Red Wolves red hot shooting tops ULM

For the second straight season, the Warhawks basketball team was faced with a six game losing skid. The streak continued on Thursday night as they fell in Sun Belt Conference action to the Arkansas State Red Wolves 85 - 66.

The Red Wolves (14-13, 8-4) broke the game open in the first half with 16 points from preseason all-conference selection Donald Boone. Boone's hot hand helped the visiting Red Wolves shoot 70%, and 56% from beyond the three point line in the opening half; helping them to build a 42-29 half time lead. Breaking the game open was a 12-5 run by ASU in the half mid way through the half.

"I think that Monroe played good offensively, but we just played outstanding," Arkansas State Head Coach John Brady said. "We were real efficient scoring and taking care of the ball."

ULM (6-20, 1-11) has led offensively in the first half by a double-digit performance by junior Fred Brown, but the second half saw only senior Lawrence Gilbert remain from the starting group. , leading to new career scoring highs for several players including R.J. McCray and Lonell Reeves. In addition to a new scoring high, Christian Bibi Ndongo played for a career high 20 minutes, 16 of which were in the second half.

"I thought for the first time in a while, those guys didn't have the edge that we've had in a lot of close games," first year Head Coach Keith Richard said of the Warhawks. "I got tired of watching them, and I was really proud of the guys that game in and did a nice job."

The Warhawk's return to action, looking to snap their longest losing streak since the 2004-05 season on Saturday, February 12 against Arkansas-Little Rock. Tip off from Fant-Ewing Coliseum is set for 7pm.

Coach Richard could play the game with changes to his starting line-up in the game against the Trojans, as Richard made several observations about his team during the worse home loss of the season.

"I'm upset with some of them," Richard said. "That's the problem with playing them a lot of minutes; you don't have the accountability system of taking a guy out and putting another in. There seemed to be a comfort level with them. There was just no edge out there with them."