Emory Women's Basketball Preps For Non-Conference Opponents Piedmont & Agnes Scott

GAME FACTS - Looking to get back into the win column, the Emory women's basketball team gears up for a pair of non-conference opponents this week.  On Thursday (Jan. 14), the Eagles host Piedmont College in a 6:00 p.m. tip before playing at Agnes Scott College on Saturday beginning at 2:00 p.m.

THE COACHES - Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96) is in her seventh season at the helm of the program.  She assumed her current duties prior to the start of the 2003-04 campaign. 

Jamie Purdy (Piedmont College) is in her fifth year as the head coach at Piedmont College.  During her tenure, she has compiled an overall slate of 76-44 that includes a pair of Great South Athletic Conference championships.

In his second campaign at the helm of the Agnes Scott program is Tony Ciccone (Florida, 1996).  Prior to his current post, he served as an assistant coach at Emory for four years.

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

 2009-10 RECORDS - Emory starts the week with an overall record of 6-6.  The Eagles came out on the short end of a pair of home University Athletic Association contests last weekend, falling to Carnegie Mellon, 56-47, on Friday before dropping a Sunday afternoon verdict to Case Western Reserve, 64-55.

Piedmont College comes to town with a 4-9 won-lost ledger.  The Lions have won two of their last three games and are coming off a 56-49 win at home against Covenant College on Monday.

Heading into a Thursday night game at Maryville College, Agnes Scott stands 3-8.  The Scotties hosted Covenant College on Saturday and fell by a 45-41 count.

SERIES RECORDS - Emory has won the last four games against Piedmont and holds a 12-10 advantage in the all-time series.  The clubs have already met once this season (Dec. 31) with the Eagles escaping the Lions' Cave Arena with a 65-63 victory.  Emory stands 6-4 against Piedmont in games played on its home floor.

Emory has won all six meetings against Agnes Scott.  The Eagles and Scotties met last year and Emory recorded an 85-45 win at the Woodruff PE Center.  The Eagles are 2-0 in games played at Agnes Scott.

EMORY DUO TO SERVE AS CAPTAINS - Coach Thomaskutty has announced that seniors Whitney Martin (Barrington, IL) and Keenan Whitesides (Wilmington, NC) will serve as captains of 2009-10 Emory squad.

MARTIN AMONG UAA LEADERS - Whitney Martin continues to pace the team in a number of statistical categories while maintaining a presence among UAA leaders. 
The 6-foot Martin's team-high 12.3 per-game scoring average is tied for seventh on the league's chart while her 6.9 per-game effort in rebounding is good for the No. 7 position in the conference.  In addition, Martin has connected on 45.8 percent of her field goal opportunities which places her second on the squad and 12^th in the loop.

Martin has led the club in scoring in four games and has paced the team in rebounding on six occasions.  She has scored in double figures in 10 games this year, and has picked off six or more rebounds in seven affairs.

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty 

 NOTES - Junior Courtney Von Stein turned in her most productive offensive performance of the year against Case Western, totaling a season-high 12 points, her first double-figure effort of the season ... Freshman Danielle Landry paced the team in rebounding in both games over the weekend, picking off six boards against Carnegie Mellon and seven against Case ... Landry has been the club's top rebounder on three occasions this year and her 5.7 per-game showing in that category ranks her 18^th among UAA players ... Emory is 6-1 this season leading at halftime, 0-5 when trailing at the break ... Whitney Martin has recorded 73 blocked shots during her career, third on the Emory all-time chart and six shy of tying Stephanie Seibert (2000-04) for second place ... The Eagles have converted 20 or more free throws in three contests this year and post a 3-0 mark in those affairs ... Emory came up with 14 steals against Carnegie and 10 thefts against Case Western, bringing the team's total to six this season of double-figure steals ... In UAA statistics released Jan. 12, Emory is No. 3 in the UAA in steals (10.3 spg) ... Senior Keenan Whitesides is second on the team behind Martin in scoring and 13^th in the UAA (10.8 ppg) ... In addition, Whitesides finds herself among the league's top 15 in rebounding (14^th 6.2 rpg) and field goal percentage (7^th, .500) ... Emory has outscored the opposition in 13 of 24 halves.