ULM Warhawks

ULM (10-12 overall, 6-3 Sun Belt Conference) at James Madison (14-8 overall, 5-4 Sun Belt Conference)
4 p.m. EST/3 p.m. CST Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 | Atlantic Union Bank Center | Harrisonburg, Va.
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.3 FM KLIP | LIVE STATS
GAME NOTES

MONROE, La. - ULM concludes a four-game road swing at 4 p.m. EST/3 p.m. CST Saturday against James Madison at the Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It is the first-ever meeting between the Warhawks and the Dukes.

ULM (10-12, 6-3 SBC) rallied from deficits inside the final 20 seconds of both regulation and overtime to defeat Marshall, 86-82, in two overtimes Thursday night at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, West Virginia. Jamari Blackmon knocked down the game-tying 3-pointer with seven seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Blackmon then hit two free throws with 14.4 seconds left in overtime to bring ULM within two, 74-72, before Tyreke Locure stole the inbounds pass, with the Warhawks working the ball inside to Thomas Howell for a dunk to tie the game with nine seconds left to force the second overtime. ULM finally got the best of the Thundering Herd in the second extra frame, with Blackmon connecting on another 3-pointer in the final 30 seconds and sinking the game-sealing free throws.

Blackmon had a career-high 35 points (8-of-15 3-point field-goal attempts) and a season-high eight rebounds. Howell added a career-high 21 points and matched a career high with 15 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Both players played all 50 minutes. Locure chipped in 18 points and seven rebounds.

While ULM and Marshall are now tied for third place in the Sun Belt Conference standings, one game back of the Ragin' Cajuns and Southern Miss, Thursday's game marked an upset by the NCAA's NET rankings. ULM entered the game ranked No. 291 in the NET, while Marshall was the top-ranked SBC team at No. 66, a difference of 225 spots in the rankings.

ULM head coach Keith Richard earned the 300th victory of his career on Jan. 19 at Georgia Southern, 72-59. He now has 151 victories in 13 seasons at ULM and 150 victories over nine seasons as head coach at Louisiana Tech, for 301 career wins. He has 116 career Sun Belt Conference victories, with 84 at ULM and 32 in his first three seasons at LA Tech before the Bulldogs departed for the Western Athletic Conference. He is one win behind former Middle Tennessee coach Kermit Davis for the second-most SBC career coaching victories.

Through 22 games, Locure leads ULM at 13.9points per game, which ranks 11th in the Sun Belt Conference. He also leads the team with 3.32 assists (10th SBC) and 1.91 steals per game (third SBC). 

Blackmon also is averaging double figures at 13.0 points per game (16th SBC). He is second on the team at 3.29 assists (11th SBC) and 1.81 steals per game (sixth SBC). He ranks sixth in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage (.397).

Howell became the third Warhawk to average double figures after scoring a career-high 21 points at Marshall on Thursday. He is averaging 10.2 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game (8th SBC). He has scored in double figures in a career-best five consecutive games.

SATURDAY'S GAME BASICS    
ULM and James Madison meet for the first time in program history at 4 p.m. EST/3 p.m. CST Saturday at the Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The Warhawks (10-12 overall, 6-3 SBC) are led by Tyreke Locure's 13.9 points per game, which ranks 11th-best in the Sun Belt Conference. Jamari Blackmon is second on the team at 13.0 points per game, which is 16th in the SBC, and is sixth in the SBC in 3-point field goal percentage (.397). Thomas Howell is the third Warhawk averaging double figures at 10.2 points per game and leads the team in rebounding at 7.5 boards per contest, which ranks eighth in the SBC.

James Madison (14-8, 5-4) features balanced scoring, with seven players averaging at least eight points per game. Vado Morse leads the way at 13.1 points per game (15th SBC). Terrence Edwards follows at 12.3 points per game (21st SBC). Takal Molson and Mezie Offurum each average 10.5 points per game.

Statistically, ULM ranks 61st 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 14.45 turnovers per game. Offensively, ULM ranks 75th nationally and sixth in the SBC with 11.55 offensive rebounds per game and is 79th nationally and second in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage (.360).

James Madison is one of the top teams in the nation at creating turnovers and being efficient on the offensive end. JMU is fourth in NCAA Division I and leads the SBC in steals per game (10.5) and turnovers forced per game (18.73) and are 10th in turnover margin (4.9). JMU is also one of the toughest at defending the 3-point line, ranking 56th nationally and leading the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.308). On the offensive end, the Dukes are seventh in the nation and lead the SBC in scoring offense (84.0 points per game), sixth in the nation and first in the SBC in bench points per game (33.55), 12th nationally and first in the SBC in free-throw attempts per game (24.0), and 17th nationally and first in the SBC in free-throws made per game (16.9) and fast break points (14.91). JMU ranks 47th nationally and fourth in the SBC in rebounds per game (38.23) and 46th in the nation and fourth in the SBC in offensive rebounds per game (12.14). The Dukes are outrebounding opponents by an average of 4.6 rebounds per game, which is 58th nationally and third in the SBC.

Saturday'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 JAMES MADISON    
The Dukes are 14-8 overall and 5-4 in the Sun Belt Conference. JMU has won three of its last four games, picking up wins over Georgia Southern on Jan. 14 (83-71), at Troy on Jan. 19 (89-87 in overtime) and vs. Coastal Carolina on Thursday (75-69). The Dukes have also won at Georgia State on Dec. 29 (63-47) and at Marshall on Dec. 31 (72-66). JMU has non-conference Division I wins against Hampton, at Buffalo, at Howard, South Dakota State, Eastern Kentucky, and LIU.

Mark Byington is in his third season as the head coach at JMU after spending seven seasons in the SBC at Georgia Southern. He is 42-29 at JMU after going 131-97 with the Eagles. He led JMU to the 2020-21 regular season championship in the CAA and produced six winning seasons in seven years at Georgia Southern.

Vado Morse (6-0, 170, red-shirt senior, guard) leads the team at 13.1 points per game (15th SBC) and 2.3 assists per game. He ranks third in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (2.37), 10th in free-throw percentage (.769), 11th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.372). He has reached double figures 13 times, including four games over 20 points. He scored a season-high 25 points in back-to-back contests against Georgia Southern on Jan. 14 (4-of-8 3-point field-goal attempts) and at Troy on Jan. 19. He picked up 22 points (6-of-12 3-point field-goal attempts) vs. Gallaudet on Dec. 10 and at Buffalo on Nov. 12. He had 15 points vs. Coastal Carolina on Thursday.

Terrence Edwards (6-6, 190, red-shirt sophomore, guard/forward) is second on the team at 12.3 points per game (21st SBC) and 4.6 rebounds per game. He is adding 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He is ninth in the SBC in field-goal percentage (.566). He has scored in double figures 13 times and over 20 points three times. He scored a season-high 21 points twice, picking up a double-double with 11 rebounds (8-of-10 field-goal attempts) vs. Hampton on Nov. 9 and had six rebounds vs. Valparaiso on Nov. 27. He has scored in double figures in five consecutive games with 17 points vs. App State (Jan. 7), 20 at South Alabama (Jan. 12), at Troy (Jan. 19), 18 at Southern Miss (Jan. 21) and 14 vs. Coastal Carolina (Thursday).

Takal Molson (6-4, 210, graduate, guard) is tied for third on the team in scoring at 10.5 points per game while adding 4.8 rebounds per game. He is ninth in the SBC with 1.62 steals per game. He has reached double figures in 12 games, with a season-high 20 points twice, comign against Hampton (7-of-10 field-goal attempts, nine rebounds) on Nov. 9 and at Virginia on Dec. 6. He had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds at Coppin State (Dec. 21). He has scored in double figures in every-other game over the last six games. He had two points and nine rebounds on Thursday vs. Coastal Carolina. He tallied 13 points with five rebounds and five assists last Saturday at Southern Miss.

Mezie Offurum (6-8, 230, graduate, forward) is tied for third on the team in scoring at 10.5 points per game and leads the team in rebouding at 5.3 boards per contest. He is fifth in the SBC in field-goal percentage (.627). He has scored in double figures 14 times, with a season-high 19 points (7-of-9 field-goal attempts) vs. Texas State (Jan. 5). He has scored in double figures in six of nine SBC games, including 12 points and six rebounds on Thursday vs. Coastal Carolina. He had a streak of eight consecutive double-figure games from Nov. 9 to Dec. 2.

Three other Dukes average at least eight points per game: Noah Freidel (9.0 ppg.), Alonzo Sule (8.6 ppg.) and Julien Wooden (8.2 ppg.).

RICHARD EARNS 300TH CAREER WIN, NEARS SBC MILESTONE WIN    
ULM head coach Keith Richard earned his 300th career win in the 72-59 victory for the Warhawks at Georgia Southern on Jan. 19.

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 116 Sun Belt Conference games as a head coach, with 84 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 718 of the 2,004 games in ULM program history either as a player, graduate assistant, assistant coach or head coach.

WARHAWKS SPRING UPSET IN RICHARD'S HUNTINGTON "HOMECOMING"    
ULM's 86-82 double-overtime win over Marshall on Thursday night marked significant upset, according to the metrics of the NCAA's NET rankings. ULM entered the game ranked 291 in the latest NET, while Marshall was No. 66, marking a spread of 225 spots. After the win, ULM jumped to No. 266 in Friday's NET. The game also ranked as the No. 10 most "exciting" game of the season in college basketball according to KenPom.com.

It was the first game for ULM head coach Keith Richard against Marshall in Huntington since he served as an assistant coach with the Thundering Herd from 1986-89, under head coach Rick Huckabay. Richard helped coach Marshall to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1987, the program's previous appearance prior to 2018, and the 1988 National Invitation Tournament. It is the only college coaching job Richard has held outside of the state of Louisiana, spending time as an assistant coach at ULM, Louisiana Tech and LSU and as head coach at LA Tech and ULM.

LOCURE PACES WARHAWKS IN SCORING COLUMN    
ULM junior guard Tyreke Locure leads the team in scoring at 13.9 points per game, which ranks 11th in the Sun Belt Conference. Locure played a career-high 43 minutes on Thursday at Marshall, picking up 18 points (5-of-11 3-point field-goal attempts), seven rebounds, three steals and two assists. He hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:26 left in regulation, putting ULM up 59-58. He also had the steal on Marshall's inbounds play with 14.4 seconds left in overtime, which led to Thomas Howell's game-tying dunk to force the second overtime.

He also leads the team with 3.32 assists per game, which ranks 10th in the SBC, and 1.91 steals per game, which is third in the SBC and 62nd in NCAA Division I. He is seventh in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (2.09), 12th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.368), 13th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.38) and 19th in minutes played per game (30.91).

Inside of Sun Belt Conference play, Locure is averaging 14.8 points per game, good for ninth in the SBC. He is third in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (2.56), seventh in steals per game (1.67), eighth in minutes played per game (34.44), 12th in assists per game (3.22) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.411), and 15th in free-throw percentage (.774) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.26). 

He has scored in double figures in 18 of 22 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 EXPLODES LATE TO HELP WARHAWKS UPSET MARSHALL    
ULM senior guard Jamari Blackmon scored 22 of his career-high 35 points in the final 15:38 of Thursday's game at Marshall. He made his final six field-goal attempts (five 3-pointers) and five free-throw attempts, beginning with the final of three free-throw attempts at the 5:38 mark of regulation. In just the two overtimes, he had 13 points on 3-of-3 shooting (all 3-pointers) and 4-of-4 at the free-throw line. In making his final five 3-point field-goal attempts of the night, four either tied the game or gave ULM the lead. His final 3-pointer gave ULM a five-point lead, 84-79, with 26 seconds left in the second overtime.

He played all 50 minutes in the victory, going 10-of-20 from the field and 8-of-15 from 3-point range, all career highs. He also tracked down a season-high eight rebounds.

He has provided a steady and veteran hand on the perimeter for the Warhawks. He is second on the team at 13.0 points, 3.29 assists and 1.81 steals per game. He also averages 3.0 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures 15 times, including eight of nine games in Sun Belt Conference play.

He ranks 16th in the SBC at 13.0 points per game following Thursday's contest. He is fifth in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (2.19) and minutes played per game (33.71), sixth in steals per game (1.81) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.397), ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.73), 11th in assists per game (3.29) and 15th in free-throw percentage (.726).

Inside SBC play, Blackmon is sixth in the conference in scoring at a team-high 17.4 points per game. He is second in the league in steals per game (2.22) and 3-point field-goals made per game (2.89), fourth in minutes played per game (38.33), ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.87), 11th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.413) and 14th in assists per game (3.11).

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 nine 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), at Troy (Jan. 21) and at Marshall (Jan. 26). 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 7.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He is ninth in the Sun Belt in 3-point field-goal percentage (.450, 9-of-20).

He matched a career high with seven rebounds and tied a season high with four assists on Thursday at Marshall, playing in a career-high 48 minutes.He added 10 points (4-of-5 field-goal attempts, 2-of-3 3-point field-goal attempts) at Georgia Southern on Jan. 19, 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 77 games with 32 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 third on the team at 10.2 points per game while adding a team-best 7.5 rebounds along with 2.0 assists and 0.9 steals per game. He has scored in double figures in each of his last five games, a career-best streak, with a career-high 21 points and 15 rebounds for his second double-double of the season while playing all 50 minutes at Marshall (Jan. 26), 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).

He played a crucial role in ULM's 86-82 double-overtime win against Marshall on Thursday. Howell had the game-tying dunk in the first overtime with nine seconds remaining, following a steal by Tyreke Locure. In the second overtime, Howell scored consecutive layups to tie the game and give ULM its final lead, 81-79, with 1:02 left.

Against Troy last 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 eight consecutive games and 10 of the last 11 games after knocking down another on Thursday at Marshall. Since the start of SBC play, Howell is third in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage (.500, 10-of-20).

He ranks seventh in the Sun Belt Conference in minutes played per game (32.95), eighth in rebounding and defensive rebounds per game (5.14), 13th in offensive rebounds per game (2.32) and 14th in field-goal percentage (.513).

Since the start of conference play, Howell is 17th in the SBC at 12.4 points per game. He leads the league in minutes played per game (38.67), is third in 3-point field-goal percentage (.500), seventh in defensive rebounds per game (5.33), eighth in rebounds per game (7.7) and 10th in offensive rebounds per game (2.33).

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 16 consecutive games for the Warhawks. He has picked up eight or more rebounds in 10 games this season, including five games with 10-or-more rebounds. He is averaging 7.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He tallied six points with 11 rebounds in a career-high 41 minutes at Marshall on Thursday.

He ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference and 16th in NCAA Division I with 2.27 blocks per game. According to KenPom.com, Bafutto ranks 21st in the nation in block percentage (.098). 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 third in the SBC in offensive rebounds per game (3.00), 12th in rebounds per game (7.0) and 13th in field-goal percentage (.519). Inside SBC play, he is second in the league in offensive rebounds per game (3.89), third in blocked shots per game (2.33) and seventh in rebounds per game (8.0).

Bafutto set the program's single-game offensive rebounding record on Jan. 19 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 last 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 8.0 points, 2.3 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 22 games of the season, three different Warhawks have posted four total 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.

Howell added his second double-double of the season and third of his career at Marshall, scoring a career-high 21 points while adding a career-high matching 15 rebounds while playing all 50 minutes in the 86-82 double overtime victory on Jan. 26.

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.