MONROE, La. – The ULM men's basketball team (3-11, 0-2 Sun Belt) kicks off the new year by hosting Southern Miss (7-7, 1-1 Sun Belt) in Fant-Ewing Coliseum on Thursday (Jan. 1). Tipoff against the Wildcats is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT.

SERIES HISTORY – 

The Warhawks will face Southern Miss for the 46th game in series history, the ninth with both teams in the Sun Belt. ULM will look to extend to a win streak after defeating the Golden Eagles last season at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. The first contest between both teams was during the 1952-53 season, Southern Miss claiming both games. With an 11-8 record in Monroe, ULM will look to maintain the winning record.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES –

The Golden Eagles sit at 7-7 across the season, claiming notable nonconference wins over William Carey, North Florida, UT Martin and Grambling State. Southern Miss opened conference play with a 62-54 win over the Ragin' Cajuns before falling to Arkansas State. The Golden Eagles were pegged to finish 12th in the Sun Belt in the preseason poll. Tylik Weeks leads the team and sits at second in the conference with a 17.3 scoring average. Weeks also picked up Sun Belt Player of the Week on November 25 after a 37-point showing against North Florida. On the defensive side, Isaac Taverasaverages 6.7 rebounds to lead the team.

TRIPLE THE FUN –

On December 17 against South Alabama, ULM hit 19 three-pointers, 12 coming in the first half. The 19 triples is a team-high across all Sun Belt teams this season, Krystian Lewis claiming the Sun Belt high with eight triples. 

FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE – 

The Warhawks have attempted double-digit free throws in 13 of their 14 contests, attempting a whopping 41 free throws against Arkansas Baptist on December 9, making 31. Against the Ragin' Cajuns on December 20, ULM hit 26 free throws. Krystian Lewis led the charge, hitting 15 of his 18 free throws. Lewis leads the Sun Belt and is ranked 11th nationally with 83 free throws made. Lavell Brodnex also contributed against the Buffaloes, hitting a perfect 8-8 from the line.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES –

Lavell Brodnex has been leading the charge in rebounding since his debut for ULM on November 13. Brodnex has scored in double figures seven times and posted double-digit boards five times, leading to five double-doubles. Brodnex is the only Warhawk this season to register a double-double. 

LEADING THE TEAM –

MJ Russell leads the pack in scoring, averaging 17.1 points, placing him third in the Sun Belt. He also leads the team in blocks (1.1) and minutes (36:24). Krystian Lewis averages 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals to lead the team. Lavell Brodnexhas collected 106 rebounds across 11 games, averaging 9.6 to lead the Warhawks and rank second in the conference. Brodnex leads the conference in offensive rebounds (3.4) and is second in defensive rebounds (6.3). 

FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS –

Thursday's game will be available on KLIP 105.3 with Mike Hammett on the call. Streaming will also be available for the game on ESPN+. Links to live stats for all games, when available, can be found at ULMWarhawks.com. Navigate to the men's basketball schedule page and select that day's opponent.

NEXT UP –

The men's basketball team will continue to host Sun Belt opponents at Fant-Ewing Coliseum, taking on Texas State on Saturday (Jan. 3). Tipoff is slated for 2:30 p.m.