NATCHITOCHES, La. – A lack of scoring opportunities for the ULM men's basketball team led to a 74-62 loss to North Alabama on Saturday afternoon.
 
"You can look at the stat sheet," head coach Keith Richard said. "If you look at things like points-off-turnovers and seconds-chance points, those things led to the loss."
 
UNA had 17 points off of turnovers compared to ULM's seven, and it led 15-6 in the category of second chance-points.
 
Both teams started even with a 6-6 score. The Lions (4-2) hit the first three-pointer of the game to go in front. Coltie Young immediately responded with a three of his own to tie the game for the Warhawks (3-5). A layup and another Daniel Ortiz three-pointer gave UNA a five-point lead before Renars Sondors produced a three to close the gap to two.
 
Trailing 21-20, with a jumper by Jerry Ngopot and a layup by Young, the Warhawks took a three-point lead. The Lions responded with a 7-0 scoring run to grab a 28-24 lead.
 
The Warhawks scored four of the next six baskets to tie the game at 32-32 near the end of the first half, but a North Alabama jumper and three-pointer set a five-point deficit at halftime.
 
ULM started hot with two consecutive baskets to start the second half. Two Taye Fields buckets reset the deficit back to five. After a Makai Willis dunk, the Warhawks cut the lead to three with 15:49 on the clock.
 
"We have a lot of fight in us," Richard said. "We were fighting for most of the game."
 
North Alabama put together a 7-2 scoring run to produce an eight-point cushion. With a 54-45 score, put in three of four baskets to close the gap to seven, but an Ortiz three-point shot put UNA up by ten.
 
A three-pointer by Young and a Sondors layup cut the deficit in half with 9:17 left to play. The Lions responded with two layups, once again putting them up by nine points.
 
Three straight ULM baskets made it a one-possession game with a 63-60 score. UNA once again answered and put together a seven-point lead with 4:07 left in the game.
 
It was all Lions from that point on as they ripped off seven unanswered points. UNA waited out the clock, finalizing a 12-point defeat for ULM.
 
The Warhawks possessed a better field goal percentage, but the shot margin was in the Lions' favor, with 65 shots compared to 52. UNA also out-shot ULM in three-pointers with seven made threes to three for the Warhawks.
 
Jalen Bolden led the team in scoring with 16 points and produced eight rebounds. Ngopot had a double-double with 11 rebounds and 12 points. Young scored double-digit points with four rebounds and three assists.
 
"Guys like Jalen did a good job," Richard said. "There was a lot of physical pressure on him, and he powered through."
 
The Warhawks take on their third Southland Conference foe of the 2024 season with a home game vs. Stephen F. Austin on Friday, November 29 at 6:30 p.m.