MONROE, La -- ULM Women's Basketball (0-4) will travel to Tennessee Tech (2-2) for a Saturday battle against the Golden Eagles with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
Tennessee Tech won the first ever meeting between the two programs last season, 68-64. The Warhawks dropped its fourth game of the season at home against Lamar, 72-50. ULM's losing streak now sits at eight games dating back to last season.
TICKET INFORMATION
The ULM Athletic Department ticket office now offers a basketball flex pack for just $75 which includes 10 general admission tickets that are good for any home game. Lower level reserved season tickets are available for $150. The ULM frequent flyer pass is also still available for $125. The frequent flyer pass is good for general admission seating to all home Warhawk men's and women's basketball and baseball games during the 2012-13 school year. ULM faculty and staff can purchase lower level reserved tickets for a reduced price of $120 or a frequent flyer pass for $100.
AROUND THE SUN BELT
Off to a perfect 3-0 overall and 1-0 record in Sun Belt Women's Basketball play, WKU will put its undefeated mark on the line as it hosts Illinois State on Saturday. Chastity Gooch posted her third double-double in as many games to lead the Lady Toppers to a 62-56 win in its SBC opener over FIU. WKU forced 21 turnovers and collected 15 steals which turned into 20 critical points. The Lady Toppers also recorded 32 points in the paint to solidify the victory. WKU's Chasity Gooch was named Player of the Week after averaging 14.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.0 steals per game.
A LOOK AT THE WARHAWKS
ULM has started 0-4 after starting 0-8 last season. Three of the team's first four games this season are against Southland Conference programs. Ashleigh Simmons turned in a double-double at Nicholls State with 22 points and 12 rebounds, both career-highs. It was the first double-double for the Warhawks since Larrie Williams at Northwestern State (12/21/11) and Simmons is now the second player on the roster to accomplish the feat. Alexar Tugler did it with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the same game as Williams. Christina Gray collected a career-high 10 points at Nicholls State including a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. ULM is 0-2 this season when dishing out more assists than its opponent. The program is six wins away from 600 all-time victories. Mona Martin needs eight wins for 250. ULM is five home wins away from 300 victories inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum. ULM fell to 0-4 with a 72-50 defeat against Lamar.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Tennessee Tech is 2-2 this season and have alternated wins and losses. The Golden Eagles are coming off an overtime loss to Middle Tennessee, 65-59. TTU has wins over Tennessee Wesleyan and Rice with the other loss coming against Akron. In the loss to MTSU, Diamond Henderson scored 16 points to led TTU while Kylie Cook and Jala Harris each chipped in nine. The Golden Eagles led by as many as six in the second half over the Sun Belt power but were outscored 9-3 in the extra session. Head Coach Jim Davis (Tennessee Wesleyan, 1970) is in his first season at helm of the program but carried a 374-205 career record into Cookeville, Tenn. Last season, TTU went 17-17 with an 11-5 mark in OVC play and this team returns four starters and eight letterwinners from that team.
WARHAWK TO WATCH
Freshman forward Alayshia Hunter (Killeen, Texas / Ellison HS) broke into the starting lineup against Lamar and led the team with 13 points and continued to do what she was brought to ULM for, rebound, as she pulled down six boards. On the season she has 17 rebounds in 65 minutes of action. In her first collegiate action, she scored 18 points and collected 11 rebounds in an exhibition win over Louisiana College.
LAST TIME OUT
ULM (0-4) was unable to hold onto an early first half lead and fell to Lamar (4-1), 72-50, on Wednesday afternoon. Alayshia Hunter led the way with 13 points and six rebounds. Ashleigh Simmons pulled down nine rebounds. Kalis Loyd paced Lamar with 21 points, nine steals, seven steals and four rebounds. ULM led by as many as eight in the first half before a late first half run and an impressive second half from Lamar gave them the easy win.
REPLACING THREE SENIORS
The Warhawks will need to replace 1,000-point scorer (1,078) Larrie Williams, the second most assists in a career (452) from Elizabeth Torres and 28 career starts and the teams leading rebounder (6.2 per game) in 2011-12, Marion Zollicoffer.
INCONSISTENT PLAY
Last season, the Warhawks started 0-8 before picking up its first win at home against Nicholls State on Dec. 3. After that slow start, ULM went 8-13 the rest of the way including a three-game winning streak to end 2011. Towards the end of the season, the Warhawks won four of six including a 66-35 thrashing of UL-Lafayette on Jan. 28.
SUN BELT CHANGES
This season, the Sun Belt schedule structure will change as Denver exits to join the WAC, leaving the Sun Belt with 10 members. Each team will play 20 SBC games, twice against each member. The Sun Belt will change again in 2013-14 as Georgia State, UT-Arlington and Texas State join the league.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Ashleigh Simmons turned in a double-double at Nicholls State with 22 points and 12 rebounds, both career-highs. It was the first double-double for the Warhawks since Larrie Williams at Northwestern State (12/21/11) and Simmons is now the second player on the roster to accomplish the feat. Alexar Tugler did it with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the same game as Williams.
WARHAWK NEWCOMERS
The ULM roster well welcome three newcomers for the 2012-13 season. Alayshia Hunter, Ashley Aune and Jasmine Taylor will wear Maroon & Gold for the the first time. Hunter joins the team out of Killeen, Texas and Ellison High School where she was an All-State selection in 2011 and 2012. Aune is from Church Point, La. and Sacred Heart High School where she finished her prep career with 1,158 points. Taylor is from Denton, Texas and Denton High School where she averaged 14.0 points per game and was a First Team All-District selection. All three made their debut at SFA.
SUN BELT IN POSTSEASON
Four Sun Belt teams played in postseason tournaments in 2011-12. UALR won the league's automatic bid by winning the Sun Belt Championship, 71-70, in overtime against Middle Tennessee. The Trojans fell in the first round to three seed Delaware, 73-42. Middle Tennessee also made the tournament as an at-large team and lost to seven seed Vanderbilt, 60-46. Both FIU and Florida Atlantic appeared in the WNIT and combined for a 1-2 record with the Panthers defeating Stetson, 75-47. The Sun Belt has 64 total NCAA Tournament wins including a national championship (Old Dominion, 1985) and has sent at least two teams to the NCAA Tournament four out of the last six years, including the last two seasons.
2011-12 HIGHLIGHTS
The Dec. 29 victory over Western Kentucky was just the fourth time in 11 attempts that the Warhawks have beaten the Hilltoppers and just the second time since 1986. The 58-54 win over Sun Belt Tournament Champion UALR on Jan. 12 was just the the third ever over the Trojans and the the first since 2006. The biggest win in terms of points came at home against UL-Lafayette on Jan. 28 with a 66-35 win over the Ragin' Cajuns.
Larrie Williams had her share of individual highlights last season including surpassing the 1,000 point barrier. She scored 28 points at Southern Miss on Dec. 10, the team-high for the season. She eclipsed the 20-point mark on five occasions in 2011-12.
Marion Zollicoffer pulled down a season-high 13 rebounds at UL-Lafayette on Feb. 25 and Elizabeth Torres dished out a season-high 11 assists against UMKC on Nov. 26. Jasmine Shaw collected a season-high five steals against UL-Lafayette on Jan. 28.
OVERTIME SUCCESS
ULM played in two overtime games last season, losing to UMKC and winning at North Texas, moving its all-time overtime record to 18-16. The Warhawks are 17-15 in single-overtime games and 1-1 in double-overtime contests. At home, ULM is 5-6 in overtime games and 13-10 on the road.
SEASON OPENERS
In the Mona Martin era, ULM is now 7-11 in season openers including 5-3 at home and 2-8 on the road. One season-opening loss was in overtime in Coach Martin's second season at South Alabama, 70-67. Dating back to its first season in 1974-75, ULM is 22-18 in season-openers. The Warhawks won eight straight games to begin the season from 1984 to 1990. The longest season-opening losing streak is five from 1998 to 2002 and now have lost their last two.
HOME OPENERS
All-time ULM is now 23-16 in home openers. Under Coach Martin, ULM is 11-7 in home openers.
UP NEXT
ULM will return to Monroe to open Sun Belt play with Western Kentucky as part of a doubleheader with the men also hosting the Hilltoppers. WKU and ULM have met 15 previous times and, ULM trails the series 11-4. The two teams split last season, with WKU's win coming in the SBC Tournament, ending ULM's season.
ULM & KOMEN FOR THE CURE
ULM student-athletes and coaching staff have teamed up again with Susan G. Komen for the Cure's fundraising efforts. The team spent a weekend in the summer at the Pecanland Mall promoting the 19th Annual Northeast Louisiana Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, which took place Sept. 29 at Forsythe Park in Monroe. In addition, the team handed out brochures promoting the event as well the Nov. 3 football game against UL-Lafayette. Tickets to that game were sold at the race for $10, with a portion of the proceeds going to breast cancer research. That football game will be a Pink Out and fans were encouraged to wear pink in recognition of those impacted by breast cancer.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL REUNION
The ULM Women's Basketball family held a reunion on Oct. 26-27. Events included a party at the ULM SUB Ballroom, an “Old Timers Game” and a Tailgate Party prior to the football game against South Alabama. Notable returnees included former coaches Linda Harper and Roger Stockton and nearly 50 former players including the program's all-time leading scorer Lisa Ingram.
FOLLOWING THE WARHAWKS
Fans can follow along with Warhawk Women's Basketball several ways. Live audio and video are available for select home contests on ULMWarhawks.com via subscription. Select ULM Women's Basketball games will be aired on either 1680 AM or 105.3 FM with the voice of Warhawk basketball, Nick White. Follow ULM Athletics on Twitter on @ULMWarhawks and on Facebook at ULM Warhawks.
