Emory Women's Basketball Plays Host To Chicago And Wash U

GAME FACTS - After coming up with a split of a couple of a pair of road games last weekend, the Emory women's basketball team welcomes a pair of University Athletic Association foes to Atlanta.  On Friday, (Jan. 29), the Eagles will take on the University of Chicago in a 6:00 p.m. tip before entertaining nationally ranked Washington University on Sunday (Jan. 31) in a 2:00 p.m. start.

Both games will have Live Stats and streamed video.  The link for Live Stats is http://www.go.emory.edu/LiveStats/WBB/XLIVE.HTM , and the link for video is http://www.emoryathletics.com/information/webcasts

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. 

Aaron Roussell (Iowa, 2001) is in his sixth year as the head coach at the University of Chicago. During his tenure, he has compiled a school and career slate of 102-42 that includes a 2007-08 conference championship.

In her 24th campaign at the helm of the Washington University program is Nancy Fahey (Wisconsin, 1981).  Heading into a Friday game at Rochester, Fahey has an impressive career mark of 557-99.  She has led the Bears to four NCAA D-III national titles.

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

2009-10 RECORDS - Emory will meet Chicago with an overall record of 9-7, 2-3 in the UAA.  Last weekend, the Eagles went 1-1 on the road, coming out on the short end of a tough 59-55 decision to NYU before regrouping to post a 73-65 come-from-behind win at Brandeis. 

Chicago comes to town winners of its last four games that has boosted its overall mark to 12-4, 4-1 in the league.  Last weekend, the Maroons won at both Carnegie Mellon (76-51) and Case Western (72-67). 

The Bears of Wash U., ranked No. 3 nationally by D3hoops.com and tied for the No. 4 position in the USA Today ESPN Top 25 Women's Poll, will start the week with an overall showing of 15-1, 5-0 in the conference.  Last weekend, it won at Case Western (65-57) and Carnegie Mellon (64-57).

SERIES RECORDS - Chicago shows a 26-15 all-time record vs. Emory.  The Maroons have won the last four contests including last year's 78-67 (at UC) and 67-61 decisions.  The Eagles are 8-13 against Chicago in games contested on its home floor.

Washington University leads the all-time series by a 36-5 margin.  The Bears won both affairs last year, 70-55 in Saint Louis and 91-55 in Atlanta.

 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.

VON STEIN FINDING THE MARK - Junior Courtney Von Stein continues to pick up her scoring pace after being slowed by a finger injury earlier this season.  Von Stein totaled a career-high 18 points in the win over Brandeis, sinking five-of-seven from the floor including a career-best five-of-six from three-point range.  Von Stein totaled 12 points in the second half of play and helped the Eagles post a 49-30 scoring advantage. 

After scoring in single digits in her first eight games (she missed the Sewanee, Rochester and Spelman contests), she has posted double figures in three of her last five performances.  In that stretch, she is averaging 10.4 points and shooting 63.3 percent from the floor (19-of-30).

FELDMAN BACK ON TRACK - After producing just three points against Piedmont College on Jan. 14, sophomore Becca Feldman contributed 10 points against the Violets of NYU before totaling 11 against Brandeis.  Feldman will enter Friday's game with double-figure point production in her last three and in nine of her last 11 outings.  In the team's last three contests, she is averaging 12.3 points and hitting at a 53.5 percent clip (15-of-28) from the floor.

MARTIN AMONG UAA LEADERS - Whitney Martin continues to pace the team in a number of statistical categories while maintaining a presence among UAA leaders. 
Martin's team-high 12.1 per-game overall scoring average ties for seventh on the league's chart while her 6.9 per-game in rebounding effort places her sixth.  In addition, the Barrington, Ill., native is 12^th in field goal shooting (.417) and eighth in blocked shots (1.0 bpg).

Martin has led the club in scoring in five games and has paced the team in rebounding on nine occasions.  She has scored in double figures in 13 games this year, and has picked off six or more rebounds in 10 affairs.

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty 

NOTES -  Senior Keenan Whitesides came through with 16 points, her second-highest total as an Eagle and personal best for a conference game, against Brandeis last Sunday ... Whitesides closed out the Brandeis contest with a team-high seven boards, the fifth time that she either led or shared for honors in that department ... Whitesides is second on the team and  16^th in the UAA in overall scoring (10.0 ppg) while her 46.3 percent effort from the floor is eighth ... Emory's 13 turnovers in the NYU game represented a season low in that category before it bettered that in the Brandeis contest with 12 miscues ... The Eagles' 11 steals against NYU marked their eighth game of double figures in that category this season ... Emory is No. 3 in the UAA in steals in overall play (10.1 spg) ...  Junior Liz Brandt's six rebounds against Brandeis represented the third time in the last four games that she finished with six boards ... Emory shot 82.4 percent from the foul line (14-of-17) vs. Brandeis, the team's third-highest mark of the year and the third time it connected on 80 percent or higher ... The Eagles shot a season-high 50 percent from three-point range against Brandeis with their 11 treys tying the second-highest single-game mark in school history ... Freshman Danielle Landry pulled down seven rebounds against NYU, her ninth performance of six or more boards this season ... Landry is tied for 19^th place among UAA players (tied for second among conference freshmen) ... Becca Feldman will enter the Chicago game with three-point field goals in her last six contests ... Emory is 8-1 this season leading at halftime, 1-6 when trailing at the break ... 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 16 of 32 halves ... The Eagles have averaged 68.4 points while surrendering 59.3 in their nine wins ... In its seven defeats, Emory has averaged 60.0 points and given up 70.6