Emory Women's Basketball Gears Up For Road Battles

GAME FACTS – After opening the season with three straight home contests, the Emory women’s basketball team prepares for a pair of road tests.  On Tuesday (Nov. 23) the Eagles venture to LaGrange College for a 6:00 p.m., contest before playing at Birmingham Southern on Sunday (Nov. 28) starting at 2:00 p.m. (CST).

THE COACHES – Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, ’96) begins her eighth season at the helm of the program.  She assumed her current duties prior to the start of the 2003-04 campaign. 

In his fourth year as the head coach at LaGrange College is Mark Isenhour (LaGrange, 2004).  During his stint with the Panthers, he has guided the program to a 43-33 won-lost ledger that included an 18-8 mark last season with the victory total the most in school history. 

Brad Hodge (Athens State, 1996) is in his fifth year directing the fortunes of the Birmingham Southern program.  Last year, he guided the Panthers to a 13-12 won-lost slate.

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

2010-11 RECORDS – Emory stands 2-1 through the first three games of the campaign.  This past weekend, the Eagles split a pair of games in the Emory Tip-Off Tournament.  Emory opened with a school-record performance for most points in a game in a 129-82 win over Sewanee in the first game before coming out on the short end of a 71-53 decision to the College of Saint Benedict in the championship contest.

LaGrange will be opening its season when it hosts the Eagles on Tuesday.  The Panthers welcome back their top scorers from a year ago in sophomores Katie Covington (12.9 ppg) and Heather Miller (12.8 ppg). Covington also tied for the team lead in rebounding (5.7 rpg) while Miller paced the club with 50 steals.

Heading into a Tuesday contest at Troy University, BSC stands 2-0.  The Panthers hosted the Sheraton Classic over the weekend and came away with a 67-60 triumph over Rose-Hulman College on Saturday before defeating Rust College, 65-47, in its second game of the tournament.

SERIES RECORDS – In a series that started in 2001, Emory holds a 7-2 edge vs. LaGrange.  Last season, the Panthers snapped a five-game losing streak to the Eagles when they registered a 66-53 win at the Woodruff PE Center on the Emory campus.  The Eagles have captured three of four meetings played at LaGrange.

Birmingham Southern has won two of the three meetings against Emory.  Last season, the Eagles won their first game in the series as 15 points from Becca Feldman helped key a 63-56 win at the Woodruff PE Center.

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty 

NOTES -- The Eagles are 15-2 during Thomaskutty’s tenure as head coach when scoring 80 or more points … After scoring 94 points in the season opener against Oglethorpe, the Eagles’ offense was in high gear against Sewanee with the 129 points establishing a school record for most points in a game, bettering the previous mark of 124 scored against Wesleyan on Nov. 20, 1992 … Emory’s explosion against Sewanee represented the third time in school history that it scored 100 or more points in a game … Emory has an overall record of 15-7 in its last 22 November games … Emory set a number of team records in the Sewanee contest including most field goals (56), field goal percentage (63.6%),  and assists (39) … Freshman Taylor Bruzzio was the squad’s lone double-figure scorer with 16 points in the contest against College of Saint Benedict … Emory has outscored the opposition in five of six halves … The Eagles’ bench has outscored opposition reserves in all three games … Freshman guard Hannah Lilly tied an individual school mark for field goal percentage (.909) in the Sewanee game, sinking 10-of-11 field goal attempts … After three games, Emory has had 11 double-figure scorers compared to nine for the opposition.