ULM Warhawks

ULM (11-14 overall, 7-5 Sun Belt Conference) vs. App State (13-12 overall, 6-6 Sun Belt Conference)
6:30 p.m. Thursday, February 9, 2023 | Fant-Ewing Coliseum (7,000) | Monroe, Louisiana
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.3 FM KLIP | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
GAME NOTES

MONROE, La. - ULM concludes a three-game homestand at 6:30 p.m. Thursday when App State visits Fant-Ewing Coliseum. It is the first time for the Mountaineers to visit Monroe since the regular season finale on March 3, 2020, a 61-57 App State win.

ULM (11-14, 7-5 SBC) dropped the middle game of the three-game homestand, 72-64, to South Alabama on Saturday. The Jaguars never trailed in winning their third consecutive game. Jamari Blackmon led ULM with 23 points while adding four rebounds and four assists. Tyreke Locure added 15 points against his former team. Isaiah Moore led USA with 31 points, six rebounds and four assists.

ULM is alone in fifth place in the Sun Belt Conference standings at 7-5 in league play, sitting one game behind Marshall and James Madison for third place and one game ahead of Old Dominion, Troy and App State. Southern Miss and the Ragin' Cajuns lead the standings at 10-2 in SBC action and face each other Thursday night in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

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 25 games, Blackmon leads the team at 14.2 points per game, which ranks 10th in the SBC. He also leads the team with 3.33 assists per game, which is 10th in the SBC. He ranks third in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage (.420) and 3-point field-goals made per game (2.29).

Locure is second on the team at 13.3 points per game (13th SBC). He leads the team and is third in the SBC at 1.88steals per game, while he is second on the team and 13th in the SBC at 3.04 assists per game. He is ninth in the SBC at 1.92 3-point field-goals made per game.

Thomas Howell is third on the team in scoring at 9.9 points per game and leads the team at 7.4 rebounds per game (eighth SBC). He has scored in double figures in five of the last seven games.

Inside SBC play, ULM is second in the conference in 3-point field-goal percentage (.390) and leads the league in 3-point field-goals made (97, 8.08 per game).

Thursday's game against App State is the 12th all-time meeting between the Warhawks and Mountaineers. The series dates back to the 2014-15 season, which was App State's first as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. ULM is 4-2 at home against the Mountaineers, but App State won the last meeting in Monroe, 61-57, on March 3, 2020. App State won last year's meeting in Boone, 61-57, on Jan. 1, 2022.

THURSDAY'S GAME BASICS    
ULM and App State meet at Fant-Ewing Coliseum for the first time since March 3, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

The Warhawks (11-14 overall, 7-5 SBC) are led by Jamari Blackmon's 14.2 points per game, which ranks 10th-best in the Sun Belt Conference. Inside SBC play, his average increases to 18.7 points per game, good for fifth in the conference. He is third in the SBC at 2.29 3-point field-goal attempts made per game and 3-point field-goal percentage (.420). Tyreke Locure is second on the team at 13.3 points per game, which is 13th in the SBC. He leads the team and is third in the SBC at 1.88 steals per game. Thomas Howell is third on the team in scoring at 9.9 points per game while leading the team and ranking eighth in the SBC at 7.4 rebounds per game.

App State (13-12, 6-6) has three players averaging double figures on the season, led by Donovan Gregory at 12.3 points per game, which is 21st in the SBC. He leads the team and is sixth in the SBC at 4.29 assists per game. Tyree Boykin is second on the team at 11.9 points per game, while Terence Harcum is third at 11.3 points per game. CJ Huntley leads the team with 6.4 rebounds per game (15th SBC) while adding 8.7 points per game.

Statistically, ULM ranks 69th in NCAA Division I and second in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage (.362) and 77th nationally and fifth in the SBC in steals per game (7.6).

App State excels on the defensive end. The Mountaineers are 45th in NCAA Division I and are second in the SBC in scoring defense (64.2 points per game), 20th nationally and first in the SBC in field-goal percentage defense (.396) and 95th nationally and sixth in the conference in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.319). The Mountaineers are 42nd nationally and second in the SBC with 4.5 blocks per game and are 61st nationally and fourth in the SBC in turnovers per game (11.5). App State also clears the defensive glass, ranking 30th nationally and leading the SBC in defensive rebounds per game (27.40). The Mountaineers are 71st nationally and fourth in the SBC in bench points per game (23.80).

Thursday's game will stream on ESPN+ with Chris Harris (play-by-play) and Mike Vining (analyst) on the call. 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 APP STATE    
The Mountaineers are 13-12 overall and 6-6 in the Sun Belt Conference, owning league victories over Arkansas State (63-51), Georgia State (71-59), at Old Dominion (72-58), Troy (58-45), at James Madison (71-62) and Coastal Carolina (63-62). App State has non-conference Division I wins against North Carolina Central, Louisville, Southeastern and East Tennessee State.

Dustin Kerns is in his fourth season as the head coach at App State and has posted a winning record in each of his first three seasons. The Mountaineers played in The Basketball Classic last season for their second consecutive postseason berth under Kerns after winning the SBC Championship in 2020-21 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001. Prior to App, Kerns spent two seasons as the head coach at Presbyterian.

Donovan Gregory (6-5, 190, senior, forward) leads the team at 12.3 points per game (21st SBC) and 4.3 assists per game (sixth SBC). He also adds 4.1 rebounds per game. He leads the team and is sixth in the SBC in steals per game (1.71). He is 10th in the SBC in free-throw percentage (.767) and 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.51). He has scored in double figures 17 times and has scored a season-high 21 points three times, including on Saturday vs. James Madison when he added nine rebounds. He also totaled 21 points vs. Georgia Southern (10-of-16 field-goal attempts) and vs. Campbell.

Tyree Boykin (6-1, 190, graduate, guard) is second on the team in scoring at 11.9 points per game. He has scored in double figures 11 times, including each of his last six appearances. He scored a season-high 20 points twice, coming at Marshall (4-of-8 3-point field-goal attempts) on Dec. 29 and vs. North Carolina Central (4-of-10 3-point field-goal attempts) on Nov. 10. He hit five 3-pointers and finished with 16 points vs. Coastal Carolina on Jan. 5. He has not played since Jan. 12 vs. Georgia Southern.

Terence Harcum (6-3, 190, sophomore, guard) is third on the team at 11.3 points per game (26th SBC). His scoring average jumps to a team-best 13.2 points per game in SBC play, which ranks 15th in the league. He is fourth in the SBC in free-throw percentage (.833), eighth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.390) and ninth in 3-point field-goals made per game (1.92). He has scored in double figures in 16 games, including each of the last seven games and eight of the last nine contests. He has topped 20 points three times, all in the last five games. He had a season-high 28 points (8-of-13 3-point field-goal attempts) with seven rebounds at Old Dominion (Jan. 21). He had 20 points (5-of-10 3-point field-goal attempts) with five rebounds vs. JMU on Saturday. 

CJ Huntley (6-11, 221, junior, forward) leads the team at 6.4 rebounds per game (15th SBC). He is 13th in the SBC in defensive rebounds per game (4.44) and is 14th in the conference in blocks per game (0.80). He is fourth on the team at 8.7 points per game. He has reached double-figure points nine times, including a season-high 18 points with nine rebounds at North Carolina Central on Nov. 10. He had a season-high 10 rebounds with six points at Wake Forest on Dec. 14. He has started all 25 games.

BLACKMON CONTINUES HIGH-LEVEL OF PLAY IN SUN BELT ACTION    
ULM senior guard Jamari Blackmon led the Sun Belt Conference in scoring over the last week 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 last Thursday vs. Coastal Carolina before adding 23 points (8-of-16 field-goal attempts) with four rebounds and four assists on Saturday 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 Saturday's 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).

He has provided a steady and veteran hand on the perimeter for the Warhawks. He leads the team at 14.2 points per game (10th SBC) and 3.33 assists per game (10th SBC). He is second on the team at 1.58 steals per game (eighth SBC). He also averages 3.3 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures 17 times, including 10 of 12 games in Sun Belt Conference play.

He also ranks third in the SBC in 3-point field-goal percentage (.420) and 3-point field-goals made per game (2.29), fourth in minutes played per game (34.12), eighth in free-throw percentage (.783) and 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.54).

Inside SBC play, Blackmon's scoring average jumps to 18.7 points per game, good for fifth in the SBC. He leads the league in minutes played per game (38.00). He has played every minute of four conference games, including all 50 minutes at Marshall on Jan. 26. He is second in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (2.92), fourth in steals per game (1.67), sixth in free-throw percentage (.825) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.449), 10th in assists (3.25) and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.44).

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 PACES WARHAWKS IN SCORING COLUMN    
ULM junior guard Tyreke Locure added 15 points with four rebounds and three steals in his first game against his former team, South Alabama, on Saturday. He played all 40 minutes against the Jaguars.

He is second on the team in scoring at 13.3 points per game, which ranks 13th in the Sun Belt Conference. He leads the team, is third in the SBC and 67th in NCAA Division I with 1.88 steals per game. He is second on the team and 13th in the SBC at 3.04 assists per game. He is ninth in the SBC in 3-point field-goals made per game (1.92), 13th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.33) and 17th in minutes played per game (31.20).

Inside of Sun Belt Conference play, Locure is averaging 13.3 points per game, good for 14th in the SBC. He is fourth in the SBC in steals per game (1.67), eighth in 3-point field-goals made (2.08) and ninth in minutes played per game (34.17).

He has scored in double figures in 19 of 25 games this season. 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 12 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 each of the last two games, scoring 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.

Since the start of SBC play, Powell is averaging 7.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He is 12th in the Sun Belt in 3-point field-goal percentage in conference play (.412, 14-of-34) and is 18th in minutes played per game (32.92).

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 79 games with 34 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 9.9 points per game while adding a team-best 7.4 rebounds along with 2.0 assists and 0.8 steals per game. He has scored in double figures in five of the last seven games after going for 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists last Thursday vs. Coastal Carolina. During the stretch, he has 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 ranks seventh in the Sun Belt Conference in minutes played per game (32.96), eighth in rebounding and defensive rebounds per game (5.16). Since the start of conference play, Howell is averaging 11.2 points per game to rank 29th in the SBC. He is fifth in the league in minutes played per game (37.25), seventh in rebounding (7.5 per game) and defensive rebounds per game (5.33) and 14th in offensive rebounds per game (2.17).

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 a career-high 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 19 consecutive games for the Warhawks. He has picked up eight or more rebounds in 12 games this season, including five games with 10-or-more rebounds. He is averaging 7.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.24 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 last Thursday against Coastal Carolina.

He ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference and 19th in NCAA Division I with 2.24 blocks per game. According to KenPom.com, Bafutto ranks 18th in the nation in block percentage (.096). 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 in offensive rebounds per game (3.00) and is 13th in rebounding and field-goal percentage (.523). Inside SBC play, he is second in offensive rebounds per game (3.42), third in blocked shots per game (2.25) and seventh in rebounding (7.5 per game).

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 8.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. He matched his career high with 13 points, knocking down three 3-point field-goal attempts and adding four rebounds last Thursday vs. Coastal Carolina. He added eight points and five rebounds on Saturday 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 721of the 2,007 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 25 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.