The ULM women's basketball team (9-17, 7-6) puts its
two-game Sun Belt Conference winning streak on the line against Denver (17-11,
9-5) Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. inside the Magness Arena.
WILLIAMS
MAKES WARHAWK HISTORY
Senior
Larrie Williams became the 16th player in program history to score 1,000 points
in her ULM career after connecting on a two-point basket with 6:14 remaining in
the first half against South Alabama Feb. 11. The 6-2 center from Little Rock,
Ark. is the first Warhawk since LaJeanna Howard (2004-08) to surpass the
1,000-point plateau, and the fifth player to reach the millennium mark playing
for head coach Mona Martin. Williams is tied with Michelle Biley (2002-06) for
15th place on the all-time scoring list with 1,026 points.
PACK THE
PLACE PINK AND SENIOR DAY FEB. 23
ULM will
host its annual Pack the Place Pink game to promote breast cancer awareness on
Feb. 23 when Middle Tennessee travels to Fant-Ewing Coliseum at 5:30 p.m. The
Warhawks will also honor seniors Elizabeth Torres, Larrie Williams and Marion
Zollicoffer in their final home game at ULM.
SATURDAY'S
OPPONENT
Denver
enters Saturday's contest with a 17-11 record and currently sits at 9-5 in the
Sun Belt Conference West Division. The Pioneers dismantled UL-Lafayette 71-47
on Feb. 15 in their last game played. Kaetlyn Murdoch leads Denver with a 16.4
points per game average and has chipped in 43 blocked shots. Emiko Smith leads
the SBC with 185 assists, a 6.6 per game average. Head coach Erik Johnson is
70-51 in his fourth season at Denver.
THE LAST
TIME OUT
After
Desiree Nelson tied the ballgame with 2.0 seconds left in regulation to send
the game to overtime, ULM clawed its way to a 70-67 win over North Texas
Wednesday night at the Super Pit.
Sophomore
Alexar Tugler led all scorers with a career-high 19 points and added nine
rebounds. Senior Larrie Williams finished with 15 points, tying Michelle Biley
(2002-06) for 15th-place on the school's all-time scoring list.
INSIDE
THE NUMBERS
The
contest saw an astounding 11 lead changes and 11 ties, the final change swinging
in the Warhawks' favor. ULM forced 23 Mean Green miscues, converting 25 points
off turnovers.
Senior
Elizabeth Torres became the 23rd player in program history to surpass the 900-point
career scoring mark. The 5-6 guard now has 901 points as a Warhawk.
WHEN 40
MINUTES IS NOT ENOUGH
ULM went
to overtime for just the second time this season at North Texas. The Warhawks
lost a heartbreaking 76-70 decision to UMKC during the World Vision Basketball
Invitational at Texas Tech Nov. 26.
DOWN TO
THE WIRE WITH NORTH TEXAS
Both
games against North Texas this season were decided in the final 30 seconds of
regulation or overtime. Brittney Hudson's layup at the buzzer stunned ULM inside
Fant-Ewing Coliseum Jan. 15, and sophomore Alexar Tugler nailed two crucial
jumpers in extra time at the Super Pit with less than a minute to play.
A+
PERFORMANCE FROM ALEXAR
Alexar
Tugler enjoyed what was arguably her most complete game of the season at North
Texas, draining a career-high 19 points and finishing just one rebound (9) from
equally a career-best. The 5-10 guard blocked a shot and raced the length of
the court to put home a layup at the start of the second half, then logged the winning
points of the game on a deep 2-point field goal in overtime.
TORRES
HITS 900 AS A WARHAWK
Senior
Elizabeth Torres shined in the second half at North Texas, scoring 10 of her 12
points to pass Carla Vickers (1980-84) as the 23rd leading scorer in program
history. Torres is on pace to appear in the most games of any player to suit up
for the Warhawks, needing just three more games played to pass Jesse Carrier
(119, 2006-10).
LET THE
OFFENSE COME TO YOU
ULM's 23
forced turnovers at North Texas marked the ninth time this season Warhawk
opponents have turned the ball over 20 or more times. The Warhawks turned the
Mean Green's mistakes into 25 points.
FRESHMEN
STAND TALL IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY
With
seniors Marion Zollicoffer, Elizabeth Torres and Larrie Williams, along with
sophomore Ashleigh Simmons, all in foul trouble against North Texas, four
Warhawk freshmen were asked to play key roles in the second half and overtime
periods. Guard Christina Gray hit a game-tying free throw in the extra frame, and
also pulled down a key rebound and forced a steal. Center Sharnice Brooks went
2-for-2 from the field in six minutes of action to spark the ULM cause at the
start of half number two.
HOW THE
STANDINGS ARE SHAPING UP
The win
at North Texas helped solidify conference tournament seeding leverage for ULM
with three games remaining in the regular season. The Warhawks are now 7-6 in
Sun Belt Conference play and hold sole possession of third place in the West
Division. ULM closes its season against West number two Denver and East number
one Middle Tennessee (Feb. 23) before traveling to UL-Lafayette (6th in the
West) on Feb. 25 for the regular season finale.
CONFERENCE
TURNAROUND SPURRING ULM FORWARD
ULM's
2-11 non-conference mark has been erased thanks to the team's steady 7-6
treading in Sun Belt Conference games. The Warhawks are outscoring opponents
757-726 in SBC play, while shooting a better percentage from the field
(.360-.348) and free-throw line (.681-.662).
HOME
STRETCH FOR THE SENIORS
Following
Saturday's game, Feb. 23 will be the final home contest for seniors Elizabeth
Torres, Larrie Williams and Marion Zollicoffer against Middle Tennessee. With
no juniors on this season's squad, the Warhawks are not expected to have a
single senior on the roster in 2012-13.
WARHAWK
TO WATCH
Sophomore
Ashleigh Simmons quietly scored 10 points and added four rebounds and two
steals in the win at North Texas. The 6-1 forward has averaged 5.9 points and
3.9 rebounds per game through ULM's 13 conference matchups.
THE 411
ON DENVER
Denver
owns a 10-3 series advantage all-time against ULM, winning five of six meetings
between the schools in Denver. The Pioneers downed the Warhawks 52-49 Jan. 19
inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum after withstanding a nine-point second half swing in
ULM's favor. Freshman Taylor Maricle scored a career-high 11 points on 4-of-6
shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Senior Elizabeth Torres chipped
in 10 points and two steals, while fellow senior Larrie Williams added nine
points and nine rebounds.
MILESTONE
TRACKER
Larrie
Williams and Elizabeth Torres both began the season within reach of scoring
1,000 points in their respective careers. Williams reached the 1,000-point mark
against South Alabama Feb. 11 and now has 1,026 points as a Warhawk, while
Torres has scored 901 points at ULM. Torres became the fifth player in program
history to register 400 career assists at FIU (Jan. 7), and is just four
assists from moving into second place all-time in career helpers behind
All-American guard and longtime ULM associate head coach E.J. Ok.
UP NEXT
ULM hosts
Middle Tennessee at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 23. It will be the annual Pack the Place
Pink night in support of breast cancer awareness. The Warhawks will also honor
departing seniors Elizabeth Torres, Larrie Williams and Marion Zollicoffer
during halftime of the 7:30 p.m. men's game for their contributions to ULM
basketball.
