Final Road SBC Game Takes Bobcats To ULM

Following his 15-point performance, Nijal Pearson has increased his scoring average to 14.4 points per game. He paces the team with 2.1 assists and 1.3 assists per game, and is second with 5.9 rebounds per game…

MONROE, La. – For the final time during the regular season the Texas State men’s basketball team will play away from Strahan Coliseum when it takes on ULM Saturday at 2 p.m. in Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

The Bobcats enter the game 14-13 on the season and 7-7 in the Sun Belt Conference while the Warhawks sport a 12-12 mark and 6-7 in conference play.

Bill Culhane will have the call on the radio with the game being broadcast on AM1300 The Zone out of Austin and KTSW 89.9 FM out of San Marcos. Fans can also listen to the game through the iHeartRadio and TuneIn Radio apps on their mobile device. Live stats and video will be available for the game with links on the team’s schedule page.

Following his 15-point performance, Nijal Pearson has increased his scoring average to 14.4 points per game. He paces the team with 2.1 assists and 1.3 assists per game, and is second with 5.9 rebounds per game. His 43 made three-pointers are tied for the team lead with Tyler Blount, who has connected on 42.2 percent of his long distance attempts.

Immanuel King enters with team-highs of 6.0 rpg and 22 blocks. For his career, the senior has rejected 60 shots to place him sixth on the program’s career list. He is netting 9.0 ppg on 59.2 percent shooting after recording 14 points Thursday night.

Coming in contributing 6.9 ppg and 5.1 rpg is Alex Peacock. The junior forward has made 46.9 percent of his shots and has 30 steals.

Through Thursday’s games, the Bobcats are allowing the eighth fewest points in the nation at 63.1 per contest. They are fifth in the country in three-pointer field goal percentage defense at 29.8.

Scouting ULM

ULM has won three straight and five of its last six. The lone loss in the period was an 80-59 defeat at home to Louisiana. On Thursday, the Warhawks downed UTA 84-71 with four of their starters playing all 40 minutes. ULM defeated both Georgia programs in overtime on the road last weekend.

Sam McDaniel, the reigning SBC Player of the Week, leads ULM in scoring (16.0), made three-pointers (58), three-point shooting percentage (45.0) and free throw percentage (82.0). He is shooting 46.0 percent from the field, is second on the roster with 5.8 rpg and has posted 25 steals.

Travis Munnings is scoring 15.5 ppg with team-highs in field goal percentage (47.4), rebounding (7.2) and steals (30). The junior has made 51 treys at a 40.2 percent clip.

Michael Ertel comes in netting 11.0 ppg on 45.8 percent shooting and 38.4 percent from beyond the arc. The freshman guard has converted 43 of this three-point attempts and recorded 16 steals.

The fourth Warhawk entering Saturday averaging double-digit points is Marvin Jean-Pierre at 10.3 per contest. He has made 46.2 percent of his shots and 34.3 percent on long distance attempts. The senior is grabbing 5.1 rpg, recorded 24 steals and paces the roster with eight rejections.

Jordon Harris paces ULM with 3.1 apg and is second with 29 steals. He has made 36.3 percent of his shots and is 29-for-102 (28.4%) from beyond the arc.

Sam Alabakis has started 20 games on his way to averaging 3.2 ppg and 2.5 rpg.

All-Time vs. Warhawks

ULM leads the all-time series 28-23 but Texas State has won the last four meetings. When the teams met in Strahan Coliseum last month, the Bobcats escaped with a 55-52 victory behind a team-high 17 points and seven rebounds from Pearson. Tre’Larenz Nottingham added 16 points behind five made three-pointers as well.

When playing the Warhawks on the road, TXST is 7-17 all-time but are 2-2 since joining the Sun Belt. Three of the four meetings in Monroe have been decided by single digits. The lone exception was the first meeting on Jan. 11, 2014 when the Bobcats won 61-36 after holding ULM to just nine points in the second half.

For the latest on Texas State men’s basketball, visit the official website of Texas State athletics at www.txstatebobcats.com, follow the team on Instagram and Twitter at @TxStateMBB and like on Facebook at /TexasStateMensBasketball.

Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/ulmonroe/mbball/

Video: http://ulmwarhawks.com/watch/?Live=42&type=Live

Audio: http://txstatebobcats.com/watch/?Live=1442&type=Live

PledgeIt 3-Point Challenge: https://pledgeit.org/cvc18-texas-state

Game Notes: http://txstatebobcats.com/sports/2016/11/2/2016-17-mens-basketball-game-notes.aspx?path=mbball