ULM Warhawks

ULM (9-12 overall, 5-3 Sun Belt Conference) at Marshall (17-4 overall, 6-2 Sun Belt Conference)
7 p.m. EST/6 p.m. CST Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023 | Cam Henderson Center | Huntington, West Virginia
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.3 FM KLIP | LIVE STATS
GAME NOTES

MONROE, La. - ULM continues a four-game road swing at 7 p.m. EST/6 p.m. CST Thursday, taking on Sun Belt Conference-newcomer Marshall for the first time in program history at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, West Virginia.

ULM (9-12, 5-3 SBC) lost to a hot-shooting Troy team on Saturday afternoon, 77-54, at Trojan Arena in Troy, Alabama. Troy shot 60% from the field in the second half, and hit 52% (13-of-25) from 3-point range for the game. The Warhawks led 25-14 with 8:13 left in the first half before the Trojans did not allow ULM another field goal in the half (0-of-11), going on a 17-2 run to take a 31-27 halftime lead. It set the tone for a dominant second half, where Troy used a 21-3 run to gain separation, leading by as much as 31. Thomas Howell led ULM with 14 points (5-of-7 field-goal attempts, career-high 3-of-3 3-point field-goal attempts).

With last 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. He has 115 career Sun Belt Conference victories, with 83 at ULM and 32 in his first three seasons at LA Tech before the Bulldogs departed for the Western Athletic Conference. He is two wins behind former Middle Tennessee coach Kermit Davis for the second-most SBC coaching victories.

Richard returns to Huntington, West Virginia, for the first time since he was an assistant coach at Marshall from 1986-89 under head coach Rick Huckabay. In 39 seasons of coaching, his three years at Marshall are the only three years of his career Richard has spent outside of the state of Louisiana, making other stops at ULM, Louisiana Tech and LSU.

Through 21 games, Tyreke Locure leads ULM at 13.7 points per game, which ranks 13th in the Sun Belt Conference. He also leads the team with 1.86 steals per game (fifth SBC) and is second with 3.38 assists per game (12th SBC). In SBC play, he is second on the team at 14.4 points (11th SBC), 3.38 assists (13th SBC), and 1.5 steals (seventh SBC) per game and is third on the team at 4.8 rebounds per game.

Jamari Blackmon also is averaging double figures at 11.9 points per game (26th SBC). He leads the team at 3.45 assists per game (10th SBC) while ranking second on the team at 1.75 steals per game (sixth SBC). He is 10th in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage (.376). In SBC action, he leads the team at 15.3 points per game (eighth SBC) while adding 3.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists (10th SBC) and 2.1 steals (second SBC) per game.

Three other active Warhawks are averaging over seven points per game. Howell is third on the team at 9.7 points per game while adding a team-best 7.1 rebounds per game (10th SBC). Savion Gallion is averaging 8.1 points per game. Victor Bafutto is averaging 7.7 points per game while adding 6.8 rebounds (14th SBC) and 2.33 blocks per game (third SBC). Bafutto is averaging 2.5 blocks per game in conference play (tied second SBC).

THURSDAY'S GAME BASICS    
ULM and Marshall meet for the first time in program history at 7 p.m. EST/6 p.m. CST Thursday at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, West Virginia.

The Warhawks (9-12 overall, 5-3 SBC) are led by Tyreke Locure's 13.7 points per game, which ranks 13th-best in the Sun Belt Conference. Jamari Blackmon joins him in double figures with 11.9 points per game, and is 10th in the SBC in 3-point field goal percentage (.376). Thomas Howell leads ULM with 7.1 rebounds per game, good for 10th in the SBC, while also adding 9.7 points per game.

Marshall (17-4, 6-2) features the SBC's leading scorer, Taevion Kinsey, who averages 21.2 points per game, which ranks 14th in NCAA Division I. Andrew Taylor is close behind, ranking third in the SBC and 31st nationally at 19.3 points per game. Kamdyn Curfman is averaging 12.3 points per game to rank 20th in the SBC. All three players were Preseason All-SBC selections, with Kinsey on the first team and Taylor and Curfman on the third team.

Statistically, ULM ranks 58th in NCAA Division I and fifth in the SBC at 8.0 steals per game and is 80th nationally and fifth in the SBC by forcing 14.52 turnovers per game. The Warhawks also are 99th overall and sixth in the SBC at 3.9 blocks per game. Offensively, ULM ranks 84th nationally and third in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage at .358.

Marshall ranks second in the SBC and 18th in the nation in scoring offense (81.9 points per game), while ranking third in the SBC and 49th nationally in field-goal percentage (.471) and leading the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (8.2). The Thundering Herd leads the SBC and ranks fourth nationally at 18.5 assists per game while giving up 11.6 turnovers per game, which ranks fourth in the SBC and 65th nationally. The Herd is ninth nationally and leads the SBC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.59. Marshall also is a strong rebounding team, leading the SBC and ranking fifth in NCAA Division I with 41.05 rebounds per game. The Herd leads the SBC and is seventh in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (13.95) and second in the SBC and 50th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (27.10). Defensively, Marshall leads the SBC and is 15th in the country with 5.6 blocks per game and ranks third in the SBC and 31st in the nation at 8.9 steals per game.

Thursday's game will stream on ESPN+. 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 MARSHALL    
The Thundering Herd is 17-4 overall and 6-2 in Sun Belt Conference play and is continuing to move up the NCAA's NET rankings, sitting at No. 67 as of Tuesday, Jan. 24. Marshall has won five consecutive SBC games, picking up wins over Coastal Carolina (81-66), Southern Miss (89-67), Old Dominion (73-65), at Texas State (81-73) and at Arkansas State (87-78 in overtime). The Herd opened SBC play with a win vs. App State (79-53). Marshall also has Division I victories against Tennessee Tech, Miami (Ohio), Coppin State, Chicago State, Morehead State, Akron, Ohio, Duquesne, Robert Morris, UNCG and Toledo.

Dan D'Antoni, a Marshall athletics Hall of Famer for his basketball playing career, is in his ninth season leading his alma mater. He led the Thundering Herd to its first NCAA Tournament bid in  31 years in 2017-18, winning the Conference USA Tournament before earning the first NCAA Tournament win in program history, as the No. 13 seeded Herd defeated No. 4 seed Wichita State. As a player, D'Antoni helped Marshall reach the National Invitation Tournament in 1967 and 1968. He is the older brother of former NBA coach Mike D'Antoni.

Taevion Kinsey (6-5, fifth-year senior, guard) is a three-time All-Conference USA selection and a Preseason All-SBC First-Team selection this season. He leads the SBC and ranks 14th in NCAA Division I, averaging 21.2 points per game. He has scored in double figures in all 21 games and topped 20 points 13 times. He scored a season-high 30 points vs. Toledo on Dec. 17. He also is ranked in the conference and nationally in minutes per game (36:58, first SBC, 8th nationally), assists per game (5.7, second, 18th), assist-to-turnover ratio (2.61, second, 29th) and field-goal percentage (.552, 10th, 58th). 

Andrew Taylor (6-3, red-shirt senior, guard) is a Preseason All-SBC Third-Team selection. He is third in the SBC and 31st nationally in scoring at 19.3 points per game. He has scored in double figures in all 21 games and exceeded 20 points seven times. He scored a season-high 27 points twice, including in Saturday's win over Arkansas State in Jonesboro. He had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds vs. Akron on Nov. 30. He has hit three or more 3-pointers in 10 games and five or more assists in nine games. He also is ranked in the conference and nationally in minutes per game (35:46, second SBC, 29th nationally), steals per game (2.19, second, 24th) and assists per game (4.5, fifth, 75th). 

Kamdyn Curfman (6-1, junior, guard) also is a Preseason All-SBC Third-Team selection. He is third on the team and 20th in the SBC, averaging 12.3 points per game. He has scored in double figures 15 times, with a season-high 21 points (7-of-9 3-point field-goal attempts) last Thursday at Texas State. He is third in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage (.424) and leads the conference in total 3-point field goals made at 72, which ranks fifth in the nation. He has three or more 3-point field goals in 14 games and has hit five or more treys in six games. He is third in the conference and 84th nationally, averaging 34:37 minutes per game.

Micah Handlogten (7-1, freshman, center) is the top rebounder and one of the top shot blockers in the Sun Belt Conference as a true freshman. He leads the SBC and is sixth nationally at 10.9 rebounds per game. He also leads the league and is fourth nationally in offensive rebounds per game (4.24) and is third in the SBC and 32nd nationally in defensive rebounds per game (6.62). He is second in the SBC and ninth in the nation in blocked shots per game (2.57). He is averaging 8.4 points per game and has scored in double figures seven times. He has 11 games with 10 or more rebounds and has seven double-doubles.

RICHARD EARNS 300TH CAREER WIN    
ULM head coach Keith Richard earned his 300th career win in last 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. The win against Georgia Southern 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 717 of the 2,003 games in ULM program history either as a player, graduate assistant, assistant coach or head coach.

STAYING ON THE FLOOR    
Thursday's game between ULM and Marshall features the Top 5 players inside Sun Belt Conference play in minutes played per game. Marshall's Kamdyn Curfman leads the SBC at 37.38 minutes per game, and is followed closely by ULM's Thomas Howell and MU's Andrew Taylor at 37.25. ULM's Jamari Blackmon is fourth at 36.88 and the Herd's Taevion Kinsey is fifth at 36.25. ULM's Tyreke Locure also is a Top 20 player in minutes played per game at 33.38.

Overall on the season, Kinsey (36.95), Taylor (35.67) and Curfman (34.67) are ranked in the Top 3 in minutes played per game, while Blackmon (32.90) is sixth, Howell (32.14) is 11th and Locure (30.33) is 20th).

LOCURE PACES WARHAWKS IN SCORING COLUMN    
ULM junior guard Tyreke Locure leads the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game, which ranks 13th in the Sun Belt Conference. He also leads the team with 1.86 steals per game, which is good for fifth in the SBC and 77th in NCAA Division I. He is second on the team at 3.38 assists per game, which ranks 12th in the SBC. He is 10th in the SBC in 3-point field goals made per game (1.95), 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.54) and 20th in minutes played per game (30.33). 

Inside of Sun Belt Conference play, Locure is averaging 14.4 points per game, good for 11th in the SBC. He is fifth in the SBC in 3-point field goals made per game (2.25), seventh in steals per game (1.50), 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.69), 13th in assists per game (3.38) and free-throw percentage (.793) and 18th in minutes played per game (33.38).

He has scored in double figures in 17 of 21 games this season. He led ULM with 19 points (5-of-10 3-point field-goal attempts), six rebounds and six assists in the Jan. 19 72-59 win at Georgia Southern. 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 1.8 steals per game. He also averages 2.7 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures 14 times, including 11 points on Saturday at Troy. 

He ranks 26th in the SBC at 11.9 points per game following Saturday's contest. He is sixth in the SBC in steals per game (1.75), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.97) and minutes played per game (32.90, 10th in assists per game (3.45) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.376) and 12th in 3-point field goals made per game (1.90).

Inside SBC play, Blackmon is eighth in the conference in scoring at 15.3 points per game, scoring in double figures in seven of eight games. He is second in the league in steals per game (2.13) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.80), fourth in minutes played per game (36.88), fifth in 3-point field-goals made per game (2.25) and 10th in assists per game (3.50).

He added 15 points (3-of-4 3-point field-goal attempts), six rebounds and five assists in the 72-59 win at Georgia Southern on Jan. 19. He led the way for ULM as the Warhawks finished a season sweep of Texas State on Jan. 14, 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 eight 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), at Georgia Southern (Jan. 19) and at Troy (Jan. 21). 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 8.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. He is third in the Sun Belt in 3-point field-goal percentage (.563, 9-of-16).

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 76 games with 31 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 9.7 points, a team-best 7.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.9 steals per game. He has scored in double figures in each of his last four games, with a team-high 14 points at Troy (Jan. 21) and 13 points in each of the three prior 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). His double figure scoring streak is the longest such streak of his career.

Against Troy on Saturday, Howell shot 5-of-7 from the field and 3-of-3 from 3-point range, marking the first time in his career he hit multiple 3-pointers in a game. He has now made 12 3-pointers in his career, with 11 coming this season. He has made at least one trey in seven consecutive games and nine of the last 10 games. Since the start of SBC play, Howell is tied for the league lead in 3-point field-goal percentage (.600, 9-of-15).

He ranks 10th in the Sun Belt Conference in rebounding, ninth in defensive rebounds per game (4.95), 11th in minutes played per game (32.14) and 14th in field-goal percentage (.521).

Since the start of conference play, Howell is third on the team and 28th in the SBC at 11.4 points per game. He is second in the SBC in minutes played per game (37.25), eighth in defensive rebounds per game (4.88), 12th in rebounds per game (6.8) and 14th in field-goal percentage (.500).

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 has started 15 consecutive games for the Warhawks. He has picked up eight or more rebounds in nine games this season, including four games with 10-or-more rebounds. He is averaging 7.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.

Over his 15 starts this season, Bafutto is averaging 8.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.5 assists and 29.4minutes per game while shooting 51.0% (52-of-102) from the field.

He ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference and 15th in NCAA Division I with 2.33 blocks per game. According to KenPom.com, Bafutto ranks 15th in the nation in block percentage (.104). 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 fourth in the SBC in offensive rebounds per game (2.95), 13th in field-goal percentage (.523) and 14th in rebounds per game (6.8). Inside SBC play, he is tied for second in the league in blocked shots per game (2.50) with Marshall's Micah Handlogten. He also is second in offensive rebounds per game (3.88) and sixth in rebounds per game (7.6).

Bafutto set the program's single-game offensive rebounding record last 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 added eight rebounds on Saturday at Troy.

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 8.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 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 on Jan. 14.

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 21 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.