GAME NOTES: A pair of teams in search of their first Sun Belt Conference win of the season meet at the Super Pit tonight, as the UL-Monroe Warhawks tangle with the North Texas Mean Green. The Warhawks have dropped their first two league games of the season, including a 66-50 setback at Denver on Wednesday. It was the seventh loss in eight road outings this season by ULM, which dipped to 6-8 overall. Following tonight's bout, the Warhawks will take on Western Kentucky to begin a brief two-game homestand on Thursday. As for UNT, it was last in action on Thursday, when it suffered a tough 91-88 overtime loss at Troy. It was the second setback in the past three games for the Mean Green, which fell to 9-4 overall and 0-2 in league play. The team though, now returns back home, where it has gone a perfect 7-0 thus far. With regards to the all-time series, ULM owns a 27-14 advantage over UNT, although the Mean Green knocked the Warhawks out of the SBC Tournament last season.

The Warhawks hit on just 37.2 percent of their attempts from the field, while allowing Denver to shoot a much higher 54.3 percent from the floor in a 66-50 setback last week. ULM also struggled from long range (6-of-21) and it even turned the ball over 15 times. Jordan Payne guided the team in defeat with 19 points, while Jonas Brown logged 15 points of his own. Tony Hooper however, had an off night, as he missed all five of his three-point attempts and he finished with just five points. Despite the poor showing, Hooper still leads the team in scoring (15.2 ppg) as well as steals (25) on the season. Payne nips at his heels with 15.0 ppg and he is shooting 37.7 percent from three- point range. Brown rounds out the double-figure scorers at 13.5 ppg and he is even more dangerous from behind the arc, making 43.8 percent of his tries. As a whole, ULM is shooting 37.3 percent from long distance and that has led it to scoring average of 72.9 ppg.

The Mean Green committed 18 turnovers and it was outscored at the foul line, 19-5, in an overtime loss at Troy last weekend. The team also lost the battle on the boards, 54-32, and that includes a 26-13 difference on the offensive end. Josh White paced UNT in the setback with 18 points, while Dez Willingham and Quincy Williams each posted 15 points. Keith Wooden also got involved, notching a double-double with 12 points and the same amount of rebounds. For the season, White leads the squad in scoring at 16.7 ppg and he is connecting on 56.6 percent of his attempts from downtown. Collin Dennis adds 12.3 ppg to the mix, while Wooden contributes 11.8 ppg and a team-high 6.3 rpg. Overall, the Mean Green ranks as one of the top scoring teams in the conference, averaging 81.9 ppg. The squad has also fared well on the boards, outrebounding its foes by 8.2 rpg.

UNT has been at its best at home this season and with a big time performance on offense and the boards, it should be able to get past a ULM club that has struggled on the road.