JONESBORO, Ark. – The ULM women's basketball team (5-5, 0-1 Sun Belt) dropped their Sun Belt Conference opener Wednesday night as they lost to Arkansas State (9-3, 1-0 Sun Belt) 79-58. The Red Wolves were able to score 24 points off of 27 forced turnovers while also knocking down 15 three-pointers as opposed to just three for the Warhawks. 
 
J'Mani Ingram paced the team in scoring with 10 points on the night. Asia Barclay narrowly missed out on a double-double as she scored eight points and pulled down a season high 10 rebounds. Keshunti Nichols and Marissa Gasaway each scored six points and grabbed six and five rebounds respectively.
 
Arkansas State wasted no time knocking down two of their first three attempts from beyond the arc before Abby Leahy answered with a three-pointer of her own in the first start of her career. Baskets by Barclay and Ingram would tie the score at 11, and after both teams would add to their respective scores, an offensive putback from Nichols would put the Warhawks within a point after one quarter.
 
The Red Wolves would impose their style of play in the second quarter as the hosts would go on to connect on five three-pointers. ULM would commit six turnovers in the second quarter but still found themselves in the contest only down 12 at halftime.
 
A 7-0 run by Arkansas State to start the third quarter was answered by a 6-0 run by ULM highlighted by a three-pointer and a breakaway basket off of a steal from Asjah Inniss. The Red Wolves would go on to hit five more shots from three-point range over the remaining quarter and a half in order to seal the victory.
 
Despite the disadvantage in three-point shooting, ULM managed to out-shoot Arkansas State 43 percent to 39 percent from the field overall. The Warhawks also controlled things inside as they out-rebounded the Red Wolves 45-33 and outscored them in the paint 32-22.
 
ULM will hope to secure their first conference win of the season on Saturday as they travel to take on Texas State. Tipoff at Strahan Arena is scheduled for noon CT.