PENSACOLA, Fla. – The ULM men's basketball team (4-27, 1-17 Sun Belt) takes on the Sun Belt Conference Championship with a Tuesday night matchup against 11-seeded Old Dominion (11-20, 7-11 Sun Belt) at 7:30 p.m. at the Pensacola Bay Center.

SERIES HISTORY – 

The Warhawks and Monarchs face off for just the fourth time in series history with the former having the 2-1 advantage in the all-time record. ULM defeated ODU 85-79 on Feb. 4 for its only conference win of the 2026 season in Norfolk. Old Dominion last beat the Warhawks in an 80-75 overtime thriller in Monroe in December of 2024. ULM has never faced ODU in neutral territory.

SCOUTING THE MONARCHS –

Old Dominion finished the 2026 regular season at 11-20 overall with a Sun Belt record of 7-11. They ended the season on a winning note with an 81-73 victory over Georgia State and stand at 11th in the conference. The Monarchs are led in scoring by Ketron Shaw who has averaged 17.1 points per game on the year. Jordan Battle (14.6) and LJ Thomas (11.4) also have produced double-digit averages in scoring. ODU is led in rebounding by Caelum Swanton-Rodger with 5.0 boards per game and in assists by Thomas with 3.2 per game. 

WARHAWKS IN THE POSTSEASON – 

The Warhawks will be competing in Pensacola, Fla. for the sixth season with an 0-5 record. In the Sun Belt Tournament, ULM holds a 7-17 record dating back to the 2006-07 season. The Warhawks last claimed a conference tournament title in 1996. ULM has also seen action in other postseason tournaments as well, competing in the CIT in 2019 and the CBI in 2015.

LEADING THE TEAM –

Four Warhawks average over 10 points per game, with Krystian Lewis leading the pack at 18.1 ppg. He held a streak of five 20+-point games from January 30 through February 11, collecting 32 points at Arkansas State, and recently totaled a career-high 33 points vs. Arkansas State. He also leads the team in assists (3.3) and steals (1.5). MJ Russell (15.3), Lavell Brodnex (14.6) and Renars Sondors (10.7) 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 8.2 boards per game. With his double-digit scoring average, Brodnex has posted nine double-doubles so far this season, which is fourth 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. Lewis averages over 36 minutes per game to rank third in the  league and 26th in the NCAA. Russell is closely behind at 35.8 minutes, placing him fifth in the conference and 39th in the NCAA.

FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE – 

The Warhawks have attempted double-digit free throws in 29 of their 31 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 at second in the Sun Belt and is ranked tenth nationally with 178 free throws made.

1K FOR BRODNEX –

Lavell Brodnex is the most recent of ULM men's basketball players to cross the 1,000-point threshold, achieving the milestone against Texas State in a 23-point showing. The Saginaw, Mich., native drilled a three with 43 seconds remaining in the first half to reach the milestone. The forward arrives this season in Monroe after a season at Wagner College, posting eight points and two seasons at Cameron University where he tallied 800 points. Brodnex's tally in Monroe sits at 366, crossing 300 points in a 31-point showing against Texas State.

FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS –

Tuesday'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.

WHAT'S AT STAKE –

If ULM wins this game, it will advance to the next round of the Sun Belt Tournament for the first time since 2019. The Warhawks advanced to the quarterfinals in 2019, eventually falling to Georgia Southern.