ULM Warhawks

GAME 12 - MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD (6-8 overall, 1-0 Sun Belt Conference) at ULM WARHAWKS (4-7 overall, 0-1 Sun Belt Conference)
6:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 3, 2024 | Fant-Ewing Coliseum (7,000) | Monroe, Louisiana
WATCH: ESPN+ | LISTEN: 105.3 FM KLIP | LIVE STATS

GAME NOTES

MONROE, La. – The ULM men's basketball team returns to Fant-Ewing Coliseum for the first time in 29 days when they face Marshall at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. It is the Warhawks' first home game since a 110-63 win over Champion Christian on Dec. 5.
 
ULM has lost four-straight games after a 67-55 loss at App State last Saturday. The Warhawks trailed by 14 late in the first half, 37-23, but battled back to take a brief lead at 49-48 on Jerry Ngopot's dunk with 10:16 remaining. However, ULM was limited to just six points the rest of the way as App State pulled away down the stretch. The Warhawks were as close as 58-55 with 4:01 left before the Mountaineers closed the game on a 9-0 run. Nika Metskhvarishvili narrowly missed his third-straight double-double, leading the team with 16 points and nine rebounds. Jacob Wilson added 10 points in his first career start. Donovan Gregory led four Mountaineers in double figures with 17 points.
 
Metskhvarishvili leads ULM in scoring and rebounding at 11.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. His nine blocked shots also leads the club. After missing all but five games in 2022-23 due to a knee injury, Metskhvarishvili has been rounding into form over the last five games, where is averaging 11.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game and has posted a pair of double-doubles. In that span, he also is second on the team with six steals and third with 13 assists.
 
The Warhawks have four other players averaging at least 8.0 points per game. Tyreke Locure is second on the team in scoring at 9.2 points per game and leads the team at 3.0 assists per game. Jalen Bolden is averaging 8.6 points per game and is second on the team with 5.5 rebounds per game. Savion Gallion is adding 8.1 points per game and Tyreese Watson is at 8.0 points per game.
 
ULM remains one of the top rebounding teams in the SBC, ranking third in the conference and 17th in NCAA Division I with 14.18 offensive rebounds per game and sixth in the SBC and 75th nationally at 39.36 rebounds per game. The Warhawks have won the rebounding battle in nine of 11 games.
 
WEDNESDAY'S GAME BASICS
After a four-game road swing, the ULM men's basketball team returns to Fant-Ewing Coliseum for a 6:30 p.m. tip-off Wednesday vs. Marshall in the Sun Belt Conference home opener. ULM is 4-7 overall and 0-1 in the Sun Belt Conference after dropping last Saturday's game at App State, 67-55. Marshall is 6-8 overall and 1-0 in the SBC following a 75-61 win over the Ragin' Cajuns last Saturday in Huntington, West Virginia.
 
ULM has lost its last four games dating back to the Dec. 5 win over Champion Christian at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. ULM's victories have come against Champion Christian, Northwestern State, Ecclesia and Central Michigan. ULM is 3-1 at home this season, with the victories against CCC, NSU and Ecclesia and a loss to Louisiana Tech.
 
Marshall has won three of its last four games entering Wednesday's contest. In addition to the win over the Ragin' Cajuns, the Thundering Herd has defeated Bluefield, UNCG, Ohio, FIU and Queens. Wednesday's contest is Marshall's fourth true road game this season, going 1-2 in such contests: a 118-82 loss at No. 16/16 Kentucky, a 74-69 win at Ohio and an 88-87 loss at Toledo. While ULM ends a 29-day stretch between home games Wednesday night, Marshall had a 26-day stretch between home games at the Cam Henderson Center earlier this season, from Nov. 6 to Dec. 2.
 
ULM's 86-82 win in double overtime in Huntington last year marked the first meeting in series history. Marshall joined the Sun Belt Conference prior to the 2022-23 season. It was the first time for ULM head coach Keith Richard to meet Marshall, where he served as an assistant coach from 1986-89, in his career. It also was the first time for Marshall head coach Dan D'Antoni to meet ULM in his career.
 
Wednesday's game will stream on ESPN+ with Chris Harris (play-by-play) and Mike Vining (analyst) on the call. The game also will 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 MARSHALL
After a 2-6 start to the season, Marshall has found its stride over the last six games, posting a 4-2 mark. The Thundering Herd has won three of its last four games entering Wednesday night's contest in Monroe.
 
Marshall has been one of the top rebounding teams in the SBC and nationally, ranking third in the SBC and 33rd in NCAA Division I with 41.07 rebounds per game, third in the SBC and 56th nationally at 28.07 defensive rebounds per game and fifth in the SBC and 51st nationally at 13.00 offensive rebounds per game.
 
Obinna Anochili-Killen leads the Thundering Herd at 15.4 points per game, which ranks seventh in the SBC, while ranking second on the team with 6.6 rebounds per game and third on the club with 11 steals. He has reached the free throw line more than anyone in the SBC with 72 attempts. Anochili-Killen has started to develop a 3-point shot this season, and has knocked down 10 of his 12 3-pointers over the last six games. He was 3-of-3 from deep and shot 8-of-11 from the floor as part of a season-high 25-point game at Toledo on Dec. 13. He has scored in double figures in 10 of the 11 games in which he has played, and has topped 20 points twice, including 22 points at Kentucky on Nov. 24. He has posted 10 or more rebounds twice, including a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double vs. Duquesne on Dec. 6. He had three points and six rebounds while playing just 24 minutes due to foul trouble in last year's meeting with ULM.
 
Kevon Voyles is second on the team at 14.0 points per game while adding 3.6 rebounds per game and a team-best 22 steals. He leads the SBC with 179 field goal attempts. The UMES transfer has 12 double-figure scoring efforts in 14 games, including a season-high 19 points behind three 3-pointers at Toledo on Dec. 13. He scored in double figures in 10-straight games from Nov. 19 to Dec. 18.
 
Kamdyn Curfman returns from last season and is third on the team at 12.7 points per game and leads the team at 3.2 assists per game. He leads the SBC and is eighth nationally with 115 3-point field goal attempts. He has 10 double-figure scoring games, including eight straight entering Wednesday's game. He scored a season-high 19 points and knocked down a season-best five 3-pointers at Toledo on Dec. 13. He has hit at least one 3-pointer in all 14 games and multiple 3-pointers in 12 contests. He has at least three assists in eight games. He had 15 points (3-of-6 3-pointers) and two rebounds while playing 47 of 50 minutes last year vs. ULM.
 
Texas State transfer Nate Martin is fourth on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game. Martin leads the Herd and ranks second in the SBC and 21st in NCAA Division I in rebounding at 9.6 boards per game. He leads the team and ranks fourth in the SBC with 1.57 blocks per game. He leads the SBC and is fifth nationally with eight double-doubles. He has 10 double-figure scoring games and has posted 10 or more rebounds nine times. He has three double-doubles in the last four games. He has scored a season-high 16 points twice, including last Saturday against the Ragin' Cajuns. He pulled in a season-high 13 rebounds to go with 12 points for a double-double against Bluefield on Dec. 18. Martin played in only one of two meetings against ULM with Texas State last season, scoring eight points with five rebounds in Monroe on Jan. 14.
 
METSKHVARISHVILI ROUNDING INTO FORM
Senior forward Nika Metskhvarishvili has started the first 11 games of 2023-24, and has led ULM in scoring five times and posted two double-doubles. He is the team's leading scorer at 11.2 points per game and rebounder at 5.8 rebounds per game after posting double-doubles in two of the last three games. He led ULM in scoring and rebounding for the second-straight game with 16 points and nine rebounds at App State last Saturday. He posted his second double-double of the season and fourth of his career on Dec. 18 at Jacksonville with 17 points and 11 rebounds. He totaled 10 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the year at Lamar on Dec. 14. Over the last five games, he leads ULM at 11.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while ranking third on the team with 13 assists.
 
Metskhvarishvili scored a season-high 19 points, pulled in eight rebounds and added a career-high five blocks on Nov. 28 vs. Northwestern State. He played a key role in ULM's second-half rally, scoring 12 of his 19 points while adding seven of his eight rebounds and four of his five blocks. He had six of his eight rebounds on the offensive end.
 
Metskhvarishvili tallied 15 points with six rebounds, three assists and three steals on Nov. 16 vs. Louisiana Tech. He had 16 points (7-of-11 field-goal attempts) while adding three rebounds, three assists and one steal on Nov. 11 at Central Michigan. He dished out a team-best five assists on Nov. 20 vs. Ecclesia.
 
Metskhvarishvili was cleared to return to action just before the start of official practice in late September, and returns to the Warhawk lineup after missing all but five games in the 2022-23 season due to a knee injury.
 
When he left the lineup after five games last season, Metskhvarishvili was second on the team in scoring at 9.8 points per game and rebounding at 5.8 boards per game. The Tbilisi, Georgia, native opened the season with 10 points and nine rebounds on Nov. 7 at Texas A&M before following it up with a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds on Nov. 10 against Dallas Christian. He added a team-high 15 points with five rebounds against Central Baptist on Nov. 14. He had nine points, four rebounds and two blocks at No. 15/18 TCU on Nov. 17. He was named a Preseason Third-Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection prior to the 2022-23 season.
 
Metskhvarishvili appeared in 28 games with five starts in his first season at ULM as a second-year sophomore in 2021-22, averaging 10.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He totaled 12 double-figure scoring games, including four games with 20-or-more points and had a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards at Texas State. He scored a career-high 23 points while playing 40 minutes at UT Arlington on Jan. 15. He scored in double figures in five consecutive games from Jan. 8-22, and improved inside SBC action, averaging 11.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
 
LOCURE NAMED PRESEASON THIRD-TEAM ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE
ULM senior guard Tyreke Locure was named Preseason Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference following a vote of the league's head coaches, the conference announced Oct. 16.
 
Locure is second on the team in scoring at 9.2 points per game while adding 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He has tallied double figure scoring in four games, but none since totaling 17 points with a career-high matching nine rebounds (four offensive) and two assists on Nov. 28 vs. Northwestern State. He picked up 11 points with five rebounds and two steals vs. Ecclesia on Nov. 20, scored 15 points with five rebounds, four assists and three steals on Nov. 16 vs. Louisiana Tech and had 13 points and added team highs with six rebounds, six assists and three steals on Nov. 11 at Central Michigan. He had just nine points, three rebounds and four assists in nearly 11 minutes of playing time on Dec. 5 vs. Champion Christian. Over the last five games, Locure is shooting a team-best 47% (8-of-17) from 3-point range.
 
Locure returns for his second season at ULM after leading the team in scoring (14.4 points per game), steals (1.8 pg.), field goals made per game (5.0 pg.) and 3-point field goals made per game (2.1 pg.) in 2022-23. He added 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He ranked fourth in the SBC in steals per game, sixth in 3-point field goals made per game, eighth in scoring, 14th in free-throw percentage (.762) and minutes per game (31.9) and 15th in assists per game and 3-point field goal percentage (.370). He scored in double figures 26 times and topped 20 points five times. He scored a career high 33 points vs. Troy on Feb. 22. His numbers improved inside of SBC play to 15.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while adding 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He shot 41% (43-of-104) from the 3-point line and 83% (53-of-64) from the free throw line in SBC action.
 
BOLDEN STEPS UP AS SOPHOMORE
Sophomore guard Jalen Bolden has broken through in the first 11 games of the 2023-24 season. He is third on the team in scoring at 8.6 points per game and is second in rebounding at 5.5 rebounds per game. He reached double figures for the fifth time on the season and fourth-straight game with 11 points at Lamar on Dec. 14. He had his double-figure streak snapped with six points at Jacksonville on Dec. 18. He posted eight rebounds with four points at App State last Saturday.
 
He picked up his second double-double by leading the team in scoring with 14 points and rebounding with 12 boards on Dec. 12 at Sam Houston. He made his first career start on Dec. 5 against Champion Christian and posted his third double-figure scoring game of the season with 10 points (4-of-6 field-goal attempts, 2-of-2 3-point field-goal attempts) and three rebounds.
 
He had his first career double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds on Nov. 28 against Northwestern State. He scored 10 of his 12 points and pulled in nine of his 14 rebounds in the second half as ULM rallied from an 18-point first-half deficit for the 74-70 win. His 14 rebounds set a new career high.
 
He had his first double figure effort of the season with a career-high 15 points (6-of-7 field-goal attempts) against Ecclesia on Nov. 20. He has scored at least six points in each of the last six games while adding at least five rebounds three times.
 
As a freshman in 2022-23, Bolden played in 16 games, averaging 3.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. He scored in double figures twice, doing so with 13 points and four rebounds against Dallas Christian on Nov. 10 and with 11 points and three rebounds at the Ragin' Cajuns on Feb. 16.
 
GALLION CONTINUES CONTRIBUTING ROLE
ULM senior guard Savion Gallion has started 10 of the first 11 games of the 2023-24 season and ranks fourth on the team at 8.1 points per game. He has led ULM in scoring twice, posting a career-high 17 points (5-of-7 field-goal attempts) at Lamar on Dec. 14 and with eight points in the season opener at No. 7/6 Houston on Nov. 6. He reached double figures for the first time this season with 14 points (5-of-8 field-goal attempts) while adding five rebounds and four assists on Nov. 20 vs. Ecclesia. He had his second double figure game with 10 points and three rebounds at Sam Houston on Dec. 12. He scored in double figures for the third-straight game with 12 points at Jacksonville on Dec. 18. He added eight points with a career-high six rebounds on Nov. 26 at SMU.
 
Gallion returns after playing a pivotal role off the bench and as a spot starter in 2022-23. He played in all 32 games with 12 starts in his first season at ULM and averaged a career-best 7.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while adding 32 assists and 19 steals. He shot 38% (78-of-204) from the field and 26% (20-of-73) from 3-point range while knocking down 72% (65-of-90) from the free-throw line. He reached double figures 10 times.
 
WILSON MAKES FIRST CAREER START
ULM sophomore guard Jacob Wilson made his first career start last Saturday at App State, posting his third double-figure game of the season and fifth of his career with 10 points, two rebounds and three assists against the Mountaineers. He played 25 minutes.
 
Wilson has played in all 11 games, averaging 5.4 points and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 51% (25-of-49) from the field. He tallied 11 points at Lamar on Dec. 14 and led the team with 16 points while adding a career-high seven assists vs. Champion Chrisitan on Dec. 5. He has multiple assists in seven games.
 
The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native played in 14 games last year, averaging 4.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.
 
WATSON LEADS NEWCOMER IMPACT ON 2023-24 TEAM
ULM junior guard Tyreese Watson moved into the starting lineup last Saturday at App State, scoring eight points. He added season highs with five rebounds and four assists. He has scored in double figures four times, all while coming off the bench. He is averaging 8.0 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.
 
Watson had his first double-figure game with 13 points (3-of-4 3-point field goal attempts) at Central Michigan on Nov. 11. He reached double figures in back-to-back games with 13 points vs. Ecclesia on Nov. 20 and a season-high 14 points (6-of-10 field goal attempts) at SMU on Nov. 26. He posted 10 points with one rebound at Sam Houston on Dec. 12.
 
The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, native is a transfer from Cochise College in Sierra Vista, Arizona. Cochise finished the 2022-23 season with a 29-3 record, which included a 27-game winning streak, and finished ranked No. 11 in the NJCAA poll. The Apaches compiled a 58-7 record over Watson's two seasons.
 
Watson led the team in scoring with 19.6 points per game and increased his scoring average to 20.6 points per game in conference play. He totaled 20 or more points 18 times and posted a season-high of 36 points. Watson scored 1,077 points over his two seasons at Cochise. He added 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 37% from the 3-point line. He shot 42% from deep inside conference play.
 
Watson is the brother of former Creighton standout and current professional player Maurice Watson, Jr. He played high school basketball at Monsignor Bonner High School.
 
RICHARD FACES OFF WITH MARSHALL FOR SECOND TIME
ULM head coach Keith Richard faces off with Marshall for the second time in his head coaching career on Wednesday night. Richard spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Marshall from 1986-89 under head coach Rick Huckabay. While at Marshall, Richard helped the Thundering Herd to a pair of Southern Conference regular season championships, an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1986-87 and an NIT appearance in 1987-88. In 40 seasons of coaching, his three years at Marshall are the only three years of his career that Richard has spent outside of the state of Louisiana, making other stops at ULM, Louisiana Tech and LSU. Last season's meeting at Marshall was the first time Richard had returned to Huntington in 34 years. He spent part of the day visiting sites in Huntington with friends who remain in the area.
 
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, 2023.
 
Richard is in his 14th 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 739 of the 2,025 games (36%) in ULM program history either as a player, graduate assistant, assistant coach or head coach.

LAST TIME OUT: APP STATE 67, ULM 55 (Dec. 30, 2023, in Boone, N.C.)
BOONE, N.C. – App State closed the game on a 19-6 run, including the final nine points of the game, to answer ULM's rally as the Mountaineers defeated the Warhawks, 67-55, in the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams Saturday at the Holmes Convocation Center.

ULM (4-7 overall, 0-1 Sun Belt Conference) trailed by as much as 14, 37-23, in the first half, and by 13, 45-32, in the second half before battling back for the lead. A layup by Tyreese Watson and 3-pointer by Tyreke Locure cut the gap to eight, 45-37, with 16:41 left. Moments later, ULM used an 8-0 run to surge ahead, knocking down four-straight shots, including the go-ahead dunk by Jerry Ngopot to lead 49-48 with 10:16 to play.

App State (10-3, 1-0), which entered the game ranked second in NCAA Division I in field goal percentage defense (.363), limited ULM to just six points in the final 10:16. Two free throws by Donovan Gregory put App back in front for good, 50-49. Gregory then ended a seven-plus minute field-goal drought for App with a circus-shot layup to extend the lead to five, 54-49, at the 7:38 mark. The lead moved to eight, 57-49, on a 3-pointer by Terence Harcum with 6:54 left.

ULM made one more charge. A 3-pointer by Nika Metskhvarishvili cut the gap to four, 57-53, and a layup by Ngopot got the Warhawks within three, 58-55, with 4:03 to go. However, App State ended the game on a 9-0 run, pulling back away for the 67-55 win.

ULM opened the game strong, taking the early lead, 5-3, on a 3-pointer by Jacob Wilson. The Warhawks pushed the lead to five, 12-7, on a trey by Metskhvarishvili with 15:10 to go before halftime. App answered with a 9-0 run to take the lead, going up 16-12 on back-to-back 3-pointer by Myles Tate at the 10:33 mark.

App eventually extended the lead to 14, 37-23, on a layup by Tre'Von Spillers with 2:17 left before the break. ULM closed the half on a 9-2 run to cut the gap in half, ending the half on a fadeaway jumper from the left elbow by Watson to get within seven at the half, 39-32.

App opened the second half with the first six points, including back-to-back fast break dunks off defensive rebounds, forcing the Warhawks to take a timeout, trailing 45-32.

Metskhvarishvili missed his third-straight double-double by one rebound, leading the team with 16 points and nine rebounds. Wilson made his first career start and added 10 points. Gregory led four Mountaineers in double figures with 17 points.

ULM shot 37% (23-of-62) from the field, 36% (4-of-11) from 3-point range and hit 5-of-13 free throws (39%). App State shot 42% (25-of-60) overall, hit just 4-of-27 from 3-point range (15%) and knocked down 13-of-16 free throws (81%). ULM outrebounded App State, 42-40, including 15 offensive rebounds for the Warhawks. However, App State outscored ULM in second chance points, 17-8.

LAST TIME VS. MARSHALL: ULM 86, MARSHALL 82, 2 OT (Jan. 26, 2023, in Huntington, W.Va.)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The first-ever meeting on the hardwood proved to be a classic between the ULM men's basketball team and Marshall.
 
The Warhawks (10-12 overall, 6-3 Sun Belt Conference) rallied from deficits inside the final 30 seconds of regulation and the first overtime before pulling away late in the second overtime for the 86-82 win over the Thundering Herd (17-5, 6-3) Thursday night at the Cam Henderson Center. It marked Marshall's second home loss of the season, dropping to 12-2 at the Henderson Center.
 
Jamari Blackmon had a career night with 35 points (8-of-15 3-point field goals) and a season-high eight rebounds in playing all 50 minutes. He scored 13 of his 35 points in the two overtime periods, including going 3-of-3 from the 3-point line and 4-of-4 at the free-throw line.
 
Thomas Howell also played all 50 minutes in a career night of his own with 21 points and 15 rebounds.
 
Blackmon made clutch plays when ULM needed them down the stretch.
 
First, the senior from Hoover, Alabama, connected on the game-tying 3-pointer with 7.5 seconds left in regulation, forcing the first overtime. Then, Blackmon stepped to the free-throw line and sunk two free throws to cut the deficit to two, 74-72, with 14.4 seconds left in the first overtime. On the ensuing inbounds play, Tyreke Locure came up with a steal, with ULM working the ball back inside to Howell for the game-tying dunk with nine seconds remaining, forcing the second overtime. Blackmon rounded out his clutch night with the opening 3-pointer of the second overtime, a 3-pointer to extend the lead to five, 84-79, with 26 seconds left, and the two free throws to seal the win, 86-82, with 10 seconds remaining in the game.
 
Howell had his own big moments late, converting the dunk to force the second overtime and collecting back-to-back layups to tie the game and give ULM the lead, 81-79, with 1:02 left in the second overtime. Three of his rebounds came in the extra sessions.
 
Locure added 18 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists. Victor Bafutto added six points and 11 rebounds while Langston Powell had seven rebounds and four assists.
 
Taevion Kinsey, the Sun Belt Conference's leading scorer and one of the top scorers in NCAA Division I, finished with 28 points (10-of-21 field-goal attempts), eight rebounds and five assists to lead Marshall. Andrew Taylor had 17 points, while Kamdyn Curfman added 15 and Micah Handlogten chipped in 10 points with 14 rebounds.
 
The Warhawks crushed Marshall in rebounding, 58-37, including 21 offensive rebounds. ULM outscored Marshall in second-chance points, 22-6.
 
The Herd took as much as a nine-point lead in the first half at 28-19 on a jumper by Taylor at the 4:11 mark. ULM closed within three at 30-27 on a 3-pointer by Blackmon, but Kinsey closed out the half for Marshall with his second 3-pointer of the game to extend the Herd's lead back to six, 33-27 at halftime.
 
Marshall led by as much as nine again in the second half, 39-30, on a layup by Kinsey at the 18:09 mark. The Herd led by seven, 56-49, with 6:45 remaining after Kinsey hit a pair of free throws.
 
ULM made its push, going on a 10-2 run, taking the lead on a 3-pointer by Locure with 3:26 to play. Kinsey's jumper in the lane swung the lead back to Marshall before Blackmon canned a 3-pointer to put the Warhawks back up, 62-60. Kinsey tied the game with a layup with 1:59 to go. Handlogten scored on a putback to give Marshall a 64-62 edge. After Locure made 1-of-2 free-throw attempts, Kinsey hit a jumper just outside the lane to give Marshall the 66-63 lead, leading the Blackmon's 3-pointer for the tie to force overtime.
 
Blackmon opened the first overtime with a 3-pointer, but Marshall scored the next six points to take a 72-69 lead on a jumper by Taylor. Two free throws by Curfman pushed the lead to four, 74-70, with 23 seconds left, leading to the wild sequence that forced the second overtime.
 
Blackmon again opened the second overtime with a trey, but Marshall scored the next five points to go up, 79-77 on a 3-pointer by Jacob Conner, with 2:48 left. Howell's layups gave the lead back to ULM before Blackmon's triple and free throws sealed the win.
 
ULM shot 39% (28-of-71) from the field and 39% (14-of-36) from 3-point range while knocking down 64% (16-of-25) of its free-throw attempts. Marshall shot 42% (31-of-74) from the floor and 31% (8-of-26) from 3-point range while adding 67% (12-of-18) at the foul line.