ULM Warhawks

ULM (11-18 overall, 7-9 Sun Belt Conference) vs. Troy (17-12 overall, 9-7 Sun Belt Conference)
6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023 | Fant-Ewing Coliseum | Monroe, La.
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.3 FM KLIP | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
GAME NOTES

MONROE, La. - ULM opens the final week of the regular season at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday against Troy at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. The Trojans won the first meeting between the two teams, 77-53, in Troy on Jan. 21. ULM has lost five straight games after Saturday's 81-45 loss at South Alabama, while Troy has won four of its last five contests after Saturday's 88-78 loss at Marshall.

ULM (11-18, 7-9 SBC) lost to a hot-shooting South Alabama team on Saturday, 81-45, at the Mitchell Center in Mobile. The Warhawks led 10-4 before USA hit its next 14 field-goal attempts over the next 11 minutes and 41 seconds and led 44-20 at halftime. The Jaguars led by as much as 39 in the second half. Tyreke Locure led ULM with 12 points in his return to the Mitchell Center after playing for USA from 2019-21. Greg Parham II led four Jaguars in double figures with 19 points and five assists.

In the first meeting on Jan. 21, Troy shot a blistering 60% from the field in the second half, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range, while limiting ULM to 26 second-half points as the Trojans pulled away for a 77-53 win. Thomas Howell led ULM with 14 points and hit 3-of-3 3-point field-goal attempts. Aamer Muhammed had 20 points (5-of-9 3-point field-goal attempts) to lead Troy, while Zay Williams added 14 points (5-of-7 field-goal attempts, 3-of-4 3-point field-goal attempts) and seven rebounds.

ULM is tied for ninth place in the Sun Belt Conference standings with Georgia Southern at 7-9 in SBC action. The pair are a game behind App State and South Alabama for seventh place, and could potentially tie Old Dominion and Troy, who are tied for fifth place at 9-7. Texas State is a game behind ULM and Georgia Southern at 6-10, while Coastal Carolina is two games behind at 5-11. ULM has tiebreakers over Georgia Southern, Texas State and Coastal Carolina due to head-to-head victories. The top 10 teams in the final SBC standings receive a first-round bye at the SBC Championship, which starts Feb. 28 in Pensacola, Florida.

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 29 games, Locure leads the team at 13.6 points per game (11th Sun Belt Conference) and 1.90 steals per game (fourth SBC). Jamari Blackmon is second on the team at 13.3 points per game (14th SBC) and leads the team at 3.25 assists per game (ninth SBC). He is fourth in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (2.11). Howell is third on the team in scoring at 9.6 points per game and leads the team at 7.8 rebounds per game (seventh SBC).

Inside SBC play, ULM is second in the Sun Belt Conference in 3-point field-goal percentage (.362) and third in 3-point field-goals made (122, 7.63 per game).

Wednesday's game is the 25th meeting between Troy and ULM, with Troy leading the series, 13-11. Troy has won the last two meetings, including last year's game in Monroe, 73-65, on Jan. 20. The Warhawks last defeated Troy, 74-71, in Troy, on Feb. 13, 2020. ULM last defeated Troy in Monroe, 79-63, on Jan. 2, 2020.

WEDNESDAY'S GAME BASICS    
ULM and Troy meet for the second time this season on Wednesday night at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. The Trojans won the first meeting, 77-53, in Troy on Jan. 21 and have won the last two meetings. Troy has won four of its last five games, while ULM has lost five consecutive games.

The Warhawks (11-18 overall, 7-9 Sun Belt Conference) are led by Tyreke Locure at 13.6 points per game (11th SBC) and 1.90 steals per game (fourth SBC). Jamari Blackmon follows closely behind at 13.3 points per game (14th SBC) and a team-best 3.25 assists per game (ninth SBC). Thomas Howell is third on the team at 9.6 points per game and leads the team at 7.8 rebounds per game (seventh SBC).

The Trojans (17-12 overall, 9-7 SBC) have a balanced attack, led by Zay Williams at 12.0 points (24th SBC)  and a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game (13th SBC). Christyon Eugene is second on the team at 11.4 points (25th SBC) and a team-high 2.6 assists per game. Nelson Phillips averages 10.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, while Aamer Muhammad adds 10.6 points and 2.5 assists per game.

ULM ranks in the top half of the Sun Belt Conference in 3-point field-goal percentage (third, .351), free-throw percentage (sixth, .708), assists per game (seventh, 12.9) and 3-point field-goals made per game (seventh, 7.4). On the defensive end, ULM ranks in the upper half of the SBC in blocks per game (sixth, 3.5), turnovers forced per game (sixth, 13.0) and steals per game (seventh, 7.1).

Troy ranks highly in several defensive categories. The Trojans are fourth in the SBC and 74th in NCAA Division I in scoring defense (66.1 points allowed per game), eighth in the SBC and 91st nationally in field-goal percentage defense (.422), fifth in the SBC and 58th nationally in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.315), fourth in the SBC and 33rd nationally in steals per game (8.5) and second in the SBC and 29th nationally in turnovers forced per game (15.69). On offense, the Trojans are second in the SBC and 91st in the country in 3-point field-goal attempts per game (23.7), second in the SBC and 42nd in the nation in bench points per game (25.17), third in the SBC and 55th in the nation in fast break points (12.31) and fourth in the SBC and 47th nationally in turnover margin (+2.3).

Wednesday's game will stream on ESPN+ with Chris Harris (play-by-play) and Mike Vining (analyst). 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 TROY    
The Trojans are 17-12 on the season and 9-7 in the Sun Belt Conference, picking up SBC wins over Texas State (55-52), Old Dominion (78-71), Arkansas State (66-54), Georgia State (65-53), ULM (77-53), Texas State (68-64), South Alabama (61-57), the Ragin' Cajuns (80-65) and Arkansas State (67-62). Troy has Division I non-conference wins against Florida State, Merrimack, Montana, Tennessee Tech and Southeastern.

Scott Cross is in his fourth season leading the Troy men's basketball team. Last season, Cross delivered the Trojans' first 20-win season in five years and returned Troy to the postseason with an appearance in the College Basketball Invitational. Cross took over at Troy after spending one year as an assistant coach at TCU in 2018-19. He previously spent 12 seasons as head coach at his alma mater, UT Arlington, leading the Mavericks to five 20-win seasons and five postseason appearances.

Zay Williams has started all 29 games while leading the team at 12.0 points per game (24th SBC) and leading the team at 6.9 rebounds per game (13th SBC). He is 10th in the SBC in field-goal percentage (.535),  11th in offensive rebounds per game (2.41), 13th in defensive rebounds per game (4.45) and 14th in blocks per game (0.79). He has scored in double figures 20 times, including 14 points (5-of-7 field-goal attempts, 3-of-4 3-point field-goal attempts) with seven rebounds vs. ULM on Jan. 21. He had a season-high 26 points (9-of-12 field-goal attempts) with 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the year in the win over the Ragin' Cajuns on Feb. 11. He has reached double-digit rebounds three times this year, with a season-high 12 vs. South Alabama on Feb. 9.

Christyon Eugene is second on the team at 11.4 points per game (25th SBC) and leads the team at 2.6 assists per game. He ranks 13th in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage (.372). He has scored in double figures 18 times, including 13 points (6-of-8 field-goal attempts) in the first meeting vs. ULM on Jan. 21. He had a season-high 22 points in the win at Florida State on Nov. 14. He had eight consecutive double figure games from Nov. 19 to Dec. 21, including 19 points against Mercer on Dec. 21. He was limited to two points in 18 minutes on Saturday at Marshall.

Nelson Phillips is the third on the team in scoring at 10.8 points per game and leads the team at 2.03 steals per game (fourth SBC). He has scored in double figures 13 times and has topped 20 points six times, including each of the last three games. He had 22 points on Saturday at Marshall while adding seven rebounds. He had 22 points (7-of-11 field-goal attempts) last Thursday at Arkansas State. He scored a season-high 23 points (8-of-12 field-goal attempts, 5-of-7 3-point field-goal attempts) vs. Ragin' Cajuns on Feb. 11. He had a double-double vs. SUNO with 13 steals while adding eight rebounds and eight assists. He had his second double-double of the season on Jan. 19 at App State with 12 points and 11 rebounds. He was shutout in 16 minutes vs. ULM, grabbing two rebounds with three assists.

Aamer Muhammad is fourth on the team at 10.6 points per game and is second on the team at 2.5 assists per game. He ranks seventh in the SBC in 3-point field goals made per game (1.97). He has 17 double figure games and has topped 20 points three times, including a team-high 20 points on 5-of-9 3-point shooting vs. ULM on Jan. 21. He had a season-high 23 points and six assists at Florida State on Nov. 14 and 21 points at San Diego State on Dec. 5. He has 11 of his double-figure games inside of SBC play. He has knocked down at least three 3-pointers in 10 games.

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 is second on the team in scoring at 13.3 points per game (14th SBC) and leads the team at 3.25 assists per game (ninth SBC). He is second on the team at 1.36 steals per game (15th SBC). He also averages 3.3 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures 18 times, including 11 of 16 games in Sun Belt Conference play.

Blackmon has made 36 of his last 38 free-throw attempts (94.7%), dating back to his final five free-throw attempts at Marshall on Jan. 26. He missed his first free-throw attempt Saturday at South Alabama before making his final three shots of the day.

He also ranks fourth in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (2.11) and minutes played per game (34.11), seventh in free-throw percentage (.800), eighth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.386) and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.65).

Inside SBC play, Blackmon's scoring average jumps to 15.9 points per game, good for sixth in the SBC. He is fifth in the SBC in minutes played per game (37.00) and 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 (2.44), fifth in free-throw percentage (.841), ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.67), 11th in assists per game (3.13) and 12th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.390).

He reached double figures with 14 points (6-of-6 free-throw attempts) with five assists and four rebounds at Southern Miss on Feb. 11.

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 has scored in double figures in five consecutive games, including a 12-point effort on Saturday at South Alabama. He has played at least 30 minutes in all five games.

He leads the team at 13.6 points per game, which ranks 11th in the Sun Belt Conference. He leads the team, is fourth in the SBC and 63rd in NCAA Division I with 1.90 steals per game. He is second on the team and 13th in the SBC at 2.83 assists per game. He is 11th in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (1.90) and 15th in minutes played per game (31.45).

Inside of Sun Belt Conference play, Locure is averaging 13.8 points per game, good for 12th in the SBC. He is third in the SBC in steals per game (1.75), seventh in 3-point field-goals made per game (2.00), 11th in free-throw percentage (.787) and minutes played per game (33.88) and 14th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.381).

He has scored in double figures in 23 of 29 games this season. He had 13 points in last Thursday's loss at the Ragin' Cajuns. He led ULM in both contests on Feb. 9 and 11. He rounded out the week on Feb. 11 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 on Feb. 9 vs. App State. 

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 16 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 on Feb. 9.

Since the start of SBC play, Powell is averaging 6.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. He is 10th in the Sun Belt in 3-point field-goal percentage in conference play (.391, 18-of-46) and is 17th in minutes played per game (32.25).

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 84 games with 39 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 2.0 assists and 0.8 steals per game. He pulled in a career-high 16 rebounds  while adding four points on Feb. 9 against App State before coming up with double-digit rebounds again on Feb. 11 with 10 boards to go with seven points at Southern Miss. He led the Warhawks with 16 points and six rebounds at the Ragin' Cajuns last Thursday.

He ranks seventh in the Sun Belt Conference in rebounding, defensive rebounds per game (5.52) and minutes played per game (33.55). Inside SBC action, he is third in minutes played per game (37.25), seventh in rebounds per game (8.1) and defensive rebounds per game (5.94) and 14th in offensive rebounds per game (2.19).

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 had a streak of 22 consecutive starts snapped on Saturday at South Alabama due to matchup reasons. He is expected back in the starting lineup Wednesday night vs. Troy. 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 2.24 blocks per game. He scored nine points, all in the second half, with six rebounds and three blocks last Thursday against the Ragin' Cajuns in Lafayette. He had nine points and eight rebounds on Feb. 11 at Southern Miss, and pulled in 11 rebounds with seven points on Feb. 9 vs. App State.

He ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference and 18th in NCAA Division I with 2.24 blocks per game. According to KenPom.com, Bafutto ranks 16th in the nation in block percentage (.097). 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 43rd in NCAA Division I in offensive rebounds per game (3.00), 12th in rebounding and 14th in field-goal percentage (.514). Inside SBC play, he leads the conference in offensive rebounds per game (3.50) while ranking second in blocked shots per game (2.25) and ninth in rebounds per game (7.6).

Bafutto added eight points with eight rebounds on Feb. 2 against Coastal Carolina. 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. 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 7.4 points, 2.5 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 725 of the 2,011 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 29 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.