MONROE, La.– The ULM women's basketball team (14-14, 7-10 Sun Belt) battled through adversity much of the night to eventually overtake Texas State (11-17, 7-10 Sun Belt) 83-74. The Warhawks outscored the Bobcats 43-20 from the midway point of the third quarter to secure 10 regular season wins at home for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
Jazmine Jackson led the charge on the night for ULM as she finished the game with a career high 34 points on a career best 11-of-14 shooting from the field and was two three-pointers away from tying the single-game program mark as she knocked down a career high of seven on nine attempts. Jackson is now one of 13 players to score 34 points or more in a game in program history and it's the most points scored by a Warhawk player in any game this season.
The Warhawks started strong scoring three of the first four baskets of the game but Texas State would put together a 5-0 run to take the lead. Jackson's first three-pointer restored the lead for the hosts momentarily as the Bobcats compiled an 8-0 run inside the paint to take a seven-point lead.
Nakiyah Mays-Prince knocked down a pair of jumpers to help eventually cut the deficit to four after one quarter of play.
After another three from Jackson was answered by one from the Bobcats, the Warhawks started to push the initiative inside as
Marcavia Shavers and
Keshunti Nichols were the catalysts of a 13-2 run by ULM that put themselves up by seven. Turnovers and poor shooting would plague the home side for the rest of the quarter as Texas State reestablished themselves with a 12-2 run to take a three-point lead into halftime.
ULM were unable to sync their offense and defense to start the third quarter as Texas State continued to frustrate them at both ends. A 10-2 run by the visitors was punctuated by a three-pointers that gave them the biggest lead of the game at 14 points with just over four minutes left in the third quarter.
Back-to-back driving layups by Mays-Prince helped get the Warhawks going and they were soon followed by a pair of three-pointers from Jackson. A steal and a breakaway layup by Nichols would cap off an emphatic 14-0 run by ULM to tie the game at 54 and a layup by Jackson set up by a steal from
J'Mani Ingram would answer a pair of free throws by the visitors to close the quarter.
Back-to-back baskets by Jackson and Ingram would put the Warhawks up at the beginning of the fourth quarter but Texas State continued to hang around. Shavers would get loose inside for another basket before Jackson once again stepped up to knock down back-to-back three-point attempts with the latter off an offensive rebound after an initial steal by Mays-Prince. Jackson would push the lead back to 11 with her final three-pointer of the night off a setup by Ingram. The Bobcats made things interesting with an 8-0 run to get within four points but the Warhawks managed to close out the game at the free-throw line.
Nichols finished the game with a season high of 13 points while adding eight rebounds, three steals and two assists. Mays-Prince added 12 points along with a team high seven assists and five steals. Shavers chipped in with 10 points and eight rebounds as ULM out-rebounded Texas State 43-30.
ULM will wrap up the regular season on Friday when they host Southern Miss (Feb. 27). Tipoff from Fant-Ewing Coliseum is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.
