Emma Merriweather scores a layup vs. Tennessee Tech on Dec. 17, 2022
Luke Richard/ULM Athletics
86
Winner Ga. Southern GS 13-4,5-3 Sun Belt
72
ULM ULM 6-13,2-6 Sun Belt
Winner
Ga. Southern GS
13-4,5-3 Sun Belt
86
Final
72
ULM ULM
6-13,2-6 Sun Belt
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ga. Southern GS 17 26 21 22 86
ULM ULM 16 17 22 17 72

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Sluggish Second Quarter Costly as ULM Falls to Georgia Southern, 86-72

MONROE, La. – Terren Ward scored 13 of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter as Georgia Southern posted its sixth consecutive road win, 86-72, over ULM Saturday afternoon (Jan. 21) in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. Ward hit 7-of-12 field-goal attempts, including 4-of-6 3-pointers.
 
It also marked Georgia Southern's fourth-straight win in the series.
 
For the second-straight game, ULM got off to a quick start, jumping out to a 10-4 lead on Katlyn Manuel's rebound basket at the 4:36 mark. The Warhawks made five of their first nine shots from the floor while Georgia Southern opened 1-of-9 from the field. The Eagles outscored ULM, 13-6, over the remainder of the first quarter and took the lead for good at 17-16 on Simone James' 3-point play with 35 seconds left. James scored in transition off a mid-court pass from Ja'nya Love-Hill. The Eagles held a 10-0 advantage in fast-break points after the first 10 minutes.
 
Georgia Southern (13-4, 5-3 Sun Belt) put together a 9-2 run early in the second quarter and extended its lead to 28-20 Ward's 3-pointer with 6:52 on the clock. ULM (6-13, 2-6) got a layup from Emma Merriweather, off an assist from Amaya Ford, and Manuel hit a short jumper in the paint, to cut its deficit to 28-24 with 5:18 to play in the first half. The Eagles pushed their lead back to eight at 32-24 on a pair of free throws from Love-Hill and another fast-break layup from James with 4:42 left. The Warhawks remained within striking distance at 32-27 as Gara Beth Self buried a 3 from the top of the circle with 4:15 remaining. Georgia Southern used a 7-3 spurt to take a 10-point halftime lead at 43-33.
 
The Eagles shot 60 percent (9-of-15) from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, in the second quarter while outscoring ULM, 26-17. The Warhawks went 4-of-14 from the floor (29 percent) during that decisive second quarter. Georgia Southern enjoyed a +22 margin in fast-break points, 23-1, at the intermission.
 
"We're getting closer by the day," ULM head coach Brooks Donald Williams said. "We played two of the top teams in the league this week, in Texas State and Georgia Southern, and we got off to good starts in both of these games, but we were plagued by foul trouble in each of them too.
 
"The game changed in the second quarter when we got in foul trouble. We picked up some early fouls, got the wrong players in foul trouble and sent them straight to the free-throw line. That made a big difference in the second period."
 
Love-Hill banked in an 18-foot jumper from inside the top of the circle as the shot clock expired to push the Eagles' lead to 14 at 47-33 with 8:00 remaining in the third quarter. Myca Trail's 17-foot jumper from the left baseline sparked an 11-2 run as ULM pulled to within 49-44 on two free throws from Bre Sutton with 5:36 on the clock. Trail hit a 15-foot jumper from the right elbow as the Warhawks stayed within five at 51-46 with 4:31 remaining. In the closing seconds of the third period, Taya Gibson's hook shot in the paint gave Georgia Southern a 64-55 advantage.
 
ULM rallied to within seven at 64-57 on Kierra Brimzy's jumper from outside the paint to open the fourth quarter, but the Eagles scored eight consecutive points and took a 72-57 lead on Gibson's putback with 8:14 on the clock. Georgia Southern, which maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way, built its largest lead at 86-67 on Paris Miller's fast-break layup off a turnover with 1:58 left.
 
"We battled back again late in the third quarter, but we gave up two offensive rebounds, off missed free throws, and allowed another transition basket right after that," Williams said. "So, that was a huge momentum swing back their way.
 
"It also hurt when Kierra Brimzy went down with an injury early in the fourth. We had just called three sets in a row for her, then she went down with the injury. Brim had the hot hand at the time (scored nine of ULM's 11 points during one stretch)."
 
For the game, the Eagles shot 48 percent from the floor (33-of-69), including 6-of-14 3-pointers, while ULM went 26-of-64 from the field (41 percent), including 3-of-8 3s. Georgia Southern finished with a decided advantage in fast-break points, 27-9, and points off turnovers, 22-11. ULM outrebounded the Eagles, 41-40, and held a 15-12 edge in second-chance points.
 
In addition to Ward, three other Georgia Southern players scored in double figures, including Gibson who came off the bench to hit 6-of-9 shots from the field and finished with 17 points, including nine in the pivotal second quarter. James added 15 points while Love-Hill contributed 14 points and five assists.
 
Merriweather recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and a career-best 19 rebounds, including six off the offensive boards, to pace the Warhawks. Her 19 rebounds fell just two shy of tying the Coliseum single-game record, shared by three players (21 each by Niela Gray vs. Nicholls, Feb. 3, 1996; Jab Johnson vs. Georgia, Dec. 10, 1988; and Renee Woodfin vs Alcorn, Nov. 29, 1986). She also blocked five shots by the Eagles. Merriweather has posted five double-doubles over her last six games, averaging 13.7 points and 12.8 rebounds during that stretch.
 
"Hats off to Emma," Williams said. "She really battled this afternoon, made some tough catches and the low post and grabbed some tough rebounds. Gosh, she got 19 rebounds, six of those offensive, and she got herself to the free-throw line and did a tremendous job at the line, hitting 7-of-10. I also know she'd like to finish more of those shots at the rim through contact."
 
ULM also got 12 points from Trail, who earned her third start of the season and hit 6-of-9 field-goal attempts, and 10 points and seven rebounds from Manuel.
 
"Myca brings a lot of energy every time she steps on the floor," Williams said. "She scored eight of her 12 points in the third period, which helped keep us in the game."
 
The Warhawks conclude their four-game Sun Belt Conference homestand with a pair of games next week: Thursday, Jan. 26 against league-newcomer Marshall at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 28 against South Alabama at 2 p.m. General admission tickets are only $5.
 
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