PENSACOLA, Fla. – A historic four-game run in the Sun Belt Conference Championships was concluded for the ULM Warhawks (17-16, 7-11 Sun Belt) as the third-seeded Arkansas State Red Wolves (24-8, 14-4 Sun Belt) got off to an early lead for the victory. While ULM was able to force a comeback in the final quarter, the lead was too much to overcome. The tournament run by the 2025-26 Warhawks remains as the longest run in a conference tournament, winning three games and reaching the quarterfinals. Head coach Scotty Fletcher records a winning record in his first season, the 24th in program history.
The Red Wolves scored 28 points off Warhawk turnovers, ULM posting its own stunning number of 53 rebounds to Arkansas State's 33. Both teams shot 38%, but the Red Wolves collected 11 three-pointers in the contest to set them apart.Â
Marcavia Shavers led the team in scoring yet again with a 17-point outing, posting 10 rebounds for a 12th double-double this season. Also in double figures was Marissa Gasaway, who recorded 11 points, two blocks and eight boards. J'Mani Ingram saw nine points to pair with her career-high 12 rebounds.
Ingram dropped the first bucket of the game to claim the early lead, the Warhawk defense holding Arkansas State to shooting one-of-six early. ULM tried to find its stride with a three-pointer from Asjah Inniss, but the Red Wolves were able to respond, on their way to nine triples in the first half. Four turnovers throughout the first quarter allowed for ASU to capitalize and secure a lead they would refuse to lose in the first 20 minutes. Keshunti Nichols took the lead on the defense as she picked up a block to conclude the quarter, ASU ahead 20-13.
Arkansas State's full court press caused the Warhawks to struggle in the second quarter, scoring 17 points to ASU's 25. Five more triples from the Red Wolves continued to stretch the lead, even as ULM tried to string together scores. An and-one from Nichols kept it within two possessions, but another scoring run sent the Red Wolves into a double-digit edge, closing the first half, 45-30.
The Warhawks entered the third quarter prepared for a fight, Shavers taking the lead in carrying a comeback. ULM was given a handful of chances from four turnovers from the Red Wolves, Kamille Brown collecting an and-one to keep chipping away. As ULM continued to find opportunities, Arkansas State found their own, as the third quarter ended with a 64-48 score.
The heat was turned up in the fourth as ULM was able to string together a 12-0 run to open the fourth, getting it to a two-possession game. Multiple players from both squads were entering foul trouble as free throws became the name of the game. In a continued fight to close the gap, Jazmine Jackson hit a triple–after the team went without one for two quarters–to make it a four-point game as the clock wound down. The Warhawks forced Arkansas State to shoot three-of-14 in the final quarter on the run, but two fouls brought free throws into the mix as the third-seeded Red Wolves secured the 76-68 victory and a trip to the semifinals.
