LAFAYETTE, La. – The ULM men's basketball team (4-14, 0-5 Sun Belt Conference) led for over 25 minutes of game time but came up short on the road in the closing minutes, falling to the Ragin' Cajuns (5-12, 3-2) 71-68 on Saturday (Jan. 11) night inside the Cajundome in Lafayette, La.
 
"It was a shame either team had to lose because that was a hard-fought game for 40 minutes," said ULM Head Coach Keith Richard. "It didn't go our way. I am proud of the way our guys competed on the second game of this road swing. They gave ourselves a chance to win tonight."
 
The Warhawks battled in the paint and outscored the Ragin' Cajuns 34-18 inside and outrebounded the Cajuns, 41-35. ULM shot 45.3% from the field, which was nearly 10-percent higher than the Cajuns.

The Cajuns did not hold a lead greater than four points the entire game. The home team sank 11 shots from beyond-the-arc and made 87.5% of its free throws, while ULM made five 3-pointers and missed 10 free throws, shooting 60% from the line.
 
Makai Willis was dominant up front for the Warhawks, finishing with a game-high 17 points and pulling down eight rebounds. Tyreese Watson netted 15 points and grabbed six boards while Jerry Ngopot finished with 12 points, six rebounds and a season-high four blocks. Jalen Bolden was one rebound away from a double-double and registered 10 points and nine rebounds to go along with three assists and three steals. Jacob Wilson scored nine points while Coltie Young led the team with five assists and scored five points.
 
For the Cajuns, Kentrell Garnett led the team with 15 points while Mostapha El Moutaouakkil, London Fields and Kyran Ratliff all turned in 10-point performances.
 
The Warhawks went to work immediately on the offensive end with Willis and Watson making buckets on ULM's first two possessions. Young delivered a bounce pass to Ngopot for a slam dunk and Willis followed on the next ULM possession with another dunk on a fastbreak to extend the Warhawks' lead to 8-2. Willis completed a ULM 6-0 run with a made jumper, increasing ULM's advantage to 10-2. The Cajuns trimmed the lead to two points after a 9-3 scoring run with 11:32 left in the first half.
 
After a Cajuns' three-pointer gave the home team its first lead of the night, ULM responded with a Willis layup to recapture the lead. Neither team led by more than three points in the middle stages of the first half. Ngopot drained the Warhawks' first 3-pointer of the night that generated a 21-17 lead with less than seven minutes on the clock. A Willis triple and layup led to a six-point cushion for the Warhawks with 5:35 left in the first half.
 
After the Ragin' Cajuns raced back in front with an 8-0 run, Wilson converted a pair of shots at the free throw line to even the score. Bolden slipped a pass in transition to Watson for a fastbreak layup to swing the lead back to ULM. Bolden stripped the ball loose from the Cajuns and took it the rest of the way for a dunk to pull the Warhawks ahead by four. Watson drained the Warhawks' third 3-pointer of the opening half in the closing seconds and ULM led by five through 20 minutes of action.
 
Bolden jumped in front of an errant Cajun pass and finished through contact at the other end for a bucket and a foul for ULM's first points of the second half. ULM pushed the lead to double figures following a 6-0 scoring spurt that featured buckets by Ngopot, Willis and Young. The Ragin' Cajuns held ULM scoreless for over a span of four minutes and tied the score at 48-48 with under 10 minutes remaining.
 
Wilson kept the Warhawks in front and ended the Ragin' Cajuns' run with a layup. The Cajuns jumped back in front by four after a triple by Kyndall Davis. With under five minutes in the game, Ngopot made a hook shot in the paint to complete a 4-0 scoring run and leveled the score, 60-60. After both teams exchanged buckets, Ratliff connected on his second 3-pointer of the night and padded the Cajuns' lead back to three. Willis swished a pair of free throws with 1:23 to go and brought ULM within one point, 67-66. The Warhawks prevented the Cajuns from scoring on the next possession after Willis blocked a shot.
 
With less than a minute to go, Willis fired a shot that was off the mark that would have pulled the Warhawks in front. The Cajuns drained the clock to 13 seconds and made a pair of free throws to extend the lead back to three. The Cajuns elected to foul Watson and send him to the line with five seconds remaining. Watson sank both free throws to bring the Warhawks back within one. ULM quickly fouled Christian Wright, who made both free throws to pad the Cajuns' lead back to three. The Warhawks had time for one final heave at halfcourt from Watson to send the game to overtime, but the shot was off target and the Cajuns escaped with a home victory. The Cajuns now lead the all-time series versus ULM, 60-30.
 
The ULM men's basketball team returns home and will welcome Troy on Wednesday (Jan. 15) night at Fant-Ewing Coliseum with tip-off set for 6:30 p.m.