It’s not how you start but how you finish, and the Warhawks failed to do just that.

ULM Women’s Basketball (6-13; 2-6) hosted a pair of conference games this past week. After starting conference play 2-2, the Warhawks lost two-straight games going into the home stand. Breaking the streak was vital in keeping the season in stable condition. 

The first matchup featured Texas State (13-6; 5-3), with a two-game winning streak heading into the matchup. 

 The first quarter featured dominant defense by the Warhawks, holding the Bobcats to just 10 points. ULM finished the quarter with a 10-4 run, making the score 16-10. 

The Warhawks extended their lead to nine halfway through the second quarter and had control of the game. The Bobcats turned on the burners and outscored ULM 15-6 to finish the quarter. The score was tied 28-28 at halftime. 

“The second quarter was a big test for us,” head coach Brooks Donald Williams said. “We played extended minutes without Emma Merriweather, Bre Sutton and Myca Trail, who all picked up their second foul.”

The third quarter saw a back-and-forth battle, resulting in Texas State with a three-point edge at the end. The game was still within reach for the Warhawks. 

The Bobcats caught fire at the start of the fourth quarter, outscoring ULM 13-2 within the first four minutes. Despite its best effort, ULM failed to overcome the deficit and lost 64-57. 

Williams still had optimism for the team’s performance following the loss.

“We just battled one of the top teams in the league down to the wire,” Williams said. “Our team competed and did some really good things tonight.”

Katlyn Manuel led the team in scoring with 15 points and had seven rebounds. Merriweather scored 11 points and produced 11 rebounds and seven blocks. 

Saturday’s game saw ULM host a Georgia Southern team (13-4; 5-3), that recently broke its two-game losing streak with a win Thursday night.

The Warhawks once again started hot with a 10-4 lead. Instead of losing the lead in the second half, ULM chose to lose it in the first quarter and let the Eagles catch up and retain a one-point lead. 

The Warhawks never re-took the lead for the rest of the game with Georgia Southern being in complete control. The Eagles outscored ULM 26-17 in the second quarter, extending their lead at the half to 10. Despite playing close in the second half, the Warhawks couldn’t overcome the early hole and lost 86-72. 

ULM has lost four in a row, and it’ll look to turn its season around next week versus Marshall (10-9; 3-5) at home.