JONESBORO, Ark. – The ULM men's basketball team (4-21, 1-11 Sun Belt) hits the road to Jonesboro for a Sun Belt Conference matchup with Arkansas State (15-10, 6-6 Sun Belt). Wednesday's game takes place at First National Bank Arena with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
SERIES HISTORY –
The Warhawks and Red Wolves battle for the 83rd time in series history. The latter has taken the last three contests including both matchups in the 2025 season, winning 94-67 in the regular season finale on Feb. 28, 2025. ULM last defeated Arkansas State in 2024 with a 85-82 overtime win. The last win in Jonesboro came in 2022 with a 84-72 Warhawk victory.
SCOUTING THE RED WOLVES –
Arkansas State comes into Wednesday's matchup on a high note with a 91-54 victory of Bowling Green in the SBC-MAC Challenge. However, the team is 1-3 in the past four conference games. The Red Wolves stand at seventh in the conference with a 6-6 record, a half game behind Coastal Carolina and Texas State. Christian Harmon leads the team in scoring with 12.1 points per game while Matt Hayman also averages double-digit figures (11.9 ppg). Leading in boards is Jalen Hampton with 8.3 per game and leading with 4.4 assists per game is Chandler Jackson.
LEADING THE TEAM –
Four Warhawks average over 10 points per game, with Krystian Lewis leading the pack with 17.4 ppg. He currently holds a streak of four 20+-point games from January 30 through February 7, most recently collecting 26 points vs. Ball State. He also leads the team in assists (3.1) and steals (1.6). MJ Russell (16.0), Lavell Brodnex (13.8) and Renars Sondors (10.8) also post double-digit scoring averages this season.
BRODNEX BOARDS –
Lavell Brodnex has been leading the charge in rebounding since his debut for ULM on November 13, averaging 8.7 boards per game. With his double-digit scoring average, Brodnex has posted eight double-doubles so far this season, which is second in the Sun Belt. The forward reached a career-high 18 rebounds against Arkansas Baptist, the second-most recorded by a Sun Belt player this season.
COLLECTING MINUTES –
MJ Russell and Krystian Lewis, ULM's scoring leaders, also lead the Sun Belt with the most playing time per game. Russell averages just under 36 minutes per game to rank second in the league and 26th in the NCAA. Lewis is closely behind at 35.5 minutes, placing him third in the conference and 32nd in the NCAA.
FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE –
The Warhawks have attempted double-digit free throws in 23 of their 25 contests, attempting a whopping 41 free throws against Arkansas Baptist on December 9, making 31. The 41 attempted free throws is the second-most attempted by a Sun Belt team this season. 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 sits leads the Sun Belt and is ranked eighth nationally with 148 free throws made.
FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS –
Wednesday'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 Warhawks continue conference play on the road with a Saturday game in San Marcos against Texas State at 2 p.m.
