-52), Old Dominion (78-71), Arkansas State (66-54) and Georgia State (65-53). Troy has Division I non-conference wins against Florida State, Merrimack, Montana, Tennessee Tech and Southeastern.

Scott Cross is in his fourth season leading the Troy men's basketball team. Last season, Cross delivered the Trojans' first 20-win season in five years and returned Troy to the postseason with an appearance in the College Basketball Invitational. Cross took over at Troy after spending one year as an assistant coach at TCU in 2018-19. He previously spent 12 seasons as head coach at his alma mater, UT Arlington, leading the Mavericks to five 20-win seasons and five postseason appearances.

Christyon Eugene leads the team at 12.1 points per game (21st SBC) and 2.9 assists per game. He ranks fifth in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage (.410) and free-throw percentage (.833). He has scored in double figures 14 times, including a season-high 22 points in the win at Florida State on Nov. 14. He had eight consecutive double figure games from Nov. 19 to Dec. 21, including 19 points against Mercer on Dec. 21. He totaled 15 points with six rebounds and four assists on Thursday against James Madison.

Zay Williams has started all 20 games while sitting second on the team at 11.4 points per game (27th SBC) and leading the team at 6.2 rebounds per game (16th SBC). He is ninth in the SBC in blocked shots per game (1.05) and 12th in field-goal percentage (.534) and offensive rebounds per game (2.35). He has scored in double figures 14 times, with a season-high 20 points and nine rebounds against Mercer on Dec. 21. He had an eight-game double figures streak snapped last Saturday at App State, but pulled in a season-high 10 rebounds in the loss.

Aamer Muhammad is third on the team at 10.5 points per game and is second on the team at 2.8 assists per game. He ranks eighth in the SBC in 3-point field goals made per game (2.0). He has 11 double figure games and has topped 20 points twice, with a season-high 23 points and six assists at Florida State on Nov. 14 and 21 points at San Diego State on Dec. 5. He has scored in double figures in back-to-back games, with 12 points at App State last Saturday and 17 points on Thursday vs. JMU. He has hit at least three 3-pointers in seven games.

Nelson Phillips is the fourth Trojan averaging double figures at 10.4 points per game and is second on the team at 5.8 rebounds per game. He is third in the SBC in steals per game (2.10) and 19th in rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures nine times and has topped 20 points three times, with a season-high 22 points twice, coming against Southern-New Orleans and at Arkansas. He had a double-double vs. SUNO with 13 steals while adding eight rebounds and eight assists. He had his second double-double of the season last Saturday at App State with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

RICHARD EARNS 300TH CAREER WIN    
ULM head coach Keith Richard earned his 300th career win in Thursday night's 72-59 victory for the Warhawks at Georgia Southern.

Richard is in his 13th season as the head coach at his alma mater. Thursday's win also marked his 150th victory as the head coach at ULM, making it an even split in career victories with another 150 wins over nine seasons at Louisiana Tech from 1998-99 to 2007-08. He has won 113 Sun Belt Conference games as a head coach, with 83 at ULM and 32 over his first three seasons at LA Tech before the Bulldogs joined the Western Athletic Conference in 2001-02. He is two wins shy of tying former Middle Tennesse coach Kermit Davis for the second-most SBC wins by a head coach.

He has been involved in 716 of the 2,002 games in ULM program history either as a player, graduate assistant, assistant coach or head coach.

LOCURE PACES WARHAWKS IN SCORING COLUMN    
ULM junior guard Tyreke Locure leads the team in scoring at 14.0 points per game, which ranks 11th in the Sun Belt Conference. He also leads the team with 1.9 steals per game, which is good for fifth in the SBC and 67th in NCAA Division I. He is second on the team at 3.45 assists per game, which ranks 11th in the SBC. He is eighth in the SBC in 3-point field goals made per game (2.0), 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6) and 21st in minutes per game (30.1). He led ULM with 19 points (5-of-10 3-point field-goal attempts), six rebounds and six assists in Thursday's 72-59 win at Georgia Southern.

Inside of Sun Belt Conference play, Locure is averaging 15.3 points per game, good for eighth in the SBC. He is fourth in the SBC in 3-point field goals made per game (2.43), fifth in free-throw percentage (.815), seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.92), eighth in steals per game (1.57), 11th in assists per game (3.57) and 17th in minutes per game (33.14).

He has scored in double figures in 17 of 20 games this season. Locure posted his first two 20-point games as a Warhawk against Georgia State and Southern Miss. Locure had a career-high 25 points (4-of-8 3-point field-goal shooting) while adding six rebounds, four assists and one steal on Jan. 5 in a 66-58 win over GSU. He backed it up on on Jan. 7, going for 21 points (4-of-10 3-point field-goal shooting) with four rebounds, three assists and five steals against Southern Miss. For the week, he averaged 23.0 points (third in Sun Belt Conference), 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals (tied for first in SBC). He opened the second week of the four-game homestand with 12 points, all in the second half, with two rebounds and four assists on Jan. 12 vs. the Ragin' Cajuns.

Locure scored 15 points while shooting 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, adding five rebounds, four assists and one steal at Arkansas State on Dec. 31. He led the team with 12 points and added a season-high eight rebounds with four assists in the Dec. 29 57-53 win at Texas State. 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.

BLACKMON CONTINUES STEADY PLAY ON THE PERIMETER    
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 11.9 points, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He also averages 2.8 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures 13 times, including 15 points (3-of-4 3-point field-goal attempts), six rebounds and five assists in the 72-59 win at Georgia Southern on Thursday.

He ranks 22nd in the SBC at 11.8 points per game following Thursday night's contest. He is sixth in the SBC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.00), seventh in steals per game (1.74), 3-point field-goal percentage (.398) and minutes played per game (32.79), 10th in assists per game (3.47) and 11th in steals per game (1.95).

Inside SBC play, Blackmon is seventh in the conference in scoring at 15.9 points per game. He is second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.13), third in steals per game (2.14) and minutes played per game (37.14), fourth in 3-point field-goals made per game (2.43), 11th in assists per game (3.57) and 13th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.425).

He led the way for ULM as the Warhawks finished a season sweep of Texas State last Saturday, scoring a game-high 24 points (7-of-13 field-goal attempts, 8-of-10 free-throw attempts) with three rebounds, three assists and one steal.

Against Southern Miss on Jan. 7, Blackmon added 17 points and five assists as the Warhawks fell short to the Golden Eagles, 65-60.

He surpassed 1,500 points in his career on a 3-pointer with 18:08 to play in the first half vs. Georgia State on Jan. 5, finishing with 14 points in the game, with four assists and four steals. He continued his stellar defensive play, limiting GSU's Dwon Odom to six points. Odom entered the game averaging nearly 16 points per game.

Blackmon played a huge role in ULM's two road wins to open SBC play. He scored a season-high 25 points on 9-of-12 field-goal shooting and 6-of-8 3-point field-goal shooting while adding three rebounds with three assists and two steals at Arkansas State on Dec. 31. It marked the third time in his career to knock down six 3-pointers. Defensively, he was assigned to A-State's leading scorer, Caleb Fields, limiting him to 11 points on 2-of-7 field-goal shooting, two points under his season average. He had 11 points in the Dec. 29 win at Texas State, including a 6-of-9 effort at the free-throw line. He added four rebounds and two assists in the win while playing solid defense against the Bobcats' leading scorer, Mason Harrell, limiting him to 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting.

He had 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 Nov. 25. He closed out the tournament with 10 points, hitting 2-of-3 from deep, and five assists on Nov. 26 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. 

POWELL JOINS STARTING LINEUP
ULM senior guard Langston Powell has made seven consecutive starts to begin Sun Belt Conference play, making starts at Texas State (Dec. 29), at Arkansas State (Dec. 31), vs. Georgia State (Jan. 5), vs. Southern Miss (Jan. 7), vs. Ragin' Cajuns (Jan. 12), vs. Texas State (Jan. 14) and at Georgia Southern (Jan. 19). He led the team in scoring for the first time in 2022-23 on Jan. 12 with a career-high 19 points (7-of-10 field-goal attempts) against the Cajuns.

Since the start of SBC play, Powell is averaging 8.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He is second in the Sun Belt in 3-point field-goal percentage (.533), fifth in field-goal percentage (.579) and 22nd in minutes played per game (32.43).

He added 10 points (4-of-5 field-goal attempts, 2-of-3 3-point field-goal attempts) at Georgia Southern on Thursday, marking his fifth double-figure game of the season. He also pulled in five rebounds with two steals.

On Jan. 7 vs. Southern Miss, he added nine points and a season-high six rebounds. On Dec. 31 at Arkansas State, Powell scored eight consecutive points early in the game and finished with 15 points on 4-of-5 3-point field-goal shooting. He added four rebounds and two steals while playing 30 minutes. He had four points with one steal in 25 minutes at Texas State on Dec. 29.

Powell has reached double figures two other times in 2022-23, picking up 10 points vs. Sam Houston on Dec. 14 and 12 points vs. Central Baptist on Nov. 14.

He had a seven-point possession against Jacksonville on Dec. 20, as he drew a foul on a dunk. The foul was upgraded to a flagrant foul after review, and Powell knocked down two free throws. On the inbounds play, Powell came free in the right corner and knocked down a 3-pointer to cap the possession, which cut ULM's deficit from 13 points to six.

He has played in 75 games with 30 starts over four seasons at ULM. He averaged 4.1 points and 1.3 rebounds per game over 27 games with nine starts in 2021-22. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in December 2022.

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 9.5 points, a team-best 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.9 steals per game. He has scored 13 points in each of the last three games, adding six rebounds against both the Ragin' Cajuns (Jan. 12) and Texas State (Jan. 14). He had three rebounds and a block at Georgia Southern (Jan. 19).

He ranks 10th in the Sun Belt Conference in rebounding, ninth in defensive rebounds per game (5.05), 12th in minutes played per game (31.90) and 15th in field-goal percentage (.513).

Since the start of conference play, Howell is third on the team and 29th in the SBC at 11.0 points per game. He leads the SBC in minutes played per game at 37.29. He is 10th in the SBC in defensive rebounds per game (5.14), 11th in rebounds per game (7.1), 14th in offensive rebounds per game (2.0) and 15th in blocked shots per game (0.71).

He tallied nine points with 10 rebounds on Jan. 7 vs. Southern Miss for his fifth game with double-digit rebounds on the season. He added 13 points (6-of-11 field-goal attempts) with eight rebounds in ULM's 66-58 win over Georgia State on Jan. 5.

On the Sun Belt Conference-opening road trip, he had eight points and four rebounds to go with four assists at Arkansas State on Dec. 31. He totaled eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds on Dec. 29 at Texas State. 

He led ULM with 12 points while adding five rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal vs. Jacksonville on Dec. 20.

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.

BAFUTTO SETS SCHOOL SINGLE-GAME OFFENSIVE REBOUNDING RECORD
ULM graduate forward Victor Bafutto set the program's single-game offensive rebounding record Thursday night at Georgia Southern, pulling down 10 offensive boards against the Eagles. He finished with 15 rebounds to go with his nine points and two blocks.

He has scored in double figures in five of his 14 starts. He has picked up eight or more rebounds in nine games this season, including four games with 10-or-more rebounds. He is averaging 8.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.

He ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference and 14th in NCAA Division I with 2.35 blocks per game. According to KenPom.com, Bafutto ranks 14th in the nation in block percentage (.103). Block percentage is the percentage of opponents' two-point shots that are blocked by the player while he is on the court.

He also is fifth in the SBC in offensive rebounds per game (2.95), 11th in field-goal percentage (.540) and 14th in rebounds per game (6.7). Inside SBC play, he is second in the league in blocked shots per game (2.57) and offensive rebounds per game (4.0) and is seventh in rebounds per game (7.6).

Over his 14 starts this season, Bafutto is averaging 8.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.6 assists and 29.2 minutes per game while shooting 53.1% (52-of-98) from the field.

Bafutto had a big opening weekend in Sun Belt Conference play. He followed up his double-double at Texas State with 13 points (6-of-9 field-goal attempts), all in the second half, and nine rebounds on Dec. 31 at Arkansas State. He posted his first double-double as a Warhawk and second of his career on Dec. 29 at Texas State. He scored 11 points and pulled in 10 rebounds, including two clutch offensive rebounds to extend ULM's possession in the final 23 seconds of the game, allowing the Warhawks to sink three free throws on the possession and push the lead to two possessions, 57-53.

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.

GALLION FINDING CONSISTENCY    
ULM junior guard Savion Gallion is averaging 8.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He had back-to-back double figure efforts off the bench, scoring 13 points (5-of-8 field-goal attempts) vs. the Ragin' Cajuns on Jan. 12 and added 11 points in a career-high 34 minutes vs. Texas State last Saturday.

He had a string of seven consecutive starts snapped on Dec. 29 at Texas State, but managed to record his eighth-straight game of eight points or better with nine off the bench, including a 4-of-6 effort from the free-throw line. He 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 seven times on the season. He once again matched his career high with 13 points vs. the Ragin' Cajuns on Thursday. 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.

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 20 games of the season, three 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.

Graduate forward Victor Bafutto earned his first double-double as a Warhawk on Dec. 29 at Texas State, picking up 11 points and 10 rebounds. His final two rebounds were offensive rebounds in the final 23 seconds of the game to extend ULM's possession, allowing the Warhawks to hit three free throws on the possession to take a one-point lead to a four-point lead, 57-53.
 
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.