ULM Warhawks

GAME 7: Champion Christian (3-6 overall, 0-0 NCCAA) at ULM (3-3 overall, 0-0 Sun Belt Conference)
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 5, 2023 | Fant-Ewing Coliseum | Monroe, Louisiana
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.3 KLIP | LIVE STATS
 
GAME NOTES
 
MONROE, La. – ULM returns to the floor for the only time in a two-week span at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when they take on Champion Christian at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. The Warhawks have been off since a74-70 win over Northwestern State on Nov. 28 and do not play again after Champion Christian until Tuesday, Dec. 11, at Sam Houston. ULM is 3-3 on the season while CCC is 3-6 after dropping a pair of games at the University of the Virgin Islands last week.
 
• ULM trailed by as many as 18 points in last week's 74-70 win over Northwestern State. The Warhawks were down by 18 twice in the first half, the last at 39-21, before going on a 7-0 run over the final 3:07 of the half, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Nika Metskhvarishvili, to cut the gap to 11 at halftime, 39-28. The Warhawks then scored the first eight points of the second half to get within three, 39-36, on a running putback by Tyreke Locure. ULM eventually took the lead on a free throw by Jalen Bolden with 5:53 left and never trailed again. Metskhvarishvili led ULM with 19 points, eight rebounds and five blocks, while Locure had 17 points and nine rebounds and Bolden tallied a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. ULM outrebounded NSU by 19 in the second half and 18 for the game, 45-27, including 20 offensive rebounds.
 
• ULM features two players averaging double figure scoring, with Locure at 10.8 points per game and Metskhvarishvili at 10.7 points per game.
 
• Following Sunday's games, ULM ranks fifth in NCAA Division I with 16.17 offensive rebounds per game and 25th in NCAA Division I with 31.17 bench points per game.
 
TUESDAY'S GAME BASICS
ULM meets Champion Christian for the third-straight season at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
 
ULM is 3-3 after rallying from an 18-point deficit to defeat Northwestern State, 74-70, on Nov. 28. The Warhawks' other two wins came against Ecclesia, 103-74, on Nov. 20 and at Central Michigan, 74-64, on Nov. 11 in the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge. ULM is 2-1 at home this season with wins over Ecclesia and Northwestern State and a loss to Louisiana Tech, 73-63, on Nov. 16.
 
Champion Christian is 3-6 on the season, with all three wins coming at home. The Tigers opened the season with a 75-74 win over Ecclesia on Oct. 27 and a 96-89 win over Bacone on Oct. 28 before picking up a win over Shorter, 97-82, on Nov. 20. CCC lost a pair of games last week at University of the Virgin Islands, 85-82 in overtime, on Nov. 29 and 86-67 on Dec. 1.
 
ULM head coach Keith Richard is 3-0 all-time against Champion Christian, winning by an average of 59.0 points per game. ULM won last year's meeting, 101-46, on Dec. 3.
 
Tuesday's game marks the third time for CCC head coach Mo Capaci to face ULM. Capaci is 0-2 against the Warhawks.
 
Tuesday'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 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 CHAMPION CHRISTIAN
Champion Christian is 3-6 on the season after suffering a pair of losses to the University of the Virgin Islands last week, falling 85-82 in overtime last Wednesday and 86-67 last Friday.
 
AJ Williams leads Champion at 19.5 points per game in six contests. Williams is adding 4.2 assists per game, which is second on the team.
 
KJ Younge is second on the team at 10.7 points per game while leading the team with 5.1 assists per game.
 
Xavier Hall is the final Tiger averaging double figures at 10.4 points per game while adding 5.0 rebounds per game, which is third on the team.
 
Josh Walpole leads the team at 5.4 rebounds per game.
 
LAST TIME OUT
ULM 74, Northwestern State 70 on Nov. 28, 2023, in Monroe, Louisiana – 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 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 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 Lane brought NSU within two, 68-66, with 43 seconds remaining.
 
ULM hit its free throws down the stretch, with 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.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST CHAMPION CHRISTIAN
ULM 101, Champion Christian 46 on Dec. 3, 2022, in Monroe, Louisiana – Victor Bafutto poured in 20 points, Tyreke Locure added 14 points, Devon Hancock and Jacob Wilson had 13 points each and Thomas Howell set a career high with 15 rebounds in ULM's 101-46 rout of Champion Christian Saturday afternoon at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
 
Bafutto matched his career high in scoring, set just last Saturday against Loyola Maryland at the Emerald Coast Classic. He was 7-of-15 from the field, including 6-of-8 from the free-throw line with three rebounds in 22 minutes. Howell came up a point shy of a double-double, with nine points and 15 rebounds, including six offensive.
 
Locure added 14 points (2-of-4 3-point shooting) while handing out seven assists in 23 minutes.
 
Hancock and Wilson were efficient off the bench. Hancock was 4-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, with two rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes. Wilson set a new career high with his 13 points, finishing 6-of-8 from the floor, knocking down his only trey, and adding six assists and four rebounds in 15 minutes.
 
Defensively, ULM (3-6) limited Champion Christian (2-1, exhibition Saturday) to 27% (15-of-56) shooting and 24% (8-of-34) from 3-point range. The Tigers had 24 turnovers to 15 field goals on the game. Champion hit its first three 3-point attempts of the game for a 9-4 lead but struggled to a 5-of-31 mark over the remainder of the game.
 
ULM answered Champion's early outburst with a 14-0 run, including six points from Bafutto. Jamari Blackmon hit a 3-pointer for the 11-9 lead at the 15:39 mark, and ULM never trailed again. The lead stretched to 18-9 on a triple by Locure with 13:43 left in the half.
 
The Warhawks stretched the lead to as much as 26 in the first half when Jalen Bolden scored five consecutive points in the final 1:07 before the break. Two free throws by Champion's Braylon Hawkins, who tied for the team lead with Xavier Hall with 14 points, brought Champion with 24 at halftime, 46-22.
 
The lead maintained between 23 to 27 points over the first few minutes of the second half until ULM flexed its muscle. The Warhawks went on a 23-1 run over six minutes, extending the lead to 46 at 79-33 on a free throw by Langston Powell.
 
ULM shot 54% (38-of-71) as a team and 47% (9-of-19) from 3-point range, and outrebounded Champion, 49-29. The Warhawks handed out 27 assists and forced 14 steals.
 
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 10.8 points per game while adding 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He has tallied double-figures in four of the last five 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.
 
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 six games of 2023-24, and led ULM in scoring three times.
 
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 six games of the 2023-24 season. He is third on the team in scoring at 8.3 points per game while leading the team with 5.7 rebounds per game, all while playing off the bench.
 
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 five 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 six 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 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 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.
 
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, including a 12-point, six-rebound effort on Nov. 20 against Ecclesia. It was the first double-figure scoring effort 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 handed out a season-high 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 734 of the 2,020 games (36%) in ULM program history either as a player, graduate assistant, assistant coach or head coach.