Emma Merriweather recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 15 points and 15 rebounds against South Alabama.
Prajal Prasai / ULM Photo Services
65
South Alabama USA 5-16,1-9 Sun Belt
69
Winner ULM ULM 7-14,3-7 Sun Belt
South Alabama USA
5-16,1-9 Sun Belt
65
Final
69
ULM ULM
7-14,3-7 Sun Belt
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
South Alabama USA 24 13 19 9 65
ULM ULM 12 17 17 23 69

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

ULM Erases 10-Point Fourth-Quarter Deficit; Defeats USA, 69-65

MONROE, La. – Emma Merriweather and Bre Sutton combined for 30 points and Kierra Brimzy scored all 11 of her points in the final period as ULM erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit en route to a 69-65 Sun Belt Conference victory over South Alabama Saturday (Jan. 28) in Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
 
It was a case of turnabout is fair play for ULM (7-14, 3-7 Sun Belt), which trailed by as many as 15 points Saturday against the Jaguars. On Thursday night, the Warhawks suffered a heartbreaking 61-59 loss to Marshall on the same floor, as the Thundering Herd overcame a 14-point third-quarter deficit. ULM held the lead for 35 minutes before Marshall scored the go-ahead layup 17 seconds left. The Jaguars led for more than 34 minutes on Saturday.
 
"I'm really proud of this team," ULM head coach Brooks Donald Williams said. "We didn't get off to a good start. We looked a little lethargic in the first half. At halftime, I told the team that we appeared to be sleepwalking at times, but hats off to our players because they came out and fought back in the second half and climbed their way back into the game.
 
"We executed when the game was on the line. So, I'm so pleased with how the players responded late in the game, especially with the way the game ended the other night. We played through our mistakes and didn't hang our heads. We stayed composed down the stretch and made key plays to close out the game. They learned from Thursday's experiences. We're beginning to feel the pieces falling together into place."
 
South Alabama (5-16, 1-9) put together an early 7-0 run and took an 11-5 lead on a 15-foot jumper from the right elbow by Zena Elias with 4:31 left in the first quarter. Merriweather completed a 3-point play and putback her own miss as ULM pulled to within 11-10 with 3:30 on the clock. The Jaguars closed out the period with a 13-2 spurt to build a 24-12 advantage. Elias hit 4-of-5 field-goal attempts and scored 10 points while the Warhawks went 5-of-20 from the floor (25 percent) in the first 10 minutes.
 
Kelsey Thompson hit a pair of free throws with 5:05 left in the second quarter to give South Alabama its biggest lead at 32-17. ULM scored five-straight points in the final 1:10 to trim its deficit to eight points at halftime, 37-29, as Sutton made 1-of-2 free-throw attempts, Merriweather converted a layup and Amaya Ford hit a pull-up jumper in the lane.
 
Merriweather finished the first half with 10 points, eight rebounds and six blocked shots.
 
Trailing 41-29 early in the third quarter, ULM got a jumper from Sutton in the lane followed by a six-point possession as Aasia Sam buried back-to-back 3-pointers from the right wing as the Warhawks scored eight consecutive points and rallied to within four at 41-37 with 5:43 on the clock. Sam knocked down the second 3 after Elias was whistled for a holding foul against Merriweather while battling for rebounding position. South Alabama answered with a late 9-2 spurt and extended its lead to 56-44 on Casey Ferguson's 18-foot jumper from the right corner with 42 seconds remaining. In the closing seconds of the period, Ford grabbed a defensive rebound and drove the length of the floor for a layup before the horn as ULM cut the margin 56-46.
 
Merriweather's offensive rebound and left-handed layup sparked a 9-2 run as the Warhawks pulled to within 58-55 as Sutton's hit 1-of-2 free throws with 6:17 to play in the fourth quarter. ULM completed its comeback by outscoring South Alabama, 12-2, over the final 4:38. The Warhawks reeled off seven-straight points, with Brimzy's turnaround jumper in the lane tying the score at 63-all and Ford giving the Warhawks a 64-63 lead after hitting 1-of-2 attempts from the foul line with 2:59 on the clock. It marked ULM's first lead since 5-4 at the 6:37 mark in the first quarter. South Alabama regained the lead at 65-64 as Thompson connected on a short jumper in the paint over Merriweather with 2:20 remaining in the game. Brimzy hit a 15-foot jumper from the left elbow to give the Warhawks the lead for good at 66-65 with 2:03 left.
 
"Our bench played a key role in sparking the second-half comeback," Williams said. "Aasia Sam hit back-to-back 3s in the third quarter that really got us going offensively and got everybody in the arena fired up. Amaya Ford hit a couple of buckets and Kierra Brimzy kept finding the bottom of the net in the fourth quarter. The bench production was huge. Aaisa and Brim improved our offensive efficiency and made some big shots in the second half.
 
"The crowd inside here stayed behind us the entire game. It's a rainy, chilly day and we got off to a slow start, but they stayed with us. We really appreciate the environment that our fans created. They played a big role with their energy fueling our comeback in the second half."
 
ULM, which shot 60 percent (9-of-15) from the floor in the decisive fourth quarter, made six of their last seven field-goal attempts while South Alabama went 1-for-7 down the stretch. The Warhawks held USA scoreless for the last 2:03.
 
ULM finished with a decided advantage in points off turnovers, 17-9; points in the paint, 38-26; and fast-break points, 10-2. South Alabama outrebounded the Warhawks, 45-41, and enjoyed a 43-28 edge in bench scoring.
 
Four Warhawks scored in double figures, with Merriweather and Sutton leading the way with 15 points each.
 
Merriweather recorded her fourth consecutive double-double and ninth of the season, finishing with a game-high 15 rebounds (five offensive boards). She hit 6-of-11 field-goal attempts to go along with her six blocked shots. Overall, Merriweather has produced double-doubles in seven of her last eight games.
 
"Emma is attracting a ton of attention from opposing defenses, and she's beginning to learn how to deal with physical play in the low post," Williams said. "She played tougher with the ball in her hands and scored at crucial times in the game. Emma provides our team with consistent production and steady leadership."
 
Sutton also collected five rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
 
Brimzy connected on 4-of-7 shots from the floor and 3-of-4 free-throw attempts in the final period to account for her 11 points.
 
ULM also got 10 points from Sam, with eight of those coming in the second half.
 
Thompson led South Alabama with a season-high 27 points off the bench, hitting 10-of-18 field-goal attempts. Elias finished with her second career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Following a four-game homestand, ULM will play its next three Sun Belt games on the road, beginning Thursday, Feb. 2 at Louisiana Lafayette (5 p.m. tipoff).
 
 
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