THE BASICS
Teams: ULM (4-15, 1-7 SBC)
Arkansas State (4-16, 2-6 SBC)
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Monroe, La. (Fant-Ewing Coliseum)
Video - Audio - Stats
Monroe, La. - The ULM women's basketball team closes the week inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum on Saturday against Arkansas State as the teams join the Sun Belt Conference in rallying together to show support for Appalachian State women's basketball head coach Angel Elderkin during Coaches vs Cancer week.
NOTABLES
Last Time Out: ULM fell 92-47 to top-ranked SBC team Little Rock on Thursday night inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum as the Trojans shot 67.9 percent from the field, including a stretch where the visitors hit 23 of 25 shots between the second and third quarters combined. Up two after the opening quarter, the Warhawks saw the Trojans shoot 11-for-11 from the floor in the second quarter as the visitors took a 13-point lead into the halftime break. Little Rock came out in the third quarter and hit 13 of its 15 shots in the frame to open up the lead.
Coaches vs Cancer: The ULM coaching staffs are joining fellow coaching staffs throughout the country in trading their dress shoes for basketball sneakers as part of Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week during this week's games. The nationwide Suits and Sneakers Week unites basketball coaches across the country for a common cause – saving lives from cancer. Coaching staffs wear sneakers with their suits while coaching games to raise awareness about the fight against cancer, share the importance of nutrition and physical activity in reducing one's risk of the disease and promote the American Cancer Society as a place for people facing cancer to turn for free information, help, and support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Supporting one of our own: In addition, the Sun Belt Conference is coming together to raise awareness and donations in support of Appalachian State women's basketball head coach Angel Elderkin's fight against endometrial cancer at this weekend's game on Thursday and Saturday.
Last time vs Arkansas State: The teams met earlier this season in Jonesboro to Sun Belt conference play. The Warhawks were unable to keep pace with Arkansas State in the second half as the host Red Wolves handed the Warhawks a 71-56 defeat. Arkansas State shot 42.8 percent (12-of-28) in the second half to pull away from what was a tied game at the half. The teams went to the locker rooms tied at the half, but early in the third quarter ASU went on a 9-0 run to push out to a 14-point lead. The Red Wolves would maintain that lead throughout the rest of the night.
Home Court: ULM plays six of its 10 remaining regular season games at home (including Arkansas State). Following Saturday's game, the Warhawks also host Troy (Feb. 9), South Alabama (Feb. 11), Louisiana-Lafayette (Feb. 18), UTA (March 2) and Texas State (March 4) inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
Opponent: ASU is only one slot above the Warhawks in the SBC standings, holding only one more conference win that ULM. The two conference wins that the Red Wolves have gained have been against ULM and South Alabama. Dominique Oliver leads the Red Wolves in five different categories: points (216), free throws (73), assists (62), steals (30) and average minutes (35.2).
FROM COACH DOW
Setting the scene: It's a big game for us as we try to avenge the earlier defeat at Arkansas State in the opening game of conference play. It's important for us to get a split for needing a win but also to move up in the Sun Belt standings.
About Arkansas State: They are a unique team in terms of what they like to do offensively. A lot of the time they are playing four guards on the floor and one post player. There are a lot of players that can attack off the dribble, but at the same time they are very good from the three-point range. They are shooting 38 percent from three in Sun Belt play. That's a very impressive percentage so we have to be able to stop their drives but we have to be out on their perimeter shooters as well.
