Late run pushes Omaha past ULM, 63-56

NICEVILLE, Fla. – Omaha used a 18-3 run over 7:09 late in the second half to overcome a six-point deficit, as the Mavericks defeated ULM, 63-56, Friday afternoon at the Emerald Coast Classic at Raider Arena.

“We lost that game in the last five minutes,” ULM head coach Keith Richard said. “We unraveled offensively down the stretch and couldn’t get it in the hole. We had our chances, we just didn’t get it done in the last five minutes.”

ULM used a 10-0 run to take a 51-45 lead on a layup by Victor Bafutto with 7:44 remaining. However, ULM turned the tide with an 18-3 run to regain the lead and pulled away at the free-throw line down the stretch. The Warhawks picked up a 3-pointer by Devon Hancock with 2:10 left, which pulled ULM within a point, 55-54. Omaha resumed the run, scoring the next eight points, after ULM was unable to take advantage of its only possession down by one point in the final two minutes.

Omaha scored six of the first eight points, but ULM responded with a 7-0 run, capped with a jumper by Savion Gallion from the right elbow, to lead 9-6 with 14:44 left in the half.

The Mavericks regained the lead on a layup by Akol Arop and extended the lead to three at 14-11 on a 3-pointer by Jaeden Marshall. ULM rattled off the next five points, first with a runner by Jamari Blackmon in the lane and then on a 3-pointer at the top of the key by Tyreke Locure to grap a 16-14 advantage with 7:42 remaining in the half.

The two sides battled back-and-forth before Omaha regained the lead on a three-point play by Tony Osburn, 21-20, with 3:24 left before the half.

Blackmon answered on the next possession, hitting a trey from the right side for the 23-21 lead. Omaha answered back for the lead on a 3-pointer by Osburn, going ahead 26-25, with 1:40 left in the half. After a layup by Arop, ULM closed the half with Savion Gallion hitting 2-of-3 free throws to get within one at the break, 28-27.

It was much of the same in the second half. Blackmon opened the half with another 3-pointer to put ULM up, 30-28. Omaha answered, taking the lead and building to a four-point edge, 45-41, on a jumper by Luke Jungers with 11:57 left.

ULM then went on its largest run of the game, using a 10-0 spurt to surge back in front. Blackmon started it with a 3-pointer and was followed by another trey by Jacob Wilson. After a steal Gallion, he hit Bafutto for a reverse layup on the fast break to extend the lead to 51-45 with 7:44 to go.

“I thought we gave ourselves a chance to win, and yet we didn’t hold on and do it. For this group, I think that the final score is misleading. Even when we didn’t score at the end of the game, we had to foul, so those guys kind of ran away with a bunch of free throws at the end of the game.”

Blackmon led ULM with 15 points, while Locure had 14 and Howell added a season-high 13 points and pulled in 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Arop led four Mavericks in double figures with 12 points.

ULM shot just 35% (22-of-62) from the field compared to 49% (21-of-43) for Omaha. ULM forced 17 turnovers and had 16 offensive rebounds to stay in the game. ULM outrebounded Omaha, 33-31.

The Warhawks wrap up the Emerald Coast Classic against Loyola Maryland at 10 a.m. Saturday at Raider Arena.