GRAMBLING, La. – Despite the schedule and location change, it was a tight game as the Warhawks (3-19, 0-10 Sun Belt) fell to Georgia Southern (13-9, 6-4 Sun Belt) at Grambling State on Friday afternoon. With 18 lead changes and a combined 29 turnovers between teams, the game remained close until the buzzer.
 
The Warhawks shot 44% from the field, tying the visiting team, but outshooting them from three (30%) and from the charity stripe (81%). ULM also outrebounded the Eagles by three, Renars Sondors leading the team with 14 boards and 15 points for a double-double. Krystian Lewis led in scoring with 21 points, hitting 11-of-12 free throws. MJ Russell was close behind with 18 points, shooting 50% from the field.
 
Turnovers plagued the first half for the Warhawks, recording 11 to Georgia Southern's five. Tyren Moore opened the scoring for the visitors, Russell hitting a free throw to get ULM on the board just a moment later. Russell followed that up with a jumper to set off a 6-0 scoring run. The Eagles were able to tie things up at six with 16 minutes left on the clock, eventually taking the lead with two of their 12 points off ULM turnovers. 
 
Sondors was able to knot up the score at 11 with his second triple of the day, Ayomide Bamisile also getting in on the action with a three-point play. Both teams started to get hot from beyond the arc, but every shot ULM hit, Georgia Southern balanced the scales to maintain their two-point edge. With the clock winding down, the Eagles went on a scoring run to reach a multiple-possession lead, Dwayne Williams Jr. notching a three-pointer with 2:40 left in the first half. Lewis was able to keep the Warhawks close, however, hitting a jumper in the final seconds to settle the 37-33 score at the half.
 
Free throws for the Warhawks made it a one-possession game coming out of the half, Russell knotting it up with a dunk. Just as ULM struggled with turnovers in the first half, the home team was able to force nine turnovers on the Eagles as they began to form a comeback. The lead came in the form of another shot from Russell with 15 minutes to go, the Warhawks going on a tear of shooting five-of-seven to keep it tight.
 
Tyren Moore of Georgia Southern hit a triple to give the lead back to the visitors, but Dylan Diaz came from behind in the second half to fight for ULM. Diaz totaled 10 points, including two triples as the clock wound down. The lead came in ULM's favor with six minutes on the clock as Diaz hit his second three-pointer of the day. But the Eagles matched the three to hold on. Sondors then made a shot from beyond the arc with less than two minutes left to swing the pendulum right back in the Warhawk favor. But a run in the final seconds set up another victory for the Eagles, 79-76.
 
ULM will remain in Northeast Louisiana, next taking on Coastal Carolina. For more information about the changing schedule, visit our website or our social media channels.