The 2024-25 season tipped off on Monday night with both the men's and women's teams picking up dominating victories.

The ULM men's basketball team (1-0) led from the jump and earned a convincing 111-61 win in the team's season opener over Champion Christian (0-1) on Monday (Nov. 4) night at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, La.

All 13 Warhawks who appeared in Monday's game scored at least one point in the team victory. Two ULM players recorded a double-double after AD Diedhiou scored 13 points and collected 11 rebounds and freshman Renars Sondors scored 10 points and hauled in a game-high 14 boards in his collegiate debut.

Jerry Ngopot led ULM in scoring with 16 points and knocked down a career-high two three-point field goals on a 7-for-13 shooting night. Makai Willis posted 15 points and collected seven rebounds on the glass while Jalen Bolden added 10 points and five boards.

Tyreese Watson handed out a team-high six assists and scored eight points. Watson, Ajay Tew and Devon Hancock all ended the night with a pair of steals apiece. Willis and Ngopot both tallied one block each.

ULM shot 41-of-76 from the field and made 10-of-26 attempts from three-point range. The Tigers were held to 32.0% shooting and made only seven of 34 attempts from long distance. The Warhawks netted 52 points in the paint and 23 points off turnovers and second chance points in the win.

Jacob Wilson knocked down his first three-point attempt of the season after a dunk by Willis to give ULM an early 5-0 lead. Made free throws by Willis and Watson and a jumper by Bolden pushed the ULM advantage to 10 points within the first five minutes. The Warhawks ignited a 12-0 scoring run and pushed the lead to 20 after two buckets from both Willis and Diedhiou and baskets by Bolden and Coltie Young. Sondors made his first layup of the night with just under 10 minutes remaining in the half to make the score 31-11 Warhawks.

Wilson and Kelton Williams drained consecutive three-point attempts and Diedhiou cleaned up the glass with a putback layup to put the home team ahead by 26. A Hancock steal led to two made free throws by the senior from Dallas, Texas, and the ULM lead increased to 28 points with less than five minutes in the half. Hancock added an additional pair of free throws that pulled ULM ahead by 30 for the first time all night. A Young triple and a floating jump shot by P.D. McCraney resulted in ULM earning its largest lead of the first half at 56-21. ULM led by 32 at the break.

The Warhawks would not trail by less than 30 points the entire second half. A Watson layup, a Wilson three-pointer and one free throw each by Willis and Diedhiou served as a 7-0 scoring run for ULM in the early moments of the second half. A steal-and-score by Willis extended the Warhawks' lead to 70-30 at the 16-minute mark. The Warhawks continued to pour it on after Bolden and Watson finished layups and Ngopot rimmed home a three-pointer to make the score 77-30 with 14:16 left. Ngopot put the Warhawks ahead by 50 points with 12:10 on the clock.

Young, Williams and Ngopot each knocked down three-pointers and the Warhawks continued to find rhythm from long distance. Ngopot slammed home a dunk off a pass from McCraney that made the score 98-49 ULM. A Diedhiou dunk and fastbreak layup gave the Warhawks a 49-point lead and Tew connected on a free throw to push the lead back to 50 points. Freshman Micah Caster made a step-back three-pointer to give the Warhawks their largest lead of the night, 111-58, and wrapped up a high-scoring performance.

ULM men's basketball will return to the hardwood on Wednesday (Nov. 6) night for its first road game of the season at LSU. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on SEC Network+ from the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge.

The ULM women's basketball team (1-0) fired on all cylinders and cruised to a 117-60 victory over Central Baptist (1-2) to open the 2024-25 season on Monday (Nov. 4) night in Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, La. The Warhawks' 117 points tied the most points scored in a single game in ULM women's basketball history, matching the 1982-83 team's 117-78 win versus Nicholls State on Dec. 11, 1982.

Six players finished the game in double figures, with Sakyia White leading the way in her ULM debut with 18 points on a 9-for-9 shooting night from the field. Meloney Thames drilled a trio of three-pointers and posted 17 points in her first appearance as a Warhawk. Jakayla Johnson scored 16 points and grabbed five boards and two steals in her first performance of the season. Another newcomer, Cianté Downs, added 16 points and distributed four assists and led the team with three steals. Jackson State transfer Laila Walker scored 12 points and Clemson transfer Nya Valentine rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11.

2024 Sun Belt Conference Sixth Woman of the Year Katelyn Manuel pulled down a game-high nine boards and tallied a trio of blocks while adding eight points. Valentine led the team with seven assists while Downs and Chardai Watkins both had four.

ULM shot 54.3% from the field and 37.0% from beyond the arc. The Warhawks converted 19-of-21 free throws for a 90.5%. ULM's defense held the Mustangs to 35.7% shooting from the field. Central Baptist found success from downtown, making 15-of-35 three-pointers, but ULM forced 23 turnovers and only committed six turnovers on offense. The Warhawks outrebounded the Mustangs on the glass, 48-26.

After Central Baptist took a 17-12 lead early, Johnson sank a three-pointer and a pull-up jumper to even the count. A pair of free throws by Walker and a steal-and-score by Valentine gave ULM a one-point lead with less than three minutes left in the first quarter. Brikayla Gray extended the Warhawks' lead to four points on ULM's fourth three-pointer of the first quarter. Thames poked a steal and put the ball through the net before the final horn of the first quarter, and ULM led 28-22.

The Warhawks dominated the beginning of the second quarter, scoring the first 10 points on a layup from White, a fastbreak layup off a block by Johnson and two three-pointers by Valentine. Thames knocked down another triple at the 4:11 mark of the quarter to give ULM its first 20-point lead of the night. ULM finished the final two minutes scoring by a Manuel putback layup and a deep three by Olivia Knight and ULM went into the locker room holding a 55-29 advantage.

ULM extended its lead to over 30 points with an 8-0 scoring run that featured a trio of buckets by White and one by Johnson that made the score 63-32 Warhawks. ULM led the majority of the third quarter by more than 30 points, and Watkins increased the Warhawks' lead to 38 after a three-point play.

Consecutive layups by Downs pushed the ULM lead to 41 in the final minutes of the third quarter, and ULM led 89-48 after three quarters of play. Watkins pulled the Warhawks above the century mark with 5:28 to go in the fourth quarter. Walker connected on back-to-back jump shots and the ULM lead grew to 106-56 inside five minutes to go. Miriam Prince dished out a pass to Sha'miya Butler, who finished with a layup in the paint at the 4:06 mark. Downs would score the final eight points of the game on four free throws and two layups to conclude a high-powered night for the ULM offense.

The Warhawks will return to Fant-Ewing Coliseum next Monday (Nov. 11) at 11:30 a.m. and will welcome Louisiana Christian for the team's annual Education Day.