BEAUMONT, Texas – The ULM women's basketball team (3-3) remains on the road after 12 days off from a competitive schedule, traveling to take on Lamar (3-3) on Saturday (Dec. 7). Tipoff in Beaumont is scheduled for 2 p.m. CST. The Warhawks are looking to bounce back after going 0-2 in Honolulu at the Bank of Hawaii Classic.
SERIES HISTORY –
This will be the 34th meeting between the Warhawks and the Cardinals, the first matchup since 2012. ULM leads the series 27-6 and is 12-3 versus Lamar when in Beaumont. Since the Warhawks left the Southland Conference, they have lost the last four games against Lamar, the last win having been in Beaumont, 64-55. The most recent game was Nov. 21, 2012, when the Cardinals beat the Warhawks 50-72. From 1982-2001, ULM went on an 18-game winning streak over Lamar, before falling in Beaumont to the Cardinals.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS –
The Cardinals are coming off a resounding win at home, beating St. Thomas 94-32 in Neches Arena. Lamar opened the season with a tough schedule, traveling to Texas and SMU for the second and third games of the season, falling to both schools. Lamar, the reigning Southland Conference regular season champions, was selected to finish first in the conference yet again. The Cardinals went 24-7 last season and 17-1 in conference, only falling to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the conference championship. Akasha Davis and Sabria Dean were also named to the Preseason All-Southland First Team to start the season. Davis currently leads the conference in field goal percentage (.681).
LEADING THE TEAM –
Jakayla Johnson led the team with a 25-point game and four three-pointers against Hawaii on Nov. 22. She now leads the team in points per game (15.3), field goals made (32) and free throws (20). Johnson is also fourth in the Sun Belt in points per game. Sakyia White opened the season going 9-9 vs. Central Baptist (Nov. 4), dropping 18 points and leading the team in the home opener, leading the team with a .574 field goal percentage.
DOUBLE DOUBLE–
Laila Walker logged the team's first double-double of the season against Louisiana Christian (Nov. 11), posting 10 points and 11 rebounds. The 11 rebounds were a career-high for the senior forward, as she tied it at Hawaii (Nov. 22). The achievement was also Walker's first career double-double. The last double-double by a Warhawk was last season, when ULM took on Southern Miss in the second round of the WNIT. Katlyn Manuel dropped 10 points and 10 points in the win over the Golden Eagles.
PRESEASON HONORS –
Jakayla Johnson was named All-Sun Belt First Team after receiving multiple honors at the conclusion of last season. She was the second leading scorer on the Warhawks, averaging 15.2 points per game. She reached the 30-point mark in two games last season as well. This is ULM's first player to be named to the All-Sun Belt First Team since 2006, when the Warhawks joined the conference.
Katlyn Manuel, the conference's reigning Sixth Woman of the Year, was named All-Sun Belt Third Team to open the 2024-25 season. In her third year with the Warhawks, Manuel averaged 10.2 points/game, racking up three double-doubles. She also led the team with 30 blocks on the season, averaging 1.0 per game.
FOURTH-PLACE PICK –
The Warhawks started the preseason strong, being selected fourth in the Sun Belt preseason coaches poll, receiving 150 votes. This is the highest ULM women's basketball has been ranked in the SBC preseason poll since joining the conference in 2006.
RECORD BREAKERS –
In the first two games of the season, the ULM Warhawks set or beat multiple program records. They scored 117 points on the Central Baptist Mustangs on Nov. 4, tying the record for most points scored in a game, a record set in 1982 vs. Nicholls State. The 57-point victory ranks sixth in program history for highest margin of victory. In the following game, the Warhawks had 4,509 fans cheering them on vs. Louisiana Christian, the highest attendance since 1986 and eighth-highest attendance all-time.
FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS –
Saturday's game will be available to stream on ESPN+ or fans can listen on KMLB 105.7 FM/540 AM. Links to live stats for all games, when available, can be found at ULMWarhawks.com. Navigate to the women's basketball schedule page and select that day's opponent.
LOOKING AHEAD –
The women's basketball team will conclude their month-long road trip by traveling to Atlanta, Georgia to take on another Power 4 opponent: Georgia Tech. The Warhawks and the Yellowjackets are scheduled to tip off at noon CST on Wednesday, Dec. 11.
