Texas State men’s basketball (16-6 overall, 10-3 Sun Belt) will look to further its dominance in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference as the team will face the University of Louisiana at Monroe Warhawks (7-16 overall, 5-11 Sun Belt) in back-to-back games from Feb. 26-27.
The ‘Cats are coming into the matchup looking to extend their five-game win streak as they defend home court. The Warhawks are also trying to stretch their two-game winning streak, but their 2-6 road record suggests it will be a tough task.
Of the 12 teams in the Sun Belt, the Warhawks 64.9 points per game ranks 11th in the conference while the ‘Cats rank 10th with 66.7 points.
The ‘Cats’ calm and efficient offensive approach results in them ranking third in overall field goal percentage with 46.4% while ULM is ranked at 10th with 42.1% overall.
Texas State’s transitional defense and can wreak havoc on opponents as they rank first in the Sun Belt by holding opponents to 61.9 points per game. The Warhawks still hold a respectful defense that is ranked seventh as they allow 69.3 points per game.
Two key players for the Warhawks are junior guard Russell Harrison and junior guard Elijah Gonzales. Harrison captains ULM’s offense as he leads the team with 13.4 points per game along with six rebounds per game. Gonzales shoots an efficient 49.0% from beyond the arc with a team-leading 3.7 assists per game.
Texas State is led offensively by the triad of junior guard Mason Harrell (13.8 points), junior guard Caleb Asberry (13.2 points), and senior forward Isiah Small (10.2 points). Each member of three shoots above 45% from the field and over 41% from behind the arc. Small leads the team in rebounds (5.8) and blocks (1.3). Senior guard Shelby Adams leads the team with 1.6 steals per game.
Texas State will play the doubleheader at 4 p.m. on Feb. 26 and again at 4 p.m. on Feb. 27 at Strahan Arena. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.