MONROE, La. – Texas State used a 14-0 run late in the first half to surge in front and never looked back in a 67-54 win over the ULM men's basketball team Saturday afternoon at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
 
ULM (4-11 overall, 0-5 Sun Belt Conference) grabbed a 26-19 lead on free throws by Tyreke Locure with 4:44 left in the first half. Texas State (7-10, 1-4) rattled off 14 straight points, taking the lead on Coleton Benson's second 3-pointer of the sequence, and expanded its lead to seven, 33-26, on a free throw by Davion Sykes with nine seconds left in the half. Jacob Wilson snapped the run with a 3-pointer from the corner before the horn, cutting Texas State's lead to 33-29 at halftime.
 
The Warhawks trailed 35-31 with 18:12 left after free throws by Tyreese Watson. Texas State then mounted a 21-4 run to build its largest lead of the game at 21 on another 3-pointer by Benson for a 56-35 advantage with 12:25 remaining. The Warhawks pulled no closer than 11 points, 62-51, on a jumper by Jerry Ngopot with 3:06 left.
 
ULM started strong, with Ngopot scoring six of the first eight points of the game for the early 6-2 lead. After Texas State tied the game at 10 on a jumper by Sykes, the Warhawks separated back with a 6-0 spurt, including consecutive steals and layups by Locure, to lead 16-10. The Bobcats pulled within two, 16-14, on free throws by Dylan Dawson, but ULM pulled back ahead by six, 20-14, on a jumper by Makai Willis. Texas State got within a point, 20-19, on free throws by Love, but another 6-0 spurt for ULM gave the Warhawks their largest lead of the game, seven, at 26-19.
 
Jordan Mason led Texas State with 16 points, while Benson added 15 on 5-of-5 shooting and 4-of-4 shooting from 3-point range. Kaden Gumbs added 10 points on 3-of-3 shooting.
 
Willis paced ULM off the bench with 10 points and seven rebounds. Tyreese Watson made his second career start and added 10 points.
 
Texas State shot 49% (23-of-47) from the field, 55% (6-of-11) from 3-point range and 65% (15-of-23) at the free throw line. ULM shot 34% (20-of-59) from the floor, hit just 1-of-14 (7%) 3-pointers and shot 68% (13-of-19) at the free throw line. The Warhawks outrebounded the Bobcats, 38-32, and pulled in 15 offensive rebounds, but had just 11 second chance points.
 
ULM visits James Madison at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST Thursday.