MONROE, La. -- The ULM women's basketball team won its first postseason game in 39 years and accomplished its first 20-win season since the 2004-05 season after the Warhawks stormed past Grambling State, 102-76, in the WNIT Second Round on Monday (March 25) inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

"I am so happy for our team and our group was a part of a 20-win season," said ULM head coach Missy Bilderback. "I am really proud of our players, and I am so thankful that they chose to go on this journey with us."

Jakayla Johnson led the way with her third 30-point performance of the season and shot 9-of-16 from the field. The All-SBC Third Team honoree added 11 free throws, eight rebounds and a trio of assists and steals. Brianna Harris poured in 17 points on 60% shooting from the field while grabbing five rebounds and chipping in a pair of assists and steals. Sun Belt Conference Sixth Woman of the Year Katlyn Manuel was one board shy of a double-double after tallying 13 points and tracking down nine boards. Sania Wells scored 12 points while Daisha Bradford had 10 points to wrap up the double-digit scorers for ULM. Wells led the team with five assists while Bradford secured eight rebounds. 10 different Warhawks scored in the game, with Lauren Gross, Olivia Knight, Chardai Watkins, Kyjai Miles and Sha'Miya Butler all contributing points in the Warhawks' big night.

ULM shot 46.6% from the field and was 8-for-18 (44.4%) from beyond the arc. Grambling averaged 33.3% shooting and made 10 3-pointers on 52.6% shooting. The Warhawks won the battle on the glass by 10 and outrebounded the Tigers 52-42. ULM doubled the Tigers' points in the paint and netted eight more second-chance points in the game.
 

Harris connected on her first 3-point attempt and evened the count at 7-7. A Johnson free throw, a layup by Manuel and a pair of free throws by Harris completed a ULM 8-0 run to give the Warhawks a 12-7 lead. The Warhawks snatched their first double-digit lead of the night when Harris swished her second triple of the first quarter with less than a minute left. Johnson cashed in a pair of free throws for the final points of the quarter, and ULM led 23-11. 
 

ULM scored the first five points of the second quarter when Wells made her first 3-point attempt of the game and Harris drained a turnaround jumper to increase ULM's advantage to 17. Grambling trimmed the Warhawks' lead to 13 twice in the middle stages of the second period. A Harris putback layup extended ULM's lead to 19 with just over two minutes remaining in the half. Johnson finished a driving layup inside the final minute to put ULM's lead to 20 points. The Tigers sank a duece in the final minute of the first half, with ULM leading 48-30 after one half of play.

Wells dished out an assist to Gross for her second triple of the night to bring ULM's cushion back above 20 points early in the second half. Harris converted a turnaround jumper in the paint that brought the Warhawks' lead to 57-33 with seven minutes left in the third. A Johnson layup off a Grambling turnover and a Wells 3-pointer pushed the lead to 29. The Warhawks' lead surpassed 30 points when Johnson picked off a pass and finished with a layup inside four minutes to go. Miles scooped up an offensive board and putback a layup before the final horn of the third quarter that kept ULM in front by 33. Bradford sliced through the lane for a bucket that gave the Warhawks their largest lead of the night, a 35-point advantage with 9:32 left in the final quarter. ULM maintained its lead above the 30-point mark for the majority of the fourth quarter. Grambling would not come closer than 25 points of ULM's lead down the stretch. Knight wrapped a bow on ULM's impressive night by hitting the Warhawks' eighth 3-point bucket of the night and sending the Warhawks above the 100-point mark for the third time this season.

The Warhawks advanced to the WNIT Super 16 and will square off against SBC foe Southern Miss on Wednesday (March 27) at 6:30 p.m. inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum. Tickets are available for purchase at this link.

"They're [Southern Miss] a great team, and they are really hot right now," said Bilderback. "I am thankful that it is going to be in Monroe because our players will have another chance to play in Fant. I want to encourage everyone in Monroe and Warhawk faithful to come out and support these young ladies one more time."