ULM Warhawks

GAME NOTES

MONROE, La. - After playing the first two games of the season on the road, the ULM Warhawks finally open the home schedule with I-20 foe Louisiana Tech at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

ULM is coming off Saturday's 74-64 win at Central Michigan in the first round of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. Nika Metskhvarishvili led the Warhawks with 16 points (7-of-11 field-goal attempts) in 25 minutes of playing time. Tyreke Locure added 13 points with team-highs of six rebounds and six assists. Tyreese Watson came off the bench to add 13 points (3-of-4 3-point field-goal attempts). ULM knocked down 10 3-pointers in the game, with seven of them coming from Watson, Locure and Metskhvarishvili combined.

Through the first two games of the season, Metskhvarishvili and Locure are the only two Warhawks averaging 10.0 points per game or more. Both are tied at 10.0 points per game. Metskhvarishvili bounced back after a slow start with four points at No. 7/6 Houston in the season opener to tally a team-high 16 points at Central Michigan last Saturday. Locure was second on the team with seven points in the loss at Houston and added 13 points vs. CMU last Saturday.

Saturday's win over Central Michigan snapped ULM's five-game non-conference road losing streak. The Warhawks last won a road non-conference game on Dec. 20, 2021, against Lamar, 80-77. It was also ULM's first road non-conference win in the month of November since an 80-52 win at Northwestern State on Nov. 27, 2018. The Warhawks won a pair of road non-conference games to open the 2018-19 season after opening that year with a 75-66 win at Jackson State.

THURSDAY'S GAME BASICS    
ULM opens the home slate with I-20 foe Louisiana Tech with a 6:30 p.m. tip-off Thursday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

ULM is off to a 1-1 start to the season after last Saturday's 74-64 win at Central Michigan and an 84-31 loss to No. 7/6 Houston on Nov. 6. Tyreke Locure and Nika Metskhvarishvili are tied for the team lead at 10.0 points per game.

LA Tech also is 1-1 to open the season after a 100-43 win over Lyon College on Monday night in Ruston. The Bulldogs opened the season with an 81-73 loss at Colorado State on Nov. 6. 

ULM head coach Keith Richard previously spent nine seasons (1998-2007) in the same capacity at Louisiana Tech, where he compiled a 150-117 record (.562). In his first season, Richard led the Bulldogs to a 19-9 record, including the 1999 Sun Belt Conference regular-season championship (10-4). He guided LA Tech to three 20-win seasons and two postseason appearances in the National Invitation Tournament (2002 and 2006). His 150 career wins rank fourth on LA Tech's all-time list. Richard is 0-9 against Louisiana Tech.

LA Tech head coach Talvin Hester is in his second season, and is 1-0 in his career against ULM with last year's 79-58 win over ULM in Ruston.

The Bulldogs have won the last 10 meetings with ULM, stretching back to the 2008-09 season. ULM last defeated LA Tech, 100-89, on Jan. 28, 1991, in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. 

Thursday's game will stream on ESPN+ with Chris Harris (play-by-play) and Mike Vining (analyst) on the call. The game also will air on 104.1 FM KJLO, k-104.com and the TuneIn app on the Warhawk Radio Network from Learfield with Mike Hammett on the play-by-play.

PREVIEWING LOUISIANA TECH    
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are 1-1 on the season after Monday's 100-43 win over Lyon College at the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston. Jaylin Henderson came off the bench with 24 points (7-of-12 field-goal attempts, 3-of-4 3-point field-goal attempts), while Isaiah Crawford added 21 points with eight rebounds and three steals. Devin Ree picked up 18 points by knocking down 5-of-6 from 3-point range, while Dravon Mangum had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Through two games, Henderson leads LA Tech at 20.0 points per game while hitting 5-of-7 from the 3-point line. Crawford has tallied 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Ree is averaging 11.0 points and is shooting 6-of-8 from 3-point distance. Mangum is nearly averaging a double-double per game at 9.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.

LAST TIME VS. LOUISIANA TECH    
Louisiana Tech 79, ULM 58 on Nov. 21, 2022, in Ruston, Louisiana – Every time ULM had a run to get back in the game, Louisiana Tech had the answer Monday night, as the Bulldogs used an 8-0 run in the final minutes to pick up a 79-58 win over ULM at the Thomas Assembly Center.

Tyreke Locure scored a game-high 18 points to go with six rebounds, four steals and two assists to pace ULM. Devon Hancock added 13 points (4-of-9 3-point attempts) off the bench while Jamari Blackmon had 10 points and six assists. Isaiah Crawford led five Louisiana Tech players in double figures with 17 points.

After Hancock hit a 3-pointer to bring ULM within one, 11-10, with 13:11 remaining in the half, LA Tech went on a 16-3 run, picking up treys from Terran Williams, Keaston Willis and Quandre Bullock, to pull away for the 27-13 lead with 5:54 to play before halftime.

ULM had an answer, going on a quick 11-0 run in 2:19. Victor Bafutto started the run with a basket at the 5:25 mark. Savion Gallion followed with two free throws and Nika Metskhvarishvili hit a 3-pointer. After Metskhvarishvili knocked down an elbow jumper, Locure stole the inbounds pass and laid the ball back in to get within three, 27-24, with 3:35 remaining in the half.

However, LA Tech scored the next six points to push the lead back to nine, 33-24, and led by 10 at halftime, 35-25.

The Bulldogs scored the first five points of the second half to extend the lead to 15, 40-25. ULM closed within nine again on a layup by Blackmon with 17:03 to go. LA Tech responded with layup by Crawford to lead by 11, 42-31, with 16:45 to play in the game. ULM did not get within single digits again. 

LA Tech's 8-0 run extended the lead to 17, 48-31. ULM's last gasp came moments later. After Blackmon nailed a 3-pointer, Locure bagged a triple to get within 11, 48-37. On the next trip down the floor, Metskhvarishvili had a layup rattle halfway down the rim and then pop back out. Instead, LA Tech slowly rebuilt the lead, not leading by more than 20 points until the final bucket of the night, which stretched the lead to 21.

ULM shot 36% from the field (20-of-55) and 41% from 3-point range (11-of-27). LA Tech shot 47.4% (27-of-57) with 35% 3-point shooting finished at 89.5% free throw shooting.

LAST TIME VS. LOUISIANA TECH IN MONROE    
Louisiana Tech 68, ULM 57 on Dec. 22, 2020, in Monroe, Louisiana – ULM came close but couldn't close out Louisiana Tech on Tuesday night.

The Warhawks faded down the stretch in a 68-57 loss to the Bulldogs at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

Louisiana Tech (7-2) finished the game on a 19-7 run to beat ULM (2-5) for second time this month. ULM opened the season in Ruston on Dec. 3 with a 78-62 loss to the Bulldogs.

Overall, the game featured six lead changes and five ties. ULM held its last lead at 50-49 with 8:52 left in regulation.

Chris Efretuei paced ULM with 12 points but only two in the second half. Koreem Ozier scored 11 with seven rebounds and Russell Harrison added 10 for ULM, which shot 38 percent overall and made just 4-of-10 free throws.

Cobe Williams and Kaleb Ledoux led Tech with 13 points each. The Bulldogs shot 44 percent from the floor but supplemented their scoring with 14-of-21 free-throw shooting.

The Warhawks started fast and stayed in control for much of the game before their late drought.

ULM opened the game with a 7-0 rush as Tech missed its first five shots and took almost four minutes to score.

Exavian Christon tallied nine of Tech's first 12 points, hitting three 3-pointers. The Bulldogs used the long ball to claw back, drawing within 22-20 with 7:52 remaining on Ledoux's 3-pointer.

ULM led until the 6:33 mark, when Tech tied the score at 24-24 on a layup by Williams. The Bulldogs claimed their first lead at 28-26 on Ledoux's 3-pointer with 3:48 to go before the half.

After falling behind by six points 32-26, ULM responded with a 6-0 run to tie the game for the second time. Tech's JaColby Pemberton knocked down a pair of free throws with 30 seconds showing and the visitors went into halftime leading 34-32.

Efretuei delivered a strong first half with 10 points and three rebounds. ULM outscored Tech, 20-8, in the paint and led for 14:26 of the first half.

A 12-2 run to ignite the second half catapulted ULM to its biggest lead at 44-36, when Luke Phillips hit a 3-pointer with 14:41 left in the game.

But Tech regained the lead at 49-47 as ULM suffered through a scoring drought that lasted almost four minutes.

ULM claimed a brief edge at 50-49 on Marco Morency's 3-pointer, but the Bulldogs responded with a 10-0 run. ULM went more than five minutes again without scoring and made five turnovers as the deficit grew.

LAST TIME OUT    
ULM 74, Central Michigan 64 on Nov. 11, 2023, in Mount Pleasant, Michigan – Nika Metskhvarishvili poured in 16 points, while Tyreke Locure and Tyreese Watson added 13 points apiece as ULM topped Central Michigan, 74-64, Saturday afternoon at McGuirk Arena in the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge.
 
ULM hit nearly 50% of its shots, going 29-of-60 for 48.3%. The Warhawks buried 10 3-pointers on the afternoon, with Metskhvarishvili, Locure and Watson accounting for seven of them.
 
Metskhvarishvili hit 7-of-11 shots from the field while adding three rebounds and three assists. Locure tracked down a team-high six rebounds and handed out six assists. Watson was 5-of-8 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range in the win.
 
Anthony Pritchard paced three Chippewas in double figures with 15 points, while Markus Harding added 14 points and Aidan Rubio had 12 as CMU shot 41% (22-of-54) from the field and 36% (10-of-28) from 3-point range.
 
CMU had the fast start, but ULM responded from there. CMU went up eight, 12-4, with 15:52 left in the first half. However, the Warhawks responded with an 11-0 run, fueled by a 3-pointer by Locure and capped on back-to-back buckets by Makai Willis, to go on top 24-17 with 6:37 left before halftime. CMU never saw the lead again.
 
ULM stretched the lead to eight, 34-26, on a dunk by Watson at the 3:09 mark of the half. It briefly touched nine on Metskhvarishvili's putback with 41 seconds remining before the break. The Warhawks led 38-31 at halftime.
 
Metskhvarishvili set the tone for the second half with the first five points out of the locker room, knocking down a 3-pointer on the opening possession and then connecting on a jumper in the paint to extend the lead to 12, 43-31, at the 17:33 mark.
 
CMU responded with a 7-0 run to cut the gap to five, 43-38, on Pritchard's layup with 13:27 to go. Watson put an end to the charge with a trey on the next possession to go back up by eight, 46-38.
 
The Chippewas closed as close as two at 53-51 when Brian Taylor hit a triple with 9:15 left. However, a 9-2 spurt for ULM, including treys from Jalen Bolden and Metskhvarishvili, pushed the lead right back to nine, 62-52 with 5:29 to play, with CMU never threatening again. 

LOCURE NAMED PRESEASON THIRD-TEAM ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE    
ULM senior guard Tyreke Locure was named Preseason Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference following a vote of the league's head coaches, the conference announced Oct. 16.

Locure had his first double-figure game of 2023-24 last Saturday at Central Michigan, scoring 13 points while adding team highs with six rebounds, six assists and three steals.
 
Locure returns for his second season at ULM after leading the team in scoring (14.4 points per game), steals (1.8 pg.), field goals made per game (5.0 pg.) and 3-point field goals made per game (2.1 pg.) in 2022-23. He added 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He ranked fourth in the SBC in steals per game, sixth in 3-point field goals made per game, eighth in scoring, 14th in free-throw percentage (.762) and minutes per game (31.9) and 15th in assists per game and 3-point field goal percentage (.370). He scored in double figures 26 times and topped 20 points five times. He scored a career high 33 points vs. Troy on Feb. 22. His numbers improved inside of SBC play to 15.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while adding 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He shot 41% (43-of-104) from the 3-point line and 83% (53-of-64) from the free throw line in SBC action.

GALLION MOVES TO STARTING LINEUP    
ULM senior guard Savion Gallion has started the first two games of the 2023-24 season, and led ULM in scoring in the season opener at No. 7/6 Houston on Nov. 6 with eight points.

Gallion returns after playing a pivotal role off the bench and as a spot starter in 2022-23. He played in all 32 games with 12 starts in his first season at ULM and averaged a career-best 7.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while adding 32 assists and 19 steals. He shot 38% (78-of-204) from the field and 26% (20-of-73) from 3-point range while knocking down 72% (65-of-90) from the free-throw line. He reached double figures 10 times.

Gallion scored a career-high 15 points (3-of-5 3-point field-goal attempts) while adding three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block while playing 34 minutes for the second time in his career vs. Troy on Feb. 22. He scored eight points and added a career-high tying five rebounds vs. South Alabama on Feb. 4. Gallion matched his career-high with five rebounds and added four points (4-of-4 free-throw attempts) at Marshall on Jan. 26. He came off the bench to play 34 minutes for the first time in his career, scoring 11 points with a career-high matching four assists vs. Texas State on Jan. 14. He once again scored 13 points (5-of-8 field-goal attempts) vs. Ragin' Cajuns on Jan. 12. He came off the bench for nine points, including 4-of-6 free throws down the stretch, to open SBC play at Texas State on Dec. 29.

Gallion picked up 11 points with four rebounds and two assists vs. Jacksonville on Dec. 20 to wrap up non-conference action. He tallied 11 points with four assists, one steal and one block vs. Lamar on Dec. 17. He collected 13 points (3-of-4 3-point field-goal attempts) with two rebounds and two assists at Northwestern State on Dec. 10. He scored eight points with four rebounds and added a career-high matching three steals vs. Champion Christian on Dec. 3. He hit two 3-pointers in one game for the first time in his career, finishing with eight points and two rebounds at Tulane on Nov. 28. He tallied 11 points with four rebounds, two assists and one steal in return to starting lineup vs. Loyola Maryland on Nov. 26. He picked up a career-high three assists vs. Omaha on Nov. 25. Gallion had a career-high five rebounds to go with five points at TCU on Nov. 17. He picked up 13 points and three rebounds vs. Central Baptist on Nov. 14. He had his first double-figure scoring game with 12 points and two assists vs. Dallas Christian on Nov. 10. Gallion made his ULM debut, scoring nine points (7-of-8 free-throw shooting) with one rebound at Texas A&M on Nov. 7.

METSKHVARISHVILI RETURNS FROM INJURY    
Senior forward Nika Metskhvarishvili has started the first two games of 2023-24, and led ULM in scoring with 16 points (7-of-11 field-goal attempts) while adding three rebounds, three assists and one steal last Saturday at Central Michigan.

Metskhvarishvili was cleared to return to action just before the start of official practice in late September, and returns to the Warhawk lineup after missing all but five games in the 2022-23 season due to a knee injury.

When he left the lineup after five games last season, Metskhvarishvili was second on the team in scoring at 9.8 points per game and rebounding at 5.8 boards per game. The Tbilisi, Georgia, native opened the season with 10 points and nine rebounds on Nov. 7 at Texas A&M before following it up with a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds on Nov. 10 against Dallas Christian. He added a team-high 15 points with five rebounds against Central Baptist on Nov. 14. He had nine points, four rebounds and two blocks at No. 15/18 TCU on Nov. 17. He was named a Preseason Third-Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection prior to the 2022-23 season.

Metskhvarishvili appeared in 28 games with five starts in his first season at ULM as a second-year sophomore in 2021-22, averaging 10.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He totaled 12 double-figure scoring games, including four games with 20-or-more points and had a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards at Texas State. He scored a career-high 23 points while playing 40 minutes at UT Arlington on Jan. 15. He scored in double figures in five consecutive games from Jan. 8-22, and improved inside SBC action, averaging 11.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

WATSON, WILLIS, NGOPOT, McCRANEY TRANSFER IN TO ULM    
ULM head coach Keith Richard added six newcomers to his 2023-24 group, with returning forward AD Diedhiou making a seventh newcomer after missing all of 2022-23 with an injury. Four of the six newcomers are transfers to the ULM program, including guard Tyreese Watson, forward Makai Willis, forward Jerry Ngopot and guard P.D. McCraney.

Watson is a 6-4 guard from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has made the biggest impact in the early season, scoring 13 points off the bench on 5-of-8 field-goal attempts and 3-of-4 3-point field-goal attempts at Central Michigan on Nov. 11. He played the last two seasons at Cochise College in Sierra Vista, Arizona. Cochise finished the 2022-23 season with a 29-3 record, which included a 27-game winning streak, and finished ranked No. 11 in the NJCAA poll. The Apaches compiled a 58-7 record over Watson's two seasons.
 
Watson led the team in scoring with 19.6 points per game and increased his scoring average to 20.6 points per game in conference play. He totaled 20 or more points 18 times and posted a season-high of 36 points. Watson scored 1,077 points over his two seasons at Cochise. He added 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 37% from the 3-point line. He shot 42% from deep inside conference play.
 
Watson is the brother of former Creighton standout and current professional player Maurice Watson, Jr. He played high school basketball at Monsignor Bonner High School.
 
Willis is a 6-9 forward from Tallahassee, Florida, and a transfer from Fairfield after previously attending Florida State School. He posted career highs of 14 points and eight rebounds with the Stags, while his freshman season was shortened due to injury.
 
Willis was a promising prospect coming out of the Florida prep ranks, where he was a state champion in one of the top classifications. He played for legendary coach, former NBA veteran, Heisman Trophy winner and Florida State legend Charlie Ward.
 
Willis is expected to add bulk, length and depth to ULM's frontcourt.

Ngopot spent the last two seasons at Saint Peter's in Jersey City, New Jersey, and redshirted on the Peacocks' 2021-22 Elite Eight team. In 2022-23, he played in 24 games for Saint Peter's and played double-figure minutes eight times as a reserve.
 
The Bangui, Central African Republic, native adds size, length and depth to the Warhawk front court. He has a wingspan measured at 7-1. He has participated in NBA's Basketball Without Borders and NBA Academy Africa.
 
Ngopot is one of seven siblings.

McCraney, the all-time leading scorer in Neville High School history with 2,166 points, comes to ULM with three years of eligibility remaining.
 
McCraney played the 2022-23 season at Hinds Community College in Utica, Mississippi. He was a Second-Team All-MACCC selection as a freshman for the Bulldogs after averaging 21.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He shot 49.4% from the field and 81.6% from the free-throw line. He compiled a team-high 31 steals on the season.
 
While playing at Neville, McCraney became the only Tiger to eclipse 2,000 points in his high school career. He led NHS to the quarterfinals of the Class 4A State Tournament and 24 wins as a senior in 2022. He was a First-Team All-State selection, averaging 22.4 points, six rebounds and five assists per game for the Tigers. He was the Ouachita Citizen's 2022 Boys Basketball Player of the Year. In addition to his on-court accolades, McCraney was an Academic All-State selection.

RICHARD EARNS 300TH CAREER WIN, TIED FOR SECOND IN SBC CAREER WINS    
ULM head coach Keith Richard earned his 300th career win in the 72-59 victory for the Warhawks at Georgia Southern on Jan. 19, 2023.

Richard is in his 14th 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 117 Sun Belt Conference games as a head coach, with 85 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 tied with former Middle Tennesse coach and current Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis for the second-most SBC wins by a head coach.

He has been involved in 730 of the 2,016 games (36%) in ULM program history either as a player, graduate assistant, assistant coach or head coach.