Emory Women's Basketball Returns To Action -- Hosts Birmingham Southern Before Playing At Piedmont

GAME FACTS - The Emory University women's basketball team swings back into action when it plays host to Birmingham Southern on Tuesday (Dec. 29) in a 2:00 p.m. start.  Following their encounter with the Panthers, the Eagles close out the calendar year with a Dec. 31 battle at Piedmont College that is slated for a 2:00 p.m. tip.

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. 

Brad Hodge (Athens State, 1996) is in his fifth year as the head coach at Birmingham Southern and will take a school record of 59-57 into the meeting against Emory. Prior to his current post, Hodge served as the head coach at East Central Community College (MS) for four seasons where he directed that program to an 80-36 mark.

In her fifth campaign at the helm of the Piedmont College program is Jamie Purdy.  During her tenure, Purdy has directed the Lions to a pair of Great South Conference championships and automatic berths to the NCAA Division III Tournament.  

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

2009-10 RECORDS - Emory will take on Birmingham Southern with an overall slate of 4-4.  Prior to breaking for finals and the holidays, the Eagles had won their last two contests including a 73-55 win at Spelman College on Dec. 8.

Birmingham Southern comes to town with a 6-2 won-lost ledger.  In their most recent action, the Panthers defeated Huntingdon College, 100-54, on Dec. 13.

Piedmont currently stands 2-5.  Before entertaining Emory, the Lions will compete in the Oglethorpe University Holiday Classic, Dec. 28-29.

SERIES RECORDS - Birmingham Southern posts a 2-0 edge in the all-time series with Emory.  Last season, BSC hosted the Eagles and came away with a 93-76 win.

Emory has won the last three meetings against Piedmont and claims a slim 11-10 margin in the series.  The Eagles bested the Lions twice last year, 74-60 at Piedmont and 77-50 at the Woodruff PE Center.  Emory stands 6-4 all-time against Piedmont in contests played on its home floor.


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 leads the Eagles and figures prominently among UAA players in a number of statistical categories.  The 6-foot Martin's team-high 13.6 per-game scoring average ranks fifth on the league's chart while her 7.5 per-game effort in rebounding is good for the No. 4 position in the conference.  In addition, Martin has connected on 47.1 percent of her field goal opportunities which places her second on the squad and 10^th in the loop.

Martin has led the club in scoring in four games and has paced the team in rebounding on five occasions.  She has scored in double figures in seven contests and has snared six or more rebounds in six affairs.

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty 

NOTES - Keenan Whitesides' 13-point, team-high 11-rebound  effort against Spelman College represented her second career double-double, both of which have come this year ... Whitesides has enjoyed a fine start to the season, standing No. 2 on the team and No. 10 among UAA players in scoring (11.8 ppg) while her 50.6 percent effort from the floor (43-of-85) is sixth in the UAA ... Whitesides has been the Eagles' top point producer in two games and paced the club in rebounding a total of three times ... Freshman Danielle Landry came through with a big effort against Spelman, racking up a team-high 17 points, her third double-figure scoring effort of the campaign, while tying her season high with nine rebounds ... Landry is second on the team and 15^th in the UAA in rebounding (6.1 rpg) and has six or more caroms in six outings ... Sophomore Becca Feldman has drawn starting assignments in the last three contests and has scored in double digits in each of those outings while averaging 12.7 points in that stretch ... Over the last three games, she has connected on 50 percent (8-of-16) from three-point range ... The Eagles have converted 20 or more free throws in three contests this year and post a 3-0 mark in those affairs ... Emory has outscored the opposition in nine of 16 halves ... Emory is averaging 30.7 points in the first half of action and 37.1 during the second half of play ... Emory is 4-0 this season leading at halftime, 0-4 when trailing at the break ...  Whitney Martin has recorded 70 blocked shots during her career, third on the Emory all-time chart and nine shy of tying Stephanie Seibert (2000-04) for second place.