Box Score MONROE, La. – UALR's (6-10, 1-5 SBC) offense was unable to get into any sort of consistent rhythm in a 64-52 loss to ULM (11-6, 5-1 SBC) at Fant-Ewing Coliseum on Saturday. The Warhawks held the Trojans to a season-low 28.8 percent shooting from the floor and just 20.0 percent from 3-point range.
Josh Hagins was the only UALR player to finish in double figures, scoring 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting to go along with five rebounds. Gus Leeper got the start in the place of the injured James White and scored eight points on 3-of-9 shooting. Maurius Hill came off the bench to grab seven rebounds.
ULM made 10 of its 18 shots after halftime (55.6 percent) to swell a nine-point halftime lead to 16 midway through the second half. After struggling from the floor for much of the game, UALR began to hit shots and fought back in the closing minutes. For the first time since the 12:06 mark of the second half, the Trojans narrowed the margin to single digits when a Hagins bucket with 1:22 to go made it 57-49. Nick Coppola hit two free throws on ULM's next possession, but Hagins drained a 3 on UALR's next trip to make it a seven-point game with 1:14 to play.
UALR would get no closer, however, as the Warhawks made five of their final six free throws while forcing the Trojans' offense into empty possessions the rest of the way.
ULM finished the game shooting 44.7 percent from the floor and boasted a 28-16 scoring advantage in the paint. Majok Deng finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds, and Coppola (15) and Tylor Ongwae (13) combined for 28 points.
Leading by nine at intermission, ULM opened the second half with a 10-4 run to build a 15-point lead, 38-23, by the time of the first media timeout. UALR came back with a 7-0 run of its own over the next three minutes, pulling with eight at 38-30 following two Roger Woods free throws with 12:30 to play. But the Warhawks responded with an 8-0 run of their own, growing the lead to 16 on a triple by Coppola with 11:02 left in regulation.
Leeper connected on an elbow jumper to give UALR a quick 2-0 lead, but the Trojans missed their next eight shots from the floor while slipping into an 11-4 deficit. Hagins ended the drought with a runner in the lane, then found James Reid for an open corner 3 on the next possession to pull UALR within 11-9 with 12 minutes to play in the half.
But UALR's offensive burst would end there, as ULM would go on to score the next eight points as part of a 13-2 run that left UALR facing a 24-11 deficit with a little over five minutes to play in the half.
Down 28-13, UALR closed the first half on a 6-0 run to pull within single digits.
Hagins hit from the baseline with 3:01 left in the half before both teams went nearly two minutes without a field goal. DeVonte Smith muscled his way inside for a bucket that made it an 11-point game at the 1:14 mark. Hagins got into the paint for the final basket of the half to make it 28-19 at the break.
UALR returns to action Monday at South Alabama. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m.
