ULM Warhawks

ULM (11-16 overall, 7-7 Sun Belt Conference) at Ragin' Cajuns (20-6 overall, 10-4 Sun Belt Conference)
7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023 | Cajundome | Lafayette, La.
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.3 FM KLIP | LIVE STATS
GAME NOTES

MONROE, La. - ULM plays the middle game of a three-game road swing at 7 p.m. Thursday against the Ragin' Cajuns in the Cajundome in Lafayette. The Cajuns won the first meeting in Monroe, 86-73, on Jan. 12.

ULM (11-16, 7-7 SBC) lost Saturday's game at SBC-leading Southern Miss, 76-67. The Warhawks led by as much as eight in the first half before leading, 33-31, at halftime. USM scored 12 of the first 15 points of the second half to take the lead for good. Tyreke Locure led ULM with 24 points (4-of-6 3-point field-goal attempts) while Jamari Blackmon added 14 points. Thomas Howell had seven points and 10 rebounds, while Victor Bafutto had nine points and eight rebounds.

In the first meeting on Jan. 12, the Cajuns opened the game on a 19-2 run and never led by less than seven points. The Cajuns shot 62% (32-of-52) from the field and 53% (9-of-17) from 3-point range. Langston Powell led ULM with a career-high 19 points, while Howell and Savion Gallion had 13 points each. Locure added 12. Jordan Brown led five Cajuns in double figures with 21 points, seven rebounds and a career-high five assists.

ULM is tied for seventh place in the Sun Belt Conference standings with App State and Georgia Southern at 7-7 in SBC action. The Ragin' Cajuns enter Thursday's game tied for second in the SBC with Marshall at 10-4. Southern Miss leads the SBC at 12-2 with four games remaining.

ULM head coach Keith Richard is tied with former Middle Tennessee coach and current Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis for the second-most career Sun Belt Conference wins with 117. He has 85 SBC victories at ULM and 32 in his first three seasons at Louisiana Tech before the Bulldogs departed the SBC for the Western Athletic Conference. He won his 300th career game on Jan. 19 with a 72-59 win at Georgia Southern.

Through 27 games, Blackmon leads the team at 14.0 points per game, which ranks 10th in the SBC. He also leads the team with 3.35 assists per game, which also is 10th in the SBC. He ranks third in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (2.23) and sixth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.397). Locure is second on the team at 13.7 points per game (13th SBC). He leads the team and is fourth in the SBC at 1.89 steals per game, while he is second on the team and 12th in the SBC at 2.96 assists per game. Howell is third on the team in scoring at 9.6 points per game and leads the team at 7.8 rebounds per game (eighth SBC).

Inside SBC play, ULM leads the Sun Belt Conference in 3-point field-goal percentage (.378) and is second in 3-point field-goals made (111, 7.93 per game).

Thursday's game is the 87th all-time meeting between ULM and the Ragin' Cajuns, with the Cajuns leading the series, 57-29. The Cajuns have won the last four meetings, including the last meeting in Lafayette, 79-74, on Feb. 19, 2022. ULM last defeated the Cajuns, 72-66, in Lafayette, on Feb. 11, 2021.

THURSDAY'S GAME BASICS    
ULM and the Ragin' Cajuns clash for the second time this season at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Cajundome in Lafayette. The Ragin' Cajuns won the first meeting, 86-73, at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe on Jan. 12.

The Warhawks (11-16 overall, 7-7 SBC) are led by Jamari Blackmon's 14.0 points per game, which ranks 10th in the SBC. Tyreke Locure follows closely behind at 13.7 points per game, which is 13th in the conference. Thomas Howell is just outside of double figures at 9.6 points per game and leads the team at 7.8 rebounds per game, which is eighth in the SBC. The Warhawks are coming off a 76-67 loss at SBC-leading Southern Miss on Saturday.

The Cajuns (20-6 overall, 10-4 Sun Belt Conference) are tied for second place in the SBC after suffering losses at Southern Miss (82-71) and Troy (80-65) last week. Jordan Brown, the SBC's Preseason Player of the Year, has continued his strong season, ranking second in the conference in scoring (19.6 points per game) and sixth in rebounding (8.1 per game). Greg Williams Jr. is second on the team and ninth in the SBC in scoring (14.3 points per game) and ranks third in the conference in 3-point field-goal percentage (.419). Terence Lewis II also averages double figures (11.2 points per game, 25th SBC) and is seventh in the SBC in rebounding (7.9 per game).

ULM is 85th in NCAA Division I and fifth in the SBC in steals per game (7.4), while ranking 92nd nationally and second in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage (.358).

The Ragin' Cajuns are at or near the top of the SBC and national rankings in numerous offensive and rebounding stat categories. The Cajuns are third in the SBC and 27th in NCAA Division I in scoring offense (79.3 points per game), first in the SBC and 16th nationally in field-goal percentage (.485), first in the SBC and 15th nationally in 3-point field-goal percentage (.384), second in the SBC and 33rd in the nation in free-throw attempts per game (21.7), second in the SBC and 59th in the country in free-throws made per game (14.8), fourth in the SBC and 69th nationally in fastbreak points (11.88), second in the SBC and 50th nationally in assists per game (15.3) and third in the SBC and 69th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.24). On the glass, the Cajuns are sixth in the SBC and 77th nationally in rebounds per game (36.88), first in the SBC and 19th nationally in rebounding margin (+6.3 rebounds per game) and fifth in the SBC and 65th nationally in offensive rebounds per game (11.58).

Thursday's game will stream on ESPN+. The game will also 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 THE RAGIN' CAJUNS    
The Ragin' Cajuns are 20-6 overall and 10-4 in the Sun Belt Conference with wins against Marshall (77-67), Texas State (82-63), Georgia Southern (94-87), Troy (72-57), at Texas State (60-51), at Arkansas State (80-71), at South Alabama (79-76), at ULM (86-73), Georgia State (78-70) and Southern Miss (75-61). The Cajuns picked up non-conference wins against Centenary, Harvard, East Tennessee State, Louisiana Tech, SMU, Loyola-New Orleans, New Orleans, Samford, Louisiana Christian and McNeese.

Bob Marlin is in his 13th season as the head coach of the Ragin' Cajuns. He is the all-time leader in Sun Belt Conference victories, leading the Ragin' Cajuns to the 2018 SBC championship and an appearance in the 2014 NCAA Tournament after winning the SBC Tournament. He previously was the head coach at Sam Houston and Pensacola State. He was an assistant coach at Marshall and Houston Baptist. He started his coaching career at ULM as a graduate assistant for Hall of Fame coach Mike Vining from 1981-83, earning his master's degree in health and physical education with a minor in guidance and counseling from Northeast Louisiana University in 1983.

Jordan Brown has started all 25 games in which he has played, averaging 19.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He scored 21 points (8-of-11 field-goal attempts) with seven rebounds and five assists in the first meeting with ULM on Jan. 12. He has scored in double figures 22 times and pulled in double-digit rebounds five times with five double-doubles, four of which have come in SBC play. He has topped 20 points 13 times and 30 points twice, including a season-high 37 points (16-of-21 field-goal attempts) vs. Louisiana Christian on Dec. 12. He had a 26-point, 20-rebound double-double against Marshall on Feb. 4. He also had double-doubles in SBC play at Arkansas State (31 points, 13 rebounds), vs. Georgia State (16 points, 10 rebounds) and at Old Dominion (16 points, 11 rebounds). He ranks second in the SBC in scoring, sixth in rebounding, defensive rebounds per game (5.64) and blocked shots per game (1.24), seventh in field-goal percentage (.566), 12th in offensive rebounds per game (2.44) and 15th in minutes per game (31.52).

Greg Williams Jr. has started all 26 games, averaging 14.3 points per game (ninth SBC) and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting a team-best 41.9% from 3-point range (third SBC). He has scored in double figures in 20 games, including 15 points and six rebounds in the first meeting with ULM. He has topped 20 points six times, including a five-game streak from Jan. 21 to Feb. 4. He scored 23 points (7-of-10 field-goal attempts, 3-of-5 3-point field-goal attempts) with five rebounds vs. Texas State on Feb. 2. He is sixth in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made (2.08), 15th in field-goal percentage (.496) and 20th in minutes played per game (30.15). 

Terence Lewis II also has started all 26 games, averaging 11.2 points per game (25th SBC) and 8.0 rebounds per game (seventh SBC). He has scored in double figures 12 times and has reached double-digit rebounds nine times and has seven double-doubles. He had 11 points (4-of-4 field-goal attempts) with eight rebounds in the first meeting with ULM. He has three double-doubles in SBC play: vs. Georgia Southern (16 points, 11 rebounds), vs. Troy (14 points, 11 rebounds) and at Coastal Carolina (19 points, 10 rebounds). He scored a season-high 22 points at New Orleans on Dec. 3. He ranks fourth in the SBC in field-goal percentage (.608), sixth in offensive rebounds per game (2.65) and eighth in defensive rebounds per game (5.27).

Themus Fulks is one of the top point guards in the nation, leading the SBC and ranking fifth nationally at 6.4 assists per game. He is averaging 9.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in 13 games, including five of the last six games, and has topped 10 assists three times, resulting in two double-doubles. He had 19 points and four assists at Southern Miss last Thursday. He had 13 points, 11 assists and six rebounds at Arkansas State on Jan. 19. He had four points with eight assists in the first meeting with ULM.

BLACKMON CONTINUES HIGH-LEVEL OF PLAY IN SUN BELT ACTION    
ULM senior guard Jamari Blackmon has provided a steady and veteran hand on the perimeter for the Warhawks. He leads the team at 14.0 points per game (10th SBC) and 3.35 assists per game (10th SBC). He is second on the team at 1.46 steals per game (10th SBC). He also averages 3.3 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures 18 times, including 11 of 14 games in Sun Belt Conference play.

Blackmon has made 33 of his last 34 free-throw attempts (97.1%), dating back to his final five free-throw attempts at Marshall on Jan. 26. He is 12-for-12 at the line over the last three games.

He also ranks third in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (2.23), fourth in minutes played per game (34.31), sixth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.397), seventh in free-throw percentage (.802) and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.58).

Inside SBC play, Blackmon's scoring average jumps to 17.6 points per game, good for fifth in the SBC. He leads the league in minutes played per game (37.79). He has played every minute of four conference games, including all 50 minutes at Marshall on Jan. 26. He is third in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (2.71), fourth in free-throw percentage (.846), fifth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.409), 10th in assists per game (3.29), 11th in steals per game (1.43) and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.53).

Blackmon led the Sun Belt Conference in scoring over the week of Feb. 2-4 at 29.0 points per game after matching his career-high with 35 points (8-of-12 field-goal attempts, 5-of-7 3-point field-goal attempts, 14-of-15 free-throw attempts), season-high tying eight rebounds and seven assists on Feb. 2 vs. Coastal Carolina before adding 23 points (8-of-16 field-goal attempts) with four rebounds and four assists on Feb. 4 vs. South Alabama. He played all 80 minutes on the week. He is the only player in the SBC to score 35 points in a conference game this season, and has done so twice. He also finished the two-game span ranked second in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (4.0), fifth in assists per game (5.5) and 12th in defensive rebounds per game (5.5). He shot 8-of-12 from 3-point range (.667, best percentage of any SBC player attempting more than 10 3-pointers) and shot 18-of-19 from the free-throw line (.947).

He scored 17 of his 23 points in the final six minutes of the Feb. 4 loss to South Alabama. He shot 3-of-5 from the 3-point line and hit all four of his free-throw attempts while adding four rebounds and four assists.

Blackmon scored a career-high 35 points for the second time in three games in last Thursday night's 83-70 win over Coastal Carolina. His 14-of-15 night from the free-throw line marked the second time in his career he has gone 14-of-15 at the charity stripe (Dec. 1, 2018, vs. Jacksonville State with North Alabama).

Blackmon scored 22 of his career-high 35 points in the final 15:38 of the Jan. 26 game at Marshall. He made his final six field-goal attempts (five 3-pointers) and five free-throw attempts, beginning with the final of three free-throw attempts at the 5:38 mark of regulation. In just the two overtimes, he had 13 points on 3-of-3 shooting (all 3-pointers) and 4-of-4 at the free-throw line. In making his final five 3-point field-goal attempts of the night, four either tied the game or gave ULM the lead. His final 3-pointer gave ULM a five-point lead, 84-79, with 26 seconds left in the second overtime.

He played all 50 minutes in the victory, going 10-of-20 from the field and 8-of-15 from 3-point range, all career highs. He also tracked down a season-high eight rebounds.

He added 15 points (3-of-4 3-point field-goal attempts), six rebounds and five assists in the 72-59 win at Georgia Southern on Jan. 19. He led the way for ULM as the Warhawks finished a season sweep of Texas State on Jan. 14, scoring a game-high 24 points (7-of-13 field-goal attempts, 8-of-10 free-throw attempts) with three rebounds, three assists and one steal. Against Southern Miss on Jan. 7, Blackmon added 17 points and five assists as the Warhawks fell short to the Golden Eagles, 65-60.

He surpassed 1,500 points in his career on a 3-pointer with 18:08 to play in the first half vs. Georgia State on Jan. 5, finishing with 14 points in the game, with four assists and four steals. He continued his stellar defensive play, limiting GSU's Dwon Odom to six points. Odom entered the game averaging nearly 16 points per game.

Blackmon played a huge role in ULM's two road wins to open SBC play. He scored a season-high 25 points on 9-of-12 field-goal shooting and 6-of-8 3-point field-goal shooting while adding three rebounds with three assists and two steals at Arkansas State on Dec. 31. It marked the third time in his career to knock down six 3-pointers. Defensively, he was assigned to A-State's leading scorer, Caleb Fields, limiting him to 11 points on 2-of-7 field-goal shooting, two points under his season average. He had 11 points in the Dec. 29 win at Texas State, including a 6-of-9 effort at the free-throw line. He added four rebounds and two assists in the win while playing solid defense against the Bobcats' leading scorer, Mason Harrell, limiting him to 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting.

He had 16 points (5-of-7 field-goal attempts, 3-of-5 3-point field-goal attempts) with four assists, three steals and one block on Dec. 17 vs. Lamar. He tallied 12 points on 7-of-9 free-throw shooting on Dec. 10 at Northwestern State. He matched a career high with nine assists vs. Dallas Chrisitan on Nov. 10 and picked up eight assists on Nov. 28 at Tulane.

Blackmon was named to the Emerald Coast Classic All-Tournament Team, as announced on Nov. 27.

Blackmon tied for the team lead with Tyreke Locure with 11.3 points per game over the three-game classic against No. 15/18 TCU, Omaha and Loyola Maryland. Blackmon shot 54.2% from the field (13-of-24) and 53.8% from 3-point range (7-for-13).

Blackmon added seven assists and six rebounds over the two games.

He started his Emerald Coast Classic run with nine points and one assist at TCU on Nov. 17. He then scored a season-high 15 points on 3-of-6 3-point shooting while adding three rebounds and two steals against Omaha on Nov. 25. He closed out the tournament with 10 points, hitting 2-of-3 from deep, and five assists on Nov. 26 against Loyola Maryland.

Blackmon played four seasons at North Alabama, ranking as the sixth all-time leading scorer in UNA history with 1,346 points after starting 111 of 113 career games from 2018-22. 

LOCURE PROVIDES SPARK AT SHOOTING GUARD    
ULM junior guard Tyreke Locure led ULM in both contests last week. He rounded out the week on Saturday at Southern Miss with his third 20-point game of the season, scoring 24 points (4-of-6 3-point field-goal attempts) with five rebounds, two steals and one assist. He led the team with 13 points, three assists and two steals while playing 39 minutes last Thursday vs. App State. 

He is second on the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game, which ranks 13th in the Sun Belt Conference. He leads the team, is fourth in the SBC and 62nd in NCAA Division I with 1.89 steals per game. He is second on the team and 12th in the SBC at 2.96 assists per game. He is seventh in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (1.96) and 16th in minutes played per game (31.52).

Inside of Sun Belt Conference play, Locure is averaging 14.0 points per game, good for 13th in the SBC. He is second in the SBC in steals per game (1.71), sixth in 3-point field-goals made per game (2.14) and ninth in free-throw percentage (.791) and minutes played per game (34.36).

He has scored in double figures in 21 of 27 games this season. He added 15 points with four rebounds and three steals in his first game against his former team, South Alabama, on Feb. 4. He played all 40 minutes against the Jaguars. Locure played a career-high 43 minutes on Jan. 26 at Marshall, picking up 18 points (5-of-11 3-point field-goal attempts), seven rebounds, three steals and two assists. He hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:26 left in regulation, putting ULM up 59-58. He also had the steal on Marshall's inbounds play with 14.4 seconds left in overtime, which led to Thomas Howell's game-tying dunk to force the second overtime.

He led ULM with 19 points (5-of-10 3-point field-goal attempts), six rebounds and six assists in the Jan. 19 72-59 win at Georgia Southern. Locure posted his first two 20-point games as a Warhawk against Georgia State and Southern Miss. Locure had a career-high 25 points (4-of-8 3-point field-goal shooting) while adding six rebounds, four assists and one steal on Jan. 5 in a 66-58 win over GSU. He backed it up on on Jan. 7, going for 21 points (4-of-10 3-point field-goal shooting) with four rebounds, three assists and five steals against Southern Miss. For the week, he averaged 23.0 points (third in Sun Belt Conference), 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals (tied for first in SBC). He opened the second week of the four-game homestand with 12 points, all in the second half, with two rebounds and four assists on Jan. 12 vs. the Ragin' Cajuns.

Locure scored 15 points while shooting 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, adding five rebounds, four assists and one steal at Arkansas State on Dec. 31. He led the team with 12 points and added a season-high eight rebounds with four assists in the Dec. 29 57-53 win at Texas State. Locure had an efficient outing on Dec. 17 vs. Lamar, scoring 17 points (7-of-9 field-goal attempts, 3-of-4 3-point field-goal attempts), with four rebounds, seven assists and one turnover. He led ULM with 14 points (5-of-9 field-goal shooting), four rebounds, four steals and three assists on Wednesday vs. Sam Houston. He scored 13 points with two rebounds, two assists and two steals on Dec. 10 at Northwestern State. Locure picked up 14 points with seven assists, two rebounds and one steal on Dec. 3 vs. Champion Christian. He led the team with 14 points and added five rebounds, three assists and two steals on Nov. 28 at Tulane. Locure had 14 points, reaching double figures for the fifth consecutive game, with two assists and two steals vs. Omaha at the Emerald Coast Classic on Nov. 25. He netted 18 points with six rebounds and four steals at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 21. He picked up 14 points with two steals at No. 15/18 TCU on Nov. 17. Locure scored 13 points with four assists, three rebounds and two steals vs. Central Baptist on Nov. 14. In his home debut, he flirted with a triple-double, leading the team with 19 points while adding eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals against Dallas Christian on Nov. 10.

He spent last season at UAB but began his collegiate career at Sun Belt Conference rival South Alabama, where he started 34 of 49 games over two seasons. As a sophomore in 2020-21, Locure started 25 of 26 games and averaged 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

POWELL GIVES WARHAWKS LIFT IN SUN BELT PLAY
ULM senior guard Langston Powell has made 14 consecutive starts to begin Sun Belt Conference play, first joining the starting lineup on Dec. 29 at Texas State and has started every game since. He led the team in scoring for the first time in 2022-23 on Jan. 12 with a career-high 19 points (7-of-10 field-goal attempts) against the Cajuns.

He played all 40 minutes in consecutive games on Feb. 2 and 4. He scored six points with three rebounds and three assists vs. Coastal Carolina on Feb. 2 and eight points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal vs. South Alabama on Feb. 4. He followed it up by playing 37 minutes with eight points, four rebounds and two assists while guarding App State's leading scorer, Donovan Gregory, and limiting him to four points and six assists last Thursday.

Since the start of SBC play, Powell is averaging 6.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. He is ninth in the Sun Belt in 3-point field-goal percentage in conference play (.400, 16-of-40) and is 18th in minutes played per game (32.86).

He matched a career high with seven rebounds and tied a season high with four assists on Jan. 26 at Marshall, playing in a career-high 48 minutes. He added 10 points (4-of-5 field-goal attempts, 2-of-3 3-point field-goal attempts) at Georgia Southern on Jan. 19, marking his fifth double-figure game of the season. He also pulled in five rebounds with two steals.

On Jan. 7 vs. Southern Miss, he added nine points and a season-high six rebounds. On Dec. 31 at Arkansas State, Powell scored eight consecutive points early in the game and finished with 15 points on 4-of-5 3-point field-goal shooting. He added four rebounds and two steals while playing 30 minutes. He had four points with one steal in 25 minutes at Texas State on Dec. 29.

Powell has reached double figures two other times in 2022-23, picking up 10 points vs. Sam Houston on Dec. 14 and 12 points vs. Central Baptist on Nov. 14.

He had a seven-point possession against Jacksonville on Dec. 20, as he drew a foul on a dunk. The foul was upgraded to a flagrant foul after review, and Powell knocked down two free throws. On the inbounds play, Powell came free in the right corner and knocked down a 3-pointer to cap the possession, which cut ULM's deficit from 13 points to six.

He has played in 80 games with 35 starts over four seasons at ULM. He averaged 4.1 points and 1.3 rebounds per game over 27 games with nine starts in 2021-22. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in December 2022.

HOWELL ANCHORS THE POST    
ULM sophomore forward Thomas Howell is one of just two post players remaining on the 2022-23 roster. The third-year player from Natchitoches, Louisiana, is third on the team at 9.6 points per game while adding a team-best 7.8 rebounds along with 2.1 assists and 0.9 steals per game. He pulled in a career-high 16 rebounds  while adding four points last Thursday against App State before coming up with double-digit rebounds again on Saturday with 10 boards to go with seven points at Southern Miss.

He ranks seventh in the Sun Belt Conference in defensive rebounds per game (5.59), eighth in rebounding and ninth in minutes played per game (33.37). Inside SBC action, he is fourth in minutes played per game (37.43), fifth in defensive rebounds per game (6.14), seventh in rebounds per game (8.3) and 15th in offensive rebounds per game (2.14).

He scored in double-figures in six out of seven games from Jan. 12 to Feb. 2. He had 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists on Feb. 2 vs. Coastal Carolina. In a career-best five-game double-figure scoring streak, he had a career-high 21 points and 15 rebounds for his second double-double of the season while playing all 50 minutes at Marshall (Jan. 26), a team-high 14 points at Troy (Jan. 21) and 13 points in each of the three prior games, adding six rebounds against both the Ragin' Cajuns (Jan. 12) and Texas State (Jan. 14). He had three rebounds and a block at Georgia Southern (Jan. 19).

He played a crucial role in ULM's 86-82 double-overtime win against Marshall on Jan. 26. Howell had the game-tying dunk in the first overtime with nine seconds remaining, following a steal by Tyreke Locure. In the second overtime, Howell scored consecutive layups to tie the game and give ULM its final lead, 81-79, with 1:02 left.

Against Troy on Jan. 21, Howell shot 5-of-7 from the field and 3-of-3 from 3-point range, marking the first time in his career he hit multiple 3-pointers in a game. He has now made 15 3-pointers in his career, with 14 coming this season. He has made at least one trey in 11 of the last 13 games. Since the start of SBC play, Howell is ninth in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage (.429, 12-of-28).

He tallied nine points with 10 rebounds on Jan. 7 vs. Southern Miss for his fifth game with double-digit rebounds on the season. He added 13 points (6-of-11 field-goal attempts) with eight rebounds in ULM's 66-58 win over Georgia State on Jan. 5.

On the Sun Belt Conference-opening road trip, he had eight points and four rebounds to go with four assists at Arkansas State on Dec. 31. He totaled eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds on Dec. 29 at Texas State. 

He led ULM with 12 points while adding five rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal vs. Jacksonville on Dec. 20.

He put together a big game against Northwestern State on Dec. 10 in his hometown of Natchitoches. Howell led ULM with 16 points and nine rebounds. It was his fourth career game against his hometown university. 

He just missed his second double-double of the season on Dec. 3, finishing with nine points and 15 rebounds against Champion Christian. The 6-8 sophomore forward had a strong three-game road swing to the Emerald Coast Classic and Tulane. He averaged 10.3 points and 9.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game against Omaha, Loyola Maryland and Tulane. Howell picked up a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double against Omaha on Nov. 25, the second double-double of his ULM career. He added 12 points and six rebounds vs. Loyola Maryland on Nov. 26. He closed out the three-game road swing at Tulane on Nov. 28 by matching his career high with 11 rebounds and added six points.

After struggling to two points and five rebounds in the season opener Nov. 7 at Texas A&M, Howell bounced back. He scored 14 points (7-of-10 field-goal attempts) with six rebounds against Dallas Christian on Nov. 10. He followed it up with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists against Central Baptist on Nov. 14. He tallied six points and led the team with six rebounds at No. 15/18 TCU on Nov. 17. He had seven rebounds at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 21.

Howell is back for his third season with the Warhawks in 2022-23. He is the only returning starter from the 2021-22 team. He came into the program as a freshman and has steadily evolved his game. He started 30 of 31 games as a second-year freshman in 2021-22, averaging 8.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 59.4 percent (107-of-180) from the field, ranking as the sixth-best field-goal percentage in a single season in program history. Howell led the Warhawks with 44 offensive rebounds and scored in double figures 10 times.

BAFUTTO BREAKS OUT INSIDE FOR ULM 
ULM graduate forward Victor Bafutto has started 21 consecutive games for the Warhawks. He has picked up eight or more rebounds in 14 games this season, including six games with 10-or-more rebounds. He is averaging 7.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.15 blocks per game. He led the team with 10 points (5-of-7 field-goal attempts) with seven rebounds and two blocks at James Madison on Jan. 28 and added eight points with eight rebounds on Feb. 2 against Coastal Carolina. He had 11 rebounds last Thursday vs. App State and chipped in nine points (all in the first half) and eight rebounds on Saturday at Southern Miss.

He ranks fourth in the Sun Belt Conference and 22nd in NCAA Division I with 2.15 blocks per game. According to KenPom.com, Bafutto ranks 20th in the nation in block percentage (.092). Block percentage is the percentage of opponents' two-point shots that are blocked by the player while he is on the court.

He also is third in the SBC and 45th in NCAA Division I in offensive rebounds per game (3.04), 12th in rebounding and 13th in field-goal percentage (.512). Inside SBC play, he leads the conference in offensive rebounds per game (3.64) while ranking third in blocked shots per game (2.07) and ninth in rebounds per game (7.8).

Bafutto pulled in 11 rebounds with six points in a career-high 41 minutes at Marshall on Jan. 26. He set the program's single-game offensive rebounding record on Jan. 19 at Georgia Southern, pulling down 10 offensive boards against the Eagles. He finished with 15 rebounds to go with his nine points and two blocks. He added eight rebounds on Jan. 21 at Troy.

Bafutto had a big opening weekend in Sun Belt Conference play. He followed up his double-double at Texas State with 13 points (6-of-9 field-goal attempts), all in the second half, and nine rebounds on Dec. 31 at Arkansas State. He posted his first double-double as a Warhawk and second of his career on Dec. 29 at Texas State. He scored 11 points and pulled in 10 rebounds, including two clutch offensive rebounds to extend ULM's possession in the final 23 seconds of the game, allowing the Warhawks to sink three free throws on the possession and push the lead to two possessions, 57-53.

Bafutto nearly reached a double-double on Dec. 17 against Lamar, posting eight points (4-of-5 field-goal attempts) with 10 rebounds. He had double-figure rebounds at Northwestern State on Dec. 10, pulling in 10 boards with six points and a career-high six blocks.

He notched his third consecutive double-figure scoring effort on Dec. 3 against Champion Christian, matching a career high with 20 points. He has scored in double figures five times this season. He had five double-figure games over four seasons and 80 career games at Mercer.

Bafutto scored 13 points while matching a season high with nine rebounds at Tulane on Nov. 28. He added three blocks and two assists. He set career highs in points (20), field goals made (8) and minutes (39) and matched career highs in free throws made (4) and free throws attempted (4) against Loyola Maryland on Nov. 26. He also added eight rebounds, two blocks and one assist in his first start as a Warhawk. He smashed previous career highs of 14 points, six field goals made and 25 minutes.

The 6-10 forward from Brasilia, Brazil, transferred to ULM after playing in 80 games over four seasons at Mercer. He earned both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in civil engineering from Mercer, and is working on a master's of business administration degree at ULM.

GALLION PROVIDES BOOST OFF BENCH    
ULM junior guard Savion Gallion is averaging 7.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. He matched his career high with 13 points, knocking down three 3-point field-goal attempts and adding four rebounds on Feb. 2 vs. Coastal Carolina. He added eight points and five rebounds on Feb. 4 vs. South Alabama.

He had back-to-back double figure efforts off the bench, scoring 13 points (5-of-8 field-goal attempts) vs. the Ragin' Cajuns on Jan. 12 and added 11 points in a career-high 34 minutes vs. Texas State on Jan. 14.

He had a string of seven consecutive starts snapped on Dec. 29 at Texas State, but managed to record his eighth-straight game of eight points or better with nine off the bench, including a 4-of-6 effort from the free-throw line. He scored in double figures four times in the stretch, including 11 points and four rebounds on Dec. 20 vs. Jacksonville. 

He has scored in double figures nine times on the season. He once again matched his career high with 13 points vs. the Ragin' Cajuns on Jan. 12. He picked up 11 points with a career-high four assists vs. Lamar on Dec. 17. He matched his career high with 13 points while adding two rebounds and two assists at Northwestern State on Dec. 10. He had 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal against Loyola Maryland on Nov. 26. He posted 13 points with three rebounds and one assist vs. Central Baptist on Nov. 14. In the home opener, he notched 12 points with two assists and one rebound against Dallas Christian on Nov. 10.

He is one of six incoming transfers on the 2022-23 Warhawk roster. Gallion spent the 2021-22 season at South Plains Junior College, where he averaged 9.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in 32 games with 12 starts. He played his first two collegiate seasons at Buffalo, where he earned two letters after playing in 29 games over two seasons.

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.

Richard is in his 13th 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 722of the 2,008 games in ULM program history either as a player, graduate assistant, assistant coach or head coach.

WARHAWKS SPRING UPSET IN RICHARD'S HUNTINGTON "HOMECOMING"    
ULM's 86-82 double-overtime win over Marshall on Jan. 26 marked a significant upset, according to the metrics of the NCAA's NET rankings. ULM entered the game ranked 291 in the latest NET, while Marshall was No. 66, marking a spread of 225 spots. After the win, ULM jumped to No. 266 in the Jan. 27 NET. The game also ranked as the No. 10 most "exciting" game of the season in college basketball according to KenPom.com.
It was the first game for ULM head coach Keith Richard against Marshall in Huntington since he served as an assistant coach with the Thundering Herd from 1986-89, under head coach Rick Huckabay. Richard helped coach Marshall to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1987, the program's previous appearance prior to 2018, and the 1988 National Invitation Tournament. It is the only college coaching job Richard has held outside of the state of Louisiana, spending time as an assistant coach at ULM, Louisiana Tech and LSU and as head coach at LA Tech and ULM.

METSKHVARISHVILI TO MISS REMAINDER OF THE 2022-23 SEASON    
ULM junior forward Nika Metskhvarishvili will miss the remainder of the 2022-23 season due to an injured knee that requires surgery.

The Third-Team Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selection played in five games before his injury forced him to the sideline. He averaged 9.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, scoring a season-high 15 points against Central Baptist on Nov. 14 and earning a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Dallas Christian on Nov. 10.

He is the second post player to suffer a season-ending injury for ULM, following AD Diedhiou's ACL injury in October.

"It's a tough blow for Nika and our team," ULM head coach Keith Richard said. "We were already shorthanded in the post after losing AD in October. We will find a way to make it work with the post players that we have remaining in Thomas Howell and Victor Bafutto. We wish Nika a speedy recovery from his surgery."

DOUBLE VISION    
Through the first 27 games of the season, three different Warhawks have posted four total double-doubles.

Junior forward Nika Metskhvarishvili posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. Dallas Christian on Nov. 10. It was the second double-double of his ULM career, joining a 15-point, 11-rebound effort at Texas State on Jan. 13, 2022.

Sophomore forward Thomas Howell joined the double-double club on Nov. 25 against Omaha, posting season highs with 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Mavericks at the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida. It was Howell's second career double-double after picking up 13 points and 11 rebounds against his hometown team, Northwestern State, on Nov. 22, 2021, in a neutral-site game in Ruston, Louisiana.

Howell added his second double-double of the season and third of his career at Marshall, scoring a career-high 21 points while adding a career-high matching 15 rebounds while playing all 50 minutes in the 86-82 double overtime victory on Jan. 26.

Graduate forward Victor Bafutto earned his first double-double as a Warhawk on Dec. 29 at Texas State, picking up 11 points and 10 rebounds. His final two rebounds were offensive rebounds in the final 23 seconds of the game to extend ULM's possession, allowing the Warhawks to hit three free throws on the possession to take a one-point lead to a four-point lead, 57-53.
 
SEVEN WARHAWKS IN DOUBLE FIGURES IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES    
ULM put seven players in double figures in back-to-back games against Central Baptist on Nov. 14 and Dallas Baptist on Nov. 10. 

Nika Metskhvarishvili led the Warhawks against Central Baptist with 15 points. Victor Bafutto came off the bench to match a career-high with 14 points (6-of-6 field-goal attempts). Tyreke Locure and Savion Gallion added 13 points apiece. Thomas Howell and Langston Powell posted 12 points each. Devon Hancock picked up 11 points (4-of-5 field-goal attempts).

In the previous game against Dallas Christian, Locure (19 points), Howell (14 points), Gallion (12 points), Bafutto (11 points) and Metskhvarishvili (10 points) were all part of another effort with seven players in double figures. Jalen Bolden scored 13 points and Jamari Blackmon, who missed the Central Baptist game with an injury, had 10 points.

WARHAWKS ACHIEVE BIG NUMBERS AGAINST DALLAS CHRISTIAN    
In the home opener against Dallas Chrisitan on Nov. 10, 2022, ULM put up big numbers in several stat categories. The Warhawks put seven players in double figures in the win, marking the first time ULM had put at least six players in double figures since Nov. 16, 2021. ULM also tallied 32 assists in the victory, marking the most assists for the Warhawks since tallying a school-record 34 assists against Arkansas-Monticello on Dec. 3, 1996. ULM also pulled down 27 offensive rebounds in the win, which marks the most since at least the 2009-10 season.