MONROE, La. – Georgia Southern knocked down 11 3-pointers and shot 50% from the field (28-of-56 field goal attempts) as the Eagles answered ULM's second half rally and pulled away down the stretch for a 76-68 win over the Warhawks Saturday afternoon at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
 
ULM (4-9 overall, 0-3 Sun Belt Conference) shot just 37% (21-of-57) from the field and 18% (4-of-22) from 3-point range, but free throw shooting kept the Warhawks in the game. ULM connected on 22-of-31 free throws (71%), while Georgia Southern (2-13, 2-1) hit 9-of-14 (64%) from the stripe.
 
Tyreke Locure had a season-high 24 points (8-of-16 field goal attempts) with four rebounds to lead ULM, while Savion Gallion added a career-high 18 points (6-of-10 field goals) with three assists. Georgia Southern was paced by Eugene Brown III with a career-high 20 points (4-of-7 3-point field goal attempts) and four rebounds in just 19 minutes. Tyren Moore added 14 points with seven assists with five rebounds.
 
Georgia Southern started hot, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and a long two to go up 8-2 on a trey by Cam Bryant with 17:48 left in the first half.  ULM pulled back within one, 11-10, on Savion Gallion's 3-pointer, but were unable to take the lead. The Eagles extended the lead to seven, 19-12, on Derrick Harris Jr.'s trey at the 12:12 mark. The Warhawks made another charge, getting back within three, 21-18, on a free throw by Jalen Bolden with 10:12 to go in the half.
 
Georgia Southern used back-to-back 3-pointers by Brown and Malik Tidwell to lead by 10 for the first time, 30-20, with 7:20 remaining in the half. The lead grew to as much as 12, 34-22, on Moore's jumper in the lane at the 3:57 mark. The Eagles led by nine at halftime, 38-29.
 
ULM made a push in the second half. Four straight free throws, two by Locure and two by Bolden, cut the gap to five, 40-35. After a Georgia Southern bucket by Avantae Parker, Locure knocked down two more free throws and Gallion connected on a jumper to get within three, 42-39.
 
The Eagles extended the lead back to six before ULM rallied for the lead with a 10-0 run. Jerry Ngopot and Locure hit consecutive buckets to get within two, 45-43. Bolden made a free throw before missing his second attempt. However, he tracked down the rebound in the corner and threw the ball out to Locure at the top of the key, who drained a 3-pointer for the lead, 47-45, with 11:52 left. Gallion added two free throws to push the lead to four, 49-45, with 10:57 to play.
 
Georgia Southern answered with the next four points to tie the game at 49 on a jumper by Moore. Two more free throws by Bolden restored the lead to two, 51-49. The Eagles regained the lead, 54-53, on a 3-pointer by Eren Banks, but ULM responded with Gallion's jumper for a 55-54 advantage. The lead changed hands two more times, with Brown's trey with 6:08 left resulting in the final lead change of the game, putting Georgia Southern on top, 59-57.
 
Brown's triple was the start of a 9-0 run by Georgia Southern, going up 65-57 on a free throw by Cam Bryant with 3:59 to play. ULM closed the gap to four, 70-66, on a jumper by Locure with 1:25 remaining, but got no closer as Georgia Southern scored the next six points to put the game away.
 
ULM returns to Fant-Ewing Coliseum at 7:30 p.m. Thursday vs. Southern Miss.