GAME
BASICS
ULM (3-10, 2-6 SBC)
wraps up a two-game road trip at Arkansas State (10-7, 4-4 SBC) on Saturday at
7:05 p.m. inside the Convocation Center. The Warhawks dropped the first leg of
the trip on Thursday at South Alabama, 71-56. The Red Wolves have had a full
week off following a 61-56 loss at UL-Lafayette last Saturday. Saturday's game
can be heard locally on KLIP 105.3 FM in Monroe or online at ulmwarhawks.com,
with Nick White calling the action.
LAST
GAME: SOUTH ALABAMA RECAP
• South
Alabama pulled away in the second half for a 71-56 victory over ULM on Thursday
inside the Mitchell Center. It marked the third straight victory for South
Alabama over ULM and the second this season.
• South
Alabama used runs of 13-2 and 13-3 in the second half to break open what was a
close game throughout the first half. The Jaguars shot 62.5 percent in the
second half and scored 20 of their 44 second-half points off ULM turnovers.
• Junior
guard Marcelis Hansberry scored a season-high 16 points on 7-of-9
shooting to pace the Warhawks, who shot 55.6 percent in the second half and
47.7 percent for the game. ULM was 9-of-11 from inside the 3-point line in the
second half and just 1-of-7 from 3-point range.
• Junior
guard Amos Olatayo had his string of four straight double-digit scoring
games snapped as he finished with nine points and six rebounds. The Alief,
Texas, native had been averaging 19 points per game during that stretch.
• Hansberry
scored 12 points in the first half and keyed a 13-0 run that gave the Warhawks
their first lead of the game at 22-20 with just over five minutes to play
before halftime. ULM looked to be headed to the half with a lead, but South
Alabama's Freddie Goldstein nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the
game at 27 at the break.
• The
Jaguars carried the momentum into the second half with a 13-2 run to take the
lead for good. Augustine Rubit scored a game-high 23 points and pulled
down nine rebounds off the bench to pace four South Alabama players in double
figures. Goldstein chipped in 16 points, including five 3-pointers.
• Both
teams finished with 20 turnovers; however South Alabama took advantage with a
24-14 edge in points off turnovers.
ULM TRENDS
• ULM ranks 11th in the Sun Belt in scoring with an average
of 58.9 points per game. The Warhawks are shooting 42 percent from the field,
34.5 percent from 3-point range and 60.4 percent from the free-throw line. ULM
also ranks third in the conference in assists per game (12.1), sixth in steals
per game (7.6) and eighth in 3-point makes per game (5.9).
• The
Warhawk defense has allowed 70-plus points just five times this season,
including Thursday against South Alabama. ULM ranks ninth in the Sun Belt in
scoring defense, giving up an average of 69.9 points per game.
• ULM
has had a balanced scoring attack this season with five players averaging at
least 8.4 points per game. Seven different ULM players have scored in double
figures at least once this season and three different players have registered
at least 20 points.
• Junior
Amos Olatayo ranks 11th in the Sun Belt in both scoring (14.0 ppg) and
field-goal percentage (.495). Olatayo is averaging 17.0 points and shooting
57.4 percent (31-of-54) from the field, 31.6 percent (6-of-19) from 3-point
range and 68.0 percent (17-of-25) from the free-throw line over ULM's last five
games. Olatayo was named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Player of the
Week after scoring a career-high 24 points last week against Middle Tennessee.
• Sophomore
Trent Mackey ranks second on the team in scoring with 10.5 points per
game and is the Warhawks' top 3-point shooter with 35 makes from deep this
season. Mackey ranks sixth in the Sun Belt in 3-point percentage (.402) and
fifth in 3-point makes per game (2.5). Mackey has made 77 career 3-pointers in
a season and a half at ULM.
• Junior
Jayon James is averaging 9.9 points per game and ranks ninth in the Sun
Belt in rebounds per game (6.9) and fourth in assists per game (4.4). James has
struggled during ULM's three-game losing streak, averaging just 5.3 points and
3.0 rebounds per game during that stretch.
•
Junior Marcelis Hansberry has had the best offensive production of his
career this season as he leads the Warhawks with seven double-figure scoring
games and is averaging 8.4 points per game. Hansberry has scored in double
figures in five of ULM's last seven games and is shooting 57.1 percent
(28-of-49) from the field during that stretch. Hansberry averaged 4.9 points
per game in his first two seasons at ULM.
• Junior
R.J. McCray has started 13 straight games at the point guard position
for ULM and is averaging 8.4 points and 2.5 assists per game this season.
McCray has scored in double figures six times this season after notching double
figures just three times in his first two seasons with the Warhawks.
• The
Warhawks do not have a regular starter back from last season and returned just
28 percent of their scoring and 24 percent of their rebounding from a season
ago.
PREVIEWING ARKANSAS
STATE
• Arkansas
State is coming off a 61-56 loss at UL-Lafayette last Saturday in which it shot
just 34.6 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from 3-point range. The Red
Wolves have dropped two straight in conference play after starting 4-2 with
wins over UL-Lafayette (87-70), South Alabama (63-54), Middle Tennessee (66-60
OT) and Western Kentucky (75-61).
• Arkansas
State ranks fourth in the Sun Belt in scoring offense (69.5 ppg), third in
scoring defense (64.9 ppg) and second in scoring margin (+4.6). The Red Wolves
are shooting 41.1 percent from the field, 31.3 percent from 3-point range and
64.8 percent from the free-throw line this season.
• Ed Townsel leads
the Red Wolves and ranks third in the Sun Belt in scoring with 15.6 points per
game. Townsel is shooting 39.7 percent (91-of-222) from the field, 37.6 percent
(47-of-125) from 3-point range and 73.5 percent (36-of-49) from the free-throw
line. Brandon Peterson is the only other ASU player to average double
figures with 11.0 points and a team-high 9.3 rebounds per game.
• John Brady
has compiled a 71-73 record in his five seasons as the head coach at Arkansas
State. Prior to taking over in Jonesboro, Brady spent 11 seasons as the head
coach at LSU (1997-2008), where he won 192 games and took the Tigers to the
2006 NCAA Final Four. Brady also coached six seasons at Samford (1991-97).
Brady has an overall record of 352-289 in 22 seasons as a Division I head
coach.
ULM-ARKANSAS STATE
SERIES
ULM is 21-30 all-time against Arkansas in a series that
dates back to 1955. The Red Wolves have won five straight in the series and 12
of the previous 14 meetings. ASU swept the Warhawks last season with a 65-63
victory in Monroe on Dec. 31, 2011, and a 72-64 triumph in Jonesboro on Feb. 2,
2012. The Warhawks last victory in Jonesboro came on March 5, 1985 - a 70-62
victory.
LAST MEETING AGAINST
ARKANSAS STATE (Feb. 2, 2012)
• Arkansas
State held off a late rally by ULM for a 72-64 victory inside the Convocation
Center. The Warhawks trailed by as many as 19 in the second half, but mounted a
comeback in the final minutes with their starters on the bench.
• Marcelis Hansberry
scored a then-career-high 15 points off the bench to lead the way for ULM. Fabio
Ribeiro also came off the bench to provide 13 points and six rebounds. The
ULM starters combined for just 18 points in the game.
•
ULM used a 19-3 run midway through the second half, capped by a layup from
Hansberry, to cut the ASU lead to 52-49 with 7:16 remaining. The Red Wolves
answered with eight straight points - all from Adam Sterrenberg - to
push its lead back to double figures.
• Sterrenberg
and Ed Townsel each finished with 18 points to lead Arkansas State. The
duo combined to make nine of the Red Wolves' 10 3-pointers in the game.
• ULM
shot just 36.9 percent from the field, while Arkansas State finished at 46.9
percent for the game.
UP NEXT
The Warhawks have a week off before returning home to
face Troy on Saturday (Jan. 26) at 4 p.m. inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
