TROY, Ala. – The ULM men's basketball team (4-27, 1-17 Sun Belt) dropped its final contest of the 2025-26 season with an 80-65 loss to Troy (20-11, 12-6 Sun Belt) Friday evening.
 
The Trojans used a 57.14% shooting performance in the second half to pull away in the game. The Warhawks couldn't find answers as they shot 40 percent overall.
 
Troy started with the advantage, coming out with a 5-2 lead. ULM responded with a Micah Caster triple and a layup to take control before a Trojan layup tied things up at the first timeout. Renars Sondors drilled a three-point shot to give ULM control at 10-7.
 
Two layups by Lavell Brodnex and another three-pointer from Sondors put the Warhawks at a 17-12 advantage. Over the next six minutes, Troy dominated with a combined 20-3 scoring run to lead by 12.
 
A 9-4 Warhawk run brought them within two scores at 1:27 remaining, and outside of two Trojan free throws, the game remained scoreless the rest of the half. Troy held an eight-point 37-29 lead at the break.
 
Both teams traded baskets to start the second half before free throws from Brodnex and Caster put ULM within two scores. After a Troy layup, Brodnex made a jumper, and Krystian Lewis shot a triple to make it a one-possession game with 15:20 on the clock.
 
Lewis attempted and made two more layups to decrease the deficit to a single point. The Trojans answered with an 11-2 scoring run to pull ahead 55-45 with ten minutes to go. After an MJ Russell layup, the home team put together six more points to make it a 14-point contest.
 
Two threes by Austin Cross and Victor Valdes put the Trojans up 67-49. Both teams were even for the next four minutes, resulting in a 15-point Troy lead with 3:51 left. A Caster three-pointer put ULM within 14, its closest margin for the rest of the contest. The final score presented a 15-point Trojan victory.
 
Five Warhawks scored double-digit figures, with Brodnex leading the way with 20 points. Russell (14), Lewis (11), Caster (10) and Sondors (10) also collected double-digit points. Brodnex also led in rebounds with nine, and Russell led the team with two blocks.
 
The Warhawks are set to travel to Pensacola, Fla., next week for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.