UL Monroe Runs Past Champion Baptist in Record Breaking Home Opener
MONROE, La. – In its first showing in front of the home crowd at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in 2014-15, the ULM men’s basketball program broke the school record for largest margin of victory in a 106-39 decision over Champion Baptist on Monday.
ULM (2-0) scored 53 points in each half and all 11 student-athletes who entered the game scored at least three points and grabbed a rebound. Junior Jamaal Samuel led the charge with a career-high 18 points and also pulled down six rebounds.
Samuel was one of four Warhawks to reach double-figures as senior Tylor Ongwae netted 16 points, junior Mack Foster 13 and senior Marvin Williams 11.
The Warhawks jumped out to an early 14-4 lead as Ongwae tallied eight points in the first four minutes. After CBC hit a three-pointer, ULM used an 8-0 run to go up 22-7 with 10:54 left.
ULM was in control the whole way and after leading 41-18, the Warhawks scored the final 12 points in the first half to go into the intermission ahead, 53-18. ULM shot an astounding .647 from the field.
The Warhawks opened the second half on a 17-2 run to go up 70-20 with 15:49 remaining in the game. They went up 91-30 on a layup by senior Chinedu Amajoyi at the 8:03 mark.
A three-pointer by Foster broke the 100-point plateau for the Warhawks with 2:39 to go. ULM closed it out with a free throw from sophomore Prince Cooper and a three-pointer from redshirt-freshman Lance Richard.
Cody Connor scored a team-high nine points for Champion Baptist.
The Warhawks will look to stay unbeaten when they hit the road to take on eighth-ranked Florida at 8:00 p.m. (EST) on Friday.
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Georgia State Falls to No. 14 Iowa State, 81-58
AMES, Iowa-Despite 21 points from junior R.J. Hunter, Georgia State fell to No. 14 Iowa State on Monday night 81-58 at Hilton Coliseum in the Panthers first game of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic.
The Cyclones held the Panthers to just 39.1 percent shooting and 5-of-19 from 3-point range, forcing the Panthers into an uncharacteristic 15 turnovers.
After earlier in the day being named to the John R. Wooden Watch List as one of the top 50 players in the country, Hunter managed to hit just 8-of-20 from the floor and 4-of-11 from 3-point range with most of his shots being contested by one if not two Cyclone defenders.
Georgia State dropped to 1-1 on the young season, while Iowa State, whom many have predicted could reach the Final Four, improved to 2-0.
“This is a tough loss,” head coach Ron Hunter said after the game. “However, I know that this team will rebound from one loss in November and move on. We have a lot of games to play and will not let one game define our season.
“I thought that Iowa State did a great job of taking us out of our rhythm. They are a very good team and I expect them to have a very good season.”
Senior Ryan Harrow added 12 points and five assists for the Panthers, while junior Markus Crider scored 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds.
All five Iowa State starters scored in double figures, led by Monte Morris who finished with 19 points, nine assists and five rebounds, knocking down 7-of-9 field goals.
Georges Niang, who was also named to the Wooden Watch List earlier in the day, added 10 points and 11 rebounds.
After trailing by as many as six early, Hunter knocked down this second 3-pointer of the game followed by a Crider dunk to give Georgia State a 21-20 lead with 7:42 to play in the opening half. Unfortunately, that was the Panthers only lead of the game.
Iowa State recaptured the lead and went into the half with a 35-29 lead. The six point difference was seen at the free throw line where the Cyclones were 7-of-11, while Georgia State was just 1-of-3. The Panthers finished the game just 3-of-5 from the line.
The Cyclones opened the second half with a 7-0 run to build a 42-29 lead with 18:00 to play.
A Hunter 3-pointer with 14:35 to play cut the lead to 49-40, but Iowa State responded with a 19-4 run to take a 68-44 lead with 8:17 to play and basically put the game out of reach.
Georgia State dropped to 3-7 against ranked opponents in the last 15 years and lost just its third road game over the last 15 contests dating back to last season.
Junior T.J. Shipes came off the bench to score six points and pull down seven rebounds before being poked in the eye before the half and being limited in the second half.
Naz Long added 17 points for Iowa State, knocking down five of the Cyclones’ eight 3-pointers.
Georgia State will now embark on a five-game, 10-day road trip that begins at Colorado State on Friday night. Tip is set for 9 p.m. ET.
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Tulsa Takes Down Cajuns
TULSA, Okla. – The UL Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns erased a double-digit halftime lead early in the second half, but a late scoring drought was too much to overcome as Tulsa picked up a 64-53 win in its home opener on Monday at the Reynolds Center.
UL Lafayette (1-1) trailed 32-21 at the half, but went on a 14-2 run to open up the second period, taking its final lead of the night on a jumper from J.J. Davenport; however, Tulsa (1-1) responded with a run of their own and held the Cajuns without a field goal for a 6:52 stretch late in the second half to pull away.
“We played poor in the first half, but came out well in the second half,” head coach Bob Marlin said following the game. “But even with all that did not go our way, we still had a chance late in the game and did not execute.”
The Cajuns were plagued throughout the night by the turnover bug, giving it up 13 times in the first half and 25 times on the night to lead to 20 Tulsa points. Shawn Long scored 12 of his team-high 15 points in the second half as the only Cajun to reach double figures.
Rashad Ray and Marquel Curtis led the Golden Hurricane with 16 points apiece, giving new head coach Frank Haith the first victory of his tenure at Tulsa.
Brian Williams had nine points and six rebounds for ULL, while Hayward Register hit two of the Cajuns’ five threes on the night for his six points. Nine Cajuns cracked the scoring column on the night.
Tiremone Williams turned in a solid outing off the bench at point guard, pulling in a team-best six boards, while also scoring four points with three rebounds and no turnovers in 21 minutes.
Turnovers hurt the Cajuns in the first half, surrendering the ball 13 times in the to lead to 10 Golden Hurricane points. UL Lafayette held a 17-13 lead at the 10:15 mark of the period, but scored just four points the remainder of the way as Tulsa ended the half on a 19-4 run.
UL Lafayette built that lead on the strength of the long ball, getting triples from Xavian Rimmer, Devonta Walker and Register; however, it had little answer for Ray, who dropped in a dozen of his game-high 16 points – including eight as part of the 19-4 run - in the opening period after not scoring in the season opener against ORU.
The Ragin’ Cajuns got going early on in the second half as a pair of buckets from Long sparked a 14-2 run that ended when Davenport canned a corner jumper on a pass from Brian Williams to go up 35-34 with 12:37 to play.
But Ray put Tulsa back in front one possession later, getting four points at the foul line thanks to a Cajun foul and a pair of shots as a result of a double technical foul. Long answered with two more scores to tie it up at 40-40, and his last bucket of the night at the 8:06 mark to pull within 46-45.
From there, though, the Golden Hurricane went on a 14-3 run over the next 6:46, holding the Cajuns without a field goal in that span and upping its lead to 12 with 1:32 to play before Register’s second three put an end to the drought.
The Ragin’ Cajuns will next travel to Auburn on Friday for a meeting with the Tigers before heading to Las Vegas next week to take on Milwaukee and Oral Roberts.
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Trojans Drop Tough Decision Against Ole Miss, 74-64
TROY, Alabama – The Troy men’s basketball team (1-1) fell to Ole Miss (1-1) 74-64 in its second largest crowd at Trojan Arena on Monday night. Freshman Wesley Person led all scorers with 25 points, 20 of which came in a second half surge. Senior Kevin Thomas recorded his first double-double of the season, the fifth of his career, as he led all on the glass with 14 rebounds and posted 13 points.
“The first thing I want to say is a huge thank you to the crowd,” said head coach Phil Cunningham. “The students were there in full force and they were enthusiastic. It was an electric atmosphere. The only thing I wish we could have changed was the outcome of the game. We are going to be a work in progress. We told the team, don’t worry, we are going to be fine. With your effort and toughness, we are going to be fine.”
Thomas opened the game with Troy’s first four points. On a hustle play, he kept the ball between the lines to give junior Chris Bilbo the opportunity to beat the buzzer to tie the game at six. After a few free throws, the Rebels went on to score nine points to take a 17-7 lead.
Troy had a hard time finding the bottom of the net, as they shot 20.7 percent in the first half. From beyond the arc, the Trojans shot a mere 13.3 percent, going 2-of-15. Thomas led all players as he tallied 11 boards in the first half alone, including seven offensive boards.
The second half was all Person as he came out on fire sinking back-to-back 3-pointers. The momentum shifted as Troy cut into Ole Miss’ lead to get within five at 36-31. Person went 5-of-8 in the second on his way to 25.
Whenever Troy was able to find some energy, Ole Miss had a response. With 1:52 remaining in the contest, Person hit a three to get Troy within nine. Then, Thomas hit two free throws to pull the Trojans within seven with 55 seconds remaining.
The Rebels quickly responded with a layup from Jarvis Summers, Ole Miss’ leading scorer. That took the wind out of the Trojans’ sail as they fell by 10 to the Rebels.
Senior Jarvis Summers, who recorded 21 points, led Ole Miss. On the boards, Sebastian Saiz led the Rebels grabbing nine boards.
On the game, the Trojans shot 32.1 percent overall. From beyond the arc, Troy shot 24.1 percent, in large part to Wesley Person, who accounted for all five of Troy’s seven 3-pointers on the night.
Next up, the Trojans hit the road for the first time as they face SEC foe Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga., on Friday, November 21. Game time is set for 6 p.m. (CT).
For more information on Troy, visit TroyTrojans.com. As always, fans can also find the Trojans on Twitter at @TroyMensHoops, Facebook, Instagram at @TroyHoops and YouTube by searching for Troy Athletics.
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A-State Men’s Basketball Falls to UT Martin in Season Opener
JONESBORO, Ark. (11/17/14) – The Arkansas State men’s basketball team jumped out to a 19-point lead in the first half against UT Martin, but the Skyhawks outscored them 52-34 in the second half as the Red Wolves lost their season opener 75-73 Monday night at the Convocation Center.
A-State (0-1) built a 39-20 advantage in the first half after a Sean Gardner three-pointer with 28 seconds remaining, but Marshun Newell drained a three-pointer to set the halftime score at 39-23 in favor of the Red Wolves. Arkansas State’s defense would falter in the second half as the Skyhawks (1-1) erased the deficit thanks to a 27-10 run and took a 50-49 lead after a basket from Alex Anderson with 10:33 left in the game.
The Red Wolves battled back to tie the game at 59-59 when C.J. Foster scored seven consecutive points, including an old-fashioned three-point play to tie the contest. The hosts took the lead on two free throws by Kelvin Downs with 6:47 remaining, but a 7-0 run gave the Skyhawks an advantage they wouldn’t relinquish.
“It was a total meltdown in the second half defensively of not being able to guard anybody,” A-State head coach John Brady said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been as disappointed in a group defensively in the second half as I was with this group tonight. If you can get a 19-point lead you’re good enough to win the game. We’re not good enough right now to hold a lead or win a close game and we just need to keep working to get better.”
Anthony Livingston led all scorers with 26 points, including 19 in the first half, and fell one rebound shy of recording a double-double. Cameron Golden scored 17, while Gardner poured in 15 of his own. The Red Wolves outshot the Skyhawks 57.8 to 47.3 percent for the whole game, but UTM made 56.7 percent of its shots in the second half compared to A-State’s 47.6 percent. UT Martin also scored 22 points off Red Wolves’ turnovers and outscored A-State 17-2 in second chance points in the game to sway the outcome in its favor.
A-State gained an early 10-9 lead in the first half after a Livingston jumper and used a 20-6 run to earn a 30-15 advantage with four minutes remaining in the first half. Another Livingston jumper set the A-State advantage to 36-20 before Gardner’s and Newell’s three-pointers set the halftime score.
A-State returns to the court Tuesday, Nov. 25, as the Red Wolves host Lamar in their second straight game at the Convocation Center. A 7:05 p.m. (CT) tipoff is scheduled for the game and tickets may be purchased by calling the A-State Central Box Office at 1-888-ASU-FANS or ordering online at www.astate.edu/tickets.
For the latest news and updates on A-State men’s basketball, follow the Red Wolves on Twitter (@AStateMB) and head coach John Brady (@JohnBrady_Coach).
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Southern Miss Pulls Away For Win Over Men's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss outscored the University of South Alabama men's basketball team 46-30 in the second half and used a late 11-2 run to take control of a 68-59 victory Monday night at Reed Green Coliseum.
The Golden Eagles stay undefeated at 2-0 while the Jaguars suffer their first loss and drop to 1-1.
USM outrebounded USA 44-29 and attempted 34 free throws compared to the Jags' 10, while shooting 53.8 percent from the floor in the second half after converting 28.0 percent in the first.
"I thought we came out in the first half and played really well," Jaguar head coach Matthew Graves said. "We got off to a good start and defensively in the first half, I thought we were great. We held them to 28 percent (shooting) and we did a great job of not allowing them to score in transition, so the game was going our way.
"In the second half, when they went on a couple of runs, we got a little tired. I think their physicality and their strength wore us down as the game went on, and we gave up a lot more transition baskets; when you do that, you let the other team get going. They were able to drive the ball and they killed us getting to the free-throw line."
USA junior John Brown (Charlotte, N.C.) shared game-high scoring honors with 14 points on 7 of 12 shooting from the floor, and he added five rebounds. Junior Barrington Stevens III (Allen, Texas) and freshman Taishaun Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind.) scored 12 and 10 points, respectively.
South Alabama led from the first minute, jumping out to a 16-8 advantage at the 13:15 mark and eventually went up 29-19 just before halftime.
However, Southern Miss took advantage of a USA shooting slump early in the second half and scored nine straight points to tie the game at 40-40 near the midway point of the final period. The Jaguars missed seven straight shots and committed two turnovers that led directly to four points.
The Jaguars were able to hold the Golden Eagles off for a few more minutes before USM took the lead for the first time at the 7:12 mark on back-to-back buckets from Matt Bingaya. Johnson answered on the other end with a bucket, and after a USM free throw, Stevens hit a short jumper put USA up for the final time, 48-47 with 4:35 to play in the contest.
Southern Miss scored the next six points, the final four from Norville Carey on consecutive trips down the floor, while South Alabama went 0-for-2 and committed two turnovers.
After two Johnson free throws, the Golden Eagles put up the next five points to take a commanding eight-point lead. Brown and sophomore Ken Williams (Houston, Texas) combined to score five of the game's next six points to close within 59-55 with 1:08 remaining, but Williams' 3-pointer was the Jags' final field goal of the contest and Southern Miss went 9-for-10 at the charity stripe to close the contest.
"You could tell by looking out there, they're a more mature, physical team," Graves said of USM. "That's not to make excuses for our guys, but at the same time, we have to understand that we have opportunities to get in the weight room and get stronger, and we have to translate that out on the court; when we're driving, we have to hold our line to the rim, and when other guys are driving, we have to hold our ground and not get pushed underneath the basket. When they go back and look at some of the clips on film, they'll be surprised they got pushed around at times."
Four Golden Eagles reached double-digit scoring, led by Bingaya's 14 points, all of which came in the second half. He also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and blocked three shots. Chip Armelin scored eight of his 13 points after halftime. Shadell Millinghaus added 11 points and Carey came off the bench to pour in 10.
South Alabama stays on the road to take on Detroit Saturday at 2 p.m. CST.
"I'm really excited about this team," Graves said. "I like where we can get and this is a good steppingstone. I told them it's only going to get harder at Detroit, so you have to embrace it, you have to love it and you have to want to compete."
NOTES: Southern Miss has won five in a row in the series, with a pair of come-from-behind victories in each of the last two years… The Jaguars have lost 19 of their last 21 road openers and are 10-37 all-time in their first road game of the season… Brown has led USA in scoring in each of the first two games and is averaging 18.0 points per game… Freshman Abdul Lewis (Newark, N.J.) grabbed a team-best six rebounds, pacing the squad for the second time and averages a team-high 8.0 rebounds per contest… The Jags grabbed just one offensive rebound in the first half and seven for the game… USA's 10 free-throw attempts are the team's fewest since attempting eight at Georgia State on Feb. 3… South Alabama went 5-for-27 (18.5%) from 3-point land in the game and committed nine turnovers in the second half after having just five in the first… Freshman Luka Andjusic (Belgrade, Serbia) scored the first points of his career with a pair of 3-pointers and converted a four-point play.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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