LAFAYETTE, La. – The Ragin' Cajuns built as much as a 19-point lead and never let ULM within striking distance in an 80-72 win Wednesday night at the Cajundome.
 
It was the sixth-straight win for the Cajuns (14-8 overall, 7-3 Sun Belt Conference). The loss ended ULM's (7-13, 3-7) three-game winning streak.
 
Tyreese Watson led ULM with a career-high 21 points (8-of-12 field goal attempts) while Savion Gallion added 14 points (6-of-9 field goal attempts), Jacob Wilson chipped in 11 points and Nika Metskhvarishvili had 10. Joe Charles and Kobe Julien led the Cajuns with 19 points each, while Michael Thomas scored a career-high 15 points, with 13 in the first half, and Hosana Kotenga tallied 14 points. Charles had a double-double with 11 rebounds.
 
ULM shot 55% (27-of-49) from the floor, but was undone by 16 turnovers, with 11 in the first half, and the Cajuns 3-point and free throw shooting. The Cajuns shot 44% from the field, but hit 10 3-pointers (10-of-28, 36%) to three for ULM (3-of-12, 25%). The Cajuns also knocked down 22-of-27 free throw attempts (82%) to ULM's 15-of-22 (68%) effort from the line.
 
The Cajuns never trailed in the game. ULM tied the game at 2 on a layup by Gallion, but the Cajuns scored the next four points to regain the lead. ULM closed within a point at 6-5 on a free throw by Jalen Bolden with 16:33 to go in the half, but a 3-pointer by Charles stretched the lead back to four, 9-5. Watson's layup brought the margin back to two, 9-7. Charles hit another trey to extend the lead to five, 12-7, with 15:50 left in the half.
 
Bolden's layup brought ULM within four, 17-13, with 12:39 remaining in the half. The Cajuns responded again, going on a 9-0 run thanks to four points from Julien and five from Thomas to stretch the lead to 13, 26-13. Moments later, another 8-0 run pushed the lead to 17, 34-17, on free throws by Kitenge with 8:05 left to halftime.
 
The Warhawks pulled as close as 10 before halftime, 44-34, on free throws by Makai Willis, but Thomas' layup just before the buzzer gave the Cajuns a 12-point halftime lead, 46-34.
 
Watson's layup brought ULM within nine, 51-42, with 16:05 to play in the game. However, an 11-1 run for the Cajuns, which included three 3-pointers by Julien, put the Cajuns on top by their largest lead of 19, 62-43, with 12:55 to go.
 
The Warhawks slowly but steadily chipped away at the deficit, getting within 10, 69-59, on free throws by Watson with 6:43 left. However, ULM got no closer until a 3-pointer by Gallion cut the gap to nine, 79-70, with 2:36 to play.
 
ULM heads to Jonesboro, Arkansas, to take on Arkansas State at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at First National Bank Arena. The Warhawks defeated the Red Wolves, 85-82 in overtime, on Sunday afternoon.