MONROE, La. – ULM erased an 18-point first-half deficit and then held off a furious final minute rally to defeat Northwestern State, 74-70, Tuesday night at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
Nika Metskhvarishvili led ULM (3-3 overall) with a season-high 19 points while adding eight rebounds and a career-high five blocks.
Tyreke Locure added 17 points and a career-high matching nine rebounds.
Jalen Bolden played 30 minutes off the bench and had his first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.
Braelon Bush knocked down five 3-pointers and paced Northwestern State (1-6) with 17 points. Cliff Davis also hit five treys and had 16 points while Chase Forte picked up 12 points.
NSU dominated the first half. The Demons scored the first five points of the game to take the quick lead, and followed it up with a 10-0 run to go up 12, 17-5, on a dunk by Jimel Lane. The Demons eventually built as much as an 18-point lead at 37-19 on a layup by Duane Posey and again at 39-21 on a jumper by Jamison Epps with 3:07 left before halftime.
The momentum of the game flipped in the final three minutes of the half. NSU missed its final two shots of the half and committed four turnovers down the stretch of the half. ULM started its rally with a 3-pointer by Locure.
Devon Hancock added a free throw. Metskhvarishvili buried a 3-pointer on the final play of the half to pull ULM within 11 at halftime, 39-28.
The second half started in the same fashion as the end of the first half. NSU missed its first three shots of the half and committed two more turnovers while ULM continued to chip away at the gap. Locure hit back-to-back jumpers to begin the half, while
Jalen Bolden added a layup and Locure finished a layup off Metskhvarishvili's blocked 3-pointer to bring the Warhawks within three, 39-36.
NSU responded with Cliff Davis' 3-pointer with 16:51 left to push the lead back to six, 42-36. Back-to-back buckets by Bolden brought ULM within two, 42-40. NSU answered with a 3-pointer by Bush, but ULM pulled within two again, 45-43, on a jumper by Metskhvarishvili.
Consecutive dunks by Justin Wilson put NSU up six, 49-43, and a jumper by Jamison Epps extended the lead to six again, 51-45 with 10:22 left. However, NSU would go the next 9:10 without a field goal, picking up just six free throws in the span.
ULM methodically went in front and built a lead. A free throw by Metskhvarishvili tied the game at 51 with 7:14 to play. Bolden's free throw put the Warhawks ahead for the first time in the game, 52-51, with 5:53 remaining. NSU tied the game twice, but never regained the lead.
Back-to-back buckets by
Tyreese Watson extended ULM's lead to five, 59-54, with 2:53 left. Watson knocked down another jumper and Locure hit five free throws to push the lead out to nine, 66-57, with 1:18 left. Second later, Davis buried a deep 3-pointer to end NSU's drought and give the Demons life, 66-60 with 1:12 to play.
After two free throws by Metskhvarishvili, Davis connected on another trey and was fouled, completing a four-point play to cut the deficit in half, 68-64. A quick steal and dunk by Jimel Lane brought NSU within two, 68-66, with 43 seconds remaining.
ULM hit its free throws down the stretch, with
Devon Hancock adding a layup on the fastbreak, to prevent NSU from having the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead.
Savion Gallion's two free throws with eight seconds left iced the 74-70 win.
Another key to ULM's rally was rebounding. NSU led the rebounding battle, 18-17, at the half. In the second half, ULM outrebounded NSU 28-9, including 14 offensive rebounds. ULM outrebounded NSU 45-27 for the game and collected 20 offensive rebounds.
ULM shot 39% (24-of-62) from the field, 15% (3-of-20) from 3-point range and 66% (23-of-35) at the free-throw line. NSU shot 44% (24-of-55) from the floor, 37% (11-of-30) from 3-point range and 79% (11-of-14) at the foul line.
ULM is off until 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 5, against Champion Christian at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
