GAME NOTES: A first-ever meeting between the ULM Warhawks and the New Mexico Lobos is on tap for Saturday at WisePies Arena.

The Lobos, who are playing back-to-back home games before taking on rival New Mexico State for the second time in a span of 17 days next weekend, have won a pair of decisions since dropping outings against Texas A&M and USC. The latest victory took place a week ago when the team throttled Valparaiso on the road, 63-46.

Meanwhile, the Warhawks are also enjoying a brief two-game win streak which has pushed them over the .500 mark for the time being. On Tuesday, ULM hosted Northwestern State at Fant-Ewing Coliseum and dismissed the visitors by an 82-74 final. Three days earlier the Warhawks boosted their stats with an 83-55 thumping of Louisiana College.

While it has little to do with this particular matchup, the Lobos have a perfect 12-0 record against the state of Louisiana's 13 Division I schools.

ULM trailed by four points early in the meeting with Northwestern State, but that was before holding the visitors to just 33.3 percent shooting from the field in the first half, including 4-of-17 behind the 3-point line through the first 20 minutes. Overall, the Warhawks limited the visitors to just 10-of-33 beyond the arc, allowing the hosts to slip by with the eight-point victory.

Tylor Ongwae put together an epic performance as he came up an assist shy of a triple-double as he logged 19 points and 10 rebounds. Also posting a double- double was DeMondre Harvey with 12 points and 10 boards of his own. Majok Deng tacked on 14 points, Nick Coppola produced 13 and reserve Jamaal Samuel 12 points and seven rebounds in a mere 14 minutes of action.

Ongwae, the leading scorer for ULM in two straight games and four times already this season, is responsible for 15.4 ppg as he connected on 55.0 percent of his field goal tries. Ongwae is also tied with Deng (9.6 ppg) for the rebounding lead with seven boards per contest, allowing the program to hold a rebounding advantage of almost five per game over the competition.

At the ARC in Indiana, the Lobos held Valpo to just 20 points in the first half on 8-of-29 shooting from the floor, 2-of-11 beyond the arc. The second half was much the same as the UNM defense again took control by permitting only eight made baskets and 1-of-11 on the perimeter. Offensively, four starters hit for double figures for New Mexico, led by Dashawn Delaney with 17 points, followed by Devon Williams, Obij Aget and High Greenwood with 10 points apiece.

Recent struggles for the Lobos could be attributed to the fact that Cullen Neal, the son of the head coach, has appeared in just three games due to a sprained left ankle that continues to have him listed as being out of action. A realistic 3-point threat Neal, who knocked down 8-of-16 on the outside, is still seen as the leading scorer with his 17.0 ppg. Delaney accounts for 13.5 ppg and 5.8 rpg and Greenwood checks in with 10.5 ppg and a team-best 30 assists in an effort to keep the offense moving in the absence of Neal.

The Pit, which is now also known as WisePies Arena, has been a safe haven for the Lobos whenever the team needs support. This is one of those times as UNM needs to remain moving in the right direction before the campaign goes down the tube, at least by its standards.