The ULM men’s basketball team (2-3) won its second home game against Ecclesia on Nov. 14. The victory ended the Warhawks’ three-game losing streak.
The game marked the second meeting between the Warhawks and the Royals. ULM came out on top in its first matchup last season, winning 103-74.
Guard Jalen Bolden set the tone early, shooting the first three-pointer of the game. The Royals retaliated with a quick triple. Senior Tyreese Watson intercepted a pass, took it down the court and finished with a layup, giving ULM a double-digit lead. The Warhawks dominated the first half, closing it out with a 10-0 scoring run.
Head coach Keith Richard emphasized the importance of improved ball movement throughout the game.
“One of the areas we wanted to improve was assist total. Coming to this game, we had more turnovers than assists on the season,” Richard said. “We tried to create more opportunities to share the ball for buckets. We had 42 field goals tonight on 31 assists. That’s pretty good.”
The Warhawks carried their momentum into the second half. Within the first four minutes, forward Renars Sondors and guard Coltie Young netted back-to-back three-pointers. Consecutive plays from Bolden and Willis increased the Warhawks’ lead to 80-33. In the last play of the game, sophomore Ajay Tew hit a jump shot to seal ULM’s 110-48 victory.
Ecclesia struggled with limited players while ULM utilized the depth of its roster, bringing on new players when needed. This flexibility allowed ULM to maintain its intensity throughout the game.
“We have four new players this season,” Richard said. “They are here to help us with three pointers. They did show it tonight.”
ULM forward Makai Willis led the way, sinking a season high 18 points. He also recorded four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Similarly, Young and Sondors made four three-pointers each. Hancock scored three points while Bolden handed out four assists with four rebounds.
Defensively, ULM limited Ecclesia to just 25% shooting from the field.
Coming off a three-game losing streak, the Warhawks aim to adjust and prepare for tougher games ahead.
“The games from this point forward, what I call are 50-50,” Richard said. “All of the games onward from here are like league games or conference games. That’s a good preparation for us for the league game.”
The Warhawks will face Northwestern State on Nov. 22.
