ULM Warhawks

GAME 9: ULM Warhawks (4-4 overall, 0-0 Sun Belt) at Lamar Cardinals (4-5 overall, 0-0 Southland)
7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023 | Neches Arena at Montagne Center | Beaumont, Texas
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.3 FM KLIP | LIVE STATS

GAME NOTES

MONROE, La. - The ULM Warhawks look to bounce back from a tough a 63-62 loss at Sam Houston when they face off with Lamar at 7 p.m. Thursday at Neches Arena at the Montagne Center in Beaumont, Texas. It is the fourth-straight season for ULM and Lamar to clash on the hardwood.

ULM dropped to 4-4 on the season with the 63-62 loss on Tuesday night at Sam Houston. The game featured 19 lead changes and 13 ties. The Bearkats took the final lead change with 11 seconds left on two free throws by Jaden Ray, who led Sam Houston with a career-high matching 16 points. Jalen Bolden led ULM with his second double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Savion Gallion and Tyreese Watson added 10 points apiece. ULM led by as much as nine in the second half and Sam Houston never led by more than three points.

ULM features two players averaging double figure scoring, with Tyreke Locure at 10.1 points per game and Nika Metskhvarishvili at 10.0 points per game. Both players tallied seven points on Tuesday at Sam Houston. Bolden is just outside of double figures at 9.3 points per game and leads the team at 6.1 rebounds per game, which ranks 13th in the Sun Belt Conference.

ULM ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference and 14th in NCAA Division I at 14.75 offensive rebounds per game. The Warhawks had eight offensive rebounds at Sam Houston on Tuesday. The Warhawks are fifth in the SBC and 36th nationally at 41.12 rebounds per game.

ULM also ranks third in the SBC and 14th in NCAA Division I at 34.25 bench points per game. The Warhawk bench was limited to 18 points against Sam Houston on Tuesday, led by Watson's 10 points.

The Warhawks also rank second in the SBC and 25th nationally in field-goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot 38.7 percent from the floor.

THURSDAY'S GAME BASICS    
For the fourth-straight season, ULM and Lamar clash. The former Southland Conference foes meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at Neches Arena at the Montagne Center in Beaumont, Texas. The Warhawks can tie up the all-time series at 27 with their third-straight win over the Cardinals.

ULM is 4-4 after dropping Tuesday's game at Sam Houston, 63-62. ULM's victories have come against Champion Christian, Northwestern State, Ecclesia and Central Michigan. ULM is 1-3 on the road this season, with its only win at CMU, 74-64, and losses to No. 7/6 Houston, SMU and Sam Houston.

Lamar is 4-5 on the season and has been off for 11 days since a 90-70 loss at Sam Houston on Dec. 3. The Cardinals are 2-0 at home, and are playing their first home game in a month after defeating Jarvis Christian, 114-66, on Nov. 6 and UTSA, 90-82, on Nov. 14. LU also has wins against Bethune-Cookman, 83-65, and Delaware State, 84-81 in overtime, at the Longwood Multi-Team Event on Nov. 24 and 26, respectively.

ULM head coach Keith Richard is 2-2 all-time against Lamar, including a 2-1 mark as head coach of ULM. Richard and the Warhawks have won the last two meetings in the series, including an 83-59 win in Monroe on Dec. 17, 2022, and an 80-77 win in Beaumont on Dec. 20, 2021.

Lamar head coach Alvin Brooks is 1-3 all-time against ULM, including a 1-1 mark as the head coach at Houston from 1993-98. Brooks is in his third season leading his alma mater.

Thursday's game will stream on ESPN+. The game also will 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 LAMAR    
Lamar has been off for 11 days after a 90-70 loss at Sam Houston on Dec. 3 to drop to 4-5 on the season. The Cardinals have played just two home games, with Thursday's contest against ULM being their first home game in a month. It also is Lamar's first game against a Sun Belt Conference opponent this season, with Southern Miss to follow with a visit to Beaumont on Monday.

Terry Anderson leads Lamar at 11.8 points per game. The junior from Deer Park, Texas, has started all nine games and has scored in double figures four times. He has two double digit rebounding games and one double-double, with a season-high 20 points and 11 rebounds against UTSA on Nov. 14. He scored 18 points with five rebounds against Delaware State on Nov. 26. He just missed a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds against Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 24. He scored nine points with five rebounds agianst Sam Houston on Dec. 3. 

B.B. Knight is second on the team in scoring at 11.7 points per game. The Tulsa transfer has come off the bench in all nine games. Knight, a sophomore from Katy, Texas, has scored in double figures five times, with a season-high 21 points (4-of-7 3-point field goals) at Longwood on Nov. 25. He scored 19 points against Jarvis Christian on Nov. 6 and added 16 points (4-of-9 3-pointers) vs. UTSA on Nov. 14. He scored eight points at Sam Houston on Dec. 3.

Adam Hamilton is third on the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game and leads the club in rebounding at 7.8 boards per game while starting all nine games. The junior from Buckeye, Arizona, has scored in double figures in five of the last seven games and has pulled in 10 or more rebounds four times. He has three double-doubles, picking up 12 points and 10 rebounds at UTSA on Nov. 30, scoring 14 points with 12 rebounds at Pacific on Nov. 18 and scoring 16 points with 14 rebounds vs. UTSA on Nov. 14. He had 13 points and five rebounds at Sam Houston on Dec. 3.

Chris Pryor is the fourth Cardinal averaging double figures at 10.4 points per game and leads the team at 3.2 assists per game. The senior from DeSoto, Texas, has reached double figure scoring five times and has handed out at least three assists six times. He scored a season-high 19 points on 6-of-6 field-goal attempts and 4-of-4 3-pointers against Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 24. He scored five points with a season-high five assists at Sam Houston on Dec. 3.

Three other Cardinals average at least eight points per game: Ja'Sean Jackson (9.7 pg.), Cody Pennebaker (9.2 pg.) and Jakevion Buckley (8.4 pg.).

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 leads ULM in scoring at 10.6 points per game while adding 5.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He has tallied double figure scoring in four games, including 17 points with a career-high matching nine rebounds (four offensive) and two assists on Nov. 28 vs. Northwestern State. He picked up 11 points with five rebounds and two steals vs. Ecclesia on Nov. 20, scored 15 points with five rebounds, four assists and three steals on Nov. 16 vs. Louisiana Tech and had 13 points and added team highs with six rebounds, six assists and three steals on Nov. 11 at Central Michigan. He had just nine points, three rebounds and four assists in nearly 11 minutes of playing time on Dec. 5 vs. Champion Christian.
 
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.

METSKHVARISHVILI RETURNS FROM INJURY    
Senior forward Nika Metskhvarishvili has started the first eight games of 2023-24, and led ULM in scoring three times. He picked up seven points with four rebounds and an assist at Sam Houston on Tuesday night.

Metskhvarishvili scored a season-high 19 points, pulled in eight rebounds and added a career-high five blocks on Nov. 28 vs. Northwestern State. He played a key role in ULM's second-half rally, scoring 12 of his 19 points while adding seven of his eight rebounds and four of his five blocks. He had six of his eight rebounds on the offensive end.

Metskhvarishvili tallied 15 points with six rebounds, three assists and three steals on Nov. 16 vs. Louisiana Tech. He had 16 points (7-of-11 field-goal attempts) while adding three rebounds, three assists and one steal on Nov. 11 at Central Michigan. He dished out a team-best five assists on Nov. 20 vs. Ecclesia.

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.

BOLDEN STEPS UP AS SOPHOMORE    
Sophomore guard Jalen Bolden has broken through in the first eight games of the 2023-24 season. He is third on the team in scoring at 9.3 points per game while leading the team with 6.1 rebounds per game. He picked up his second double-double by leading the team in scoring with 14 points and rebounding with 12 boards on Tuesday at Sam Houston. He made his first career start on Dec. 5 against Champion Christian and posted his third double-figure scoring game of the season with 10 points (4-of-6 field-goal attempts, 2-of-2 3-point field-goal attempts) and three rebounds.

He had his first career double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds on Nov. 28 against Northwestern State. He scored 10 of his 12 points and pulled in nine of his 14 rebounds in the second half as ULM rallied from an 18-point first-half deficit for the 74-70 win. His 14 rebounds set a new career high.

He had his first double figure effort of the season with a career-high 15 points (6-of-7 field-goal attempts) against Ecclesia on Nov. 20. He has scored at least six points in each of the last six games while adding at least five rebounds three times.

As a freshman in 2022-23, Bolden played in 16 games, averaging 3.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. He scored in double figures twice, doing so with 13 points and four rebounds against Dallas Christian on Nov. 10 and with 11 points and three rebounds at the Ragin' Cajuns on Feb. 16.

GALLION MOVES TO STARTING LINEUP    
ULM senior guard Savion Gallion has started the first eight 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. He reached double figures for the first time this season with 14 points (5-of-8 field-goal attempts) while adding five rebounds and four assists on Nov. 20 vs. Ecclesia. He had his second double figure game with 10 points and three rebounds at Sam Houston on Tuesday. He added eight points with a career-high six rebounds on Nov. 26 at SMU. 

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.

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 a season-high 14 points to lead the Warhawks at SMU on Nov. 26. He added 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 reached double figures with 10 points, including nine in the second half, at Sam Houston on Tuesday. He added nine points against Northwestern State on Nov. 28, with six points in the second half. 

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. He had the first double-double of his career with 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds on Nov. 20 vs. Ecclesia. He reached double figures again with 10 points and six rebounds vs. Champion Christian on Dec. 5.

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. At ULM, he has nearly set all new career highs and had the first double-double of his career by setting career highs with 14 points and 10 rebounds on Dec. 5 vs. Champion Christian. He had a 12-point, six-rebound effort on Nov. 20 against Ecclesia. It was the first double-figure scoring game of his career.
 
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. This season at ULM, he had his first double-figure game with 11 points, three rebounds and four assists on Dec. 5 against Champion Christian. He handed out four assists while scoring five points on Nov. 20 vs. Ecclesia.
 
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 736 of the 2,022 games (36%) in ULM program history either as a player, graduate assistant, assistant coach or head coach.