ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. – The ULM women's basketball team (3-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) continued to defend Fant-Ewing Coliseum against all comers Tuesday night as they defeated Grambling State (1-3, 0-0 SWAC) 74-55. The win clinches only the seventh 3-0 start in program history and the second by a first-year head coach in Scotty Fletcher.
 
The Warhawks once again saw five different players reach double figures in scoring to help lead the team to victory. J'Mani Ingram paced the team with a season high 16 points on six for nine shooting from the field. Marcavia Shavers established new season highs in points (12), field goals (5) and rebounds (7) in the win. Asjah Inniss, Keshunti Nichols and Nakiyah Mays-Prince each finished with 11 points. 
 
ULM struggled out of the gate to deal with Grambling's frenetic style of play as they were marred by nine turnovers in the first quarter. With the home side clinging to a one-point lead as the clock ran down, Mays-Prince dribbled through traffic before hitting a running shot at the buzzer to extend the lead to three at the break.  
 
The second quarter began with both teams trading tough baskets inside before the Warhawks would eventually assert their will defensively. An 8-0 run highlighted by four different ULM players scoring a basket would push the lead to 13 prior to another 7-0 run a few minutes later that would move the margin to 17. Shavers and Inniss led the way with eight points apiece in the second quarter alone.
 
The Lady Tigers went to work right away attempting to speed up the Warhawks with a full-court press, but an early three-pointer by Jazmine Jackson set the tone for another quarter controlled by the home team. A three-point play by Mays-Prince secured the program's first 20-point lead of the season which they maintained into the fourth quarter on a last second layup by Nichols.
 
Ingram and Nichols would take control in the fourth quarter as both worked tirelessly to drive into the teeth of the Grambling defense to extend the lead as high as 27 points. Both players scored five points in the final stanza as the overall team defense of the Warhawks helped seal the team's largest margin of victory this season.
 
ULM held Grambling to a measly 29 percent shooting from the field and forced 20 turnovers for the second straight game. More importantly, despite the fact that Grambling entered the contest 14th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game, the Warhawks equaled them in that category at 15 and outrebounded the Lady Tigers 46-33 overall.
 
ULM are scheduled to host Central Baptist College on Friday for an exhibition set to tipoff at 6 p.m. Their next official contest will be this Sunday inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum as they take on Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 2 p.m.