MONROE, La. – Another Thursday brought another huge performance from Jamari Blackmon.
 
The senior guard for ULM matched his career high with 35 points and tied his season high with eight rebounds while adding seven assists as the Warhawks rolled to an 83-70 win over Coastal Carolina Thursday night at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
 
Blackmon's performance comes exactly one week after he set his career high with 35 points and season high with eight rebounds in a double-overtime win at Marshall. He finished 8-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range while knocking down 14-of-15 free-throw attempts.
 
"It was a great performance," ULM head coach Keith Richard said. "If you notice, the other teams are putting their best defensive guard on him. Sometimes they're bigger than him. They're putting a little bigger guard on him and it's tough for him out there sometimes. I say it's tough for him, and he scored 35 points, but he uncharacteristically had five turnovers. He's obviously stepping up and he did make some shots when it looked like the lead was going to get under 10. He played a great game tonight."
 
The Warhawks (11-13 overall, 7-4 Sun Belt Conference) sank 10 of their 15 3-pointers on the night in the first half to take a 24-point halftime lead, 46-22. Coastal Carolina (10-13, 4-7) made a push in the second half, getting as close as nine, but ULM held on for the win.
 
ULM started hot. The Warhawks buried their first six shots of the game, with each of the five starters hitting picking up a made field goal in the team's first five attempts of the game. The Warhawks hit 10 of their first 13 3-point field-goal attempts of the night and shot 10-of-16 (63%) from the 3-point line in the first half. Savion Gallion hit his first three 3-point attempts of the night, while Tyreke Locure, Langston Powell and Blackmon added two treys each and Thomas Howell had one in the first half. ULM led 46-22 at halftime.
 
"The first half won the game," Richard said. "It wasn't the way we wanted it to go in the second half. I didn't think we could do that again, but I thought we'd be a little better."
 
Blackmon opened the second half with a 3-pointer to push the lead to 27, 49-22, but CCU made its move. The Chanticleers went on a 19-2 run over the next 6:40, pulling within 10 at 51-41 on a putback by Jimmy Nichols with 11:06 left. ULM answered on the next possession as Thomas Howell ended the run with a long two from the top of the key. After Coastal brought it to 10 again on a floater by Linton Brown, Blackmon buried another trey to push the lead to 13 with 9:19 left.
 
"We really struggled to score there at times in the second half," Richard said. "We had some good shots, but they just didn't go and they were running out on us too, getting fast break layups and some fouls down there. They crept back in. But, we made a few stops, made a couple of big shots, and was able to pull it away, especially making free throws down the stretch."
 
Minutes later, Devon Hancock connected on a 3-pointer to extend the lead back to 19, 64-45, with 6:56 to play. Coastal slowly chipped away and steadily fouled ULM inside the final two minutes, eventually getting within nine, 79-70, with 29 seconds remaining, but the Warhawks held on for the 83-70 win.
 
"I believe it in my heart, that when you get into February, and you're playing for something, they're relevant games," Richard said. "It doesn't matter how you play, as long as you get a win. You have to do something good to get a win. These games are hard and there's a lot of pressure in these games on both teams. I'm really happy about this win."
 
Joining Blackmon in double figures for ULM was Gallion, who matched his career high with 13 points. Howell added 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Kylan Blackmon led CCU with 15 points, while Brown added 14 and Josh Uduje had 10.
 
ULM shot 45% (22-of-49) from the field and 54% (15-of-28) from the 3-point line while adding 83% (24-of-29) at the free-throw line. CCU shot 40% (25-of-63) from the field and 31% (8-of-26) at the 3-point line while hitting 80% (12-of-15) at the foul line. ULM outrebounded CCU, 36-30.
 
The Warhawks continue the homestand at 2 p.m. Saturday against South Alabama.