Emory Women's Basketball Tangles With Rochester In UAA Opener

GAME FACTS – The Emory women’s basketball team makes its 2011 University Athletic Association debut on Saturday (Jan. 8) when it battles the University of Rochester.  The Louis Alexander Palestra on the UR campus with serve as the venue for the 44^th meeting between the Eagles and Yellowjackets and tip is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

THE COACHES – Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, ’96) is in 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 12th year as the head coach at Rochester is Jim Scheible (Clarkson, 1988).  During his run with the Yellowjackets, he has guided the program to three NCAA Division III final Four appearances (2002-03, 2003-04 and 2009-10).  Before coming to Rochester, Scheible served as coach at Elmira College for seven seasons.

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

2010-11 RECORDS – Emory opens league play with an overall record of 7-4.  The Eagles have won five of their last six games including their last outing, a 90-79 triumph over Brescia University on Jan. 5.  Freshman Hannah Lilly led four Emory double-figure scorers with 17 points while sophomore Misha Jackson contributed 14 points along with a team-high nine rebounds.

Rochester, ranked No. 8 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, will entertain Emory with a
9-1 ledger.  The Yellowjackets have captured their last nine affairs and are coming off a 79-40 triumph at home over RIT on Jan. 4.

SERIES RECORDS – Rochester posts a 24-19 all-time mark against Emory.  The teams split last year’s series with each squad coming away with a win on its home court, Emory a 60-50 victor in Atlanta and the Yellowjackets, 67-62, in Rochester.   Rochester has won 14 of 20 meetings against Emory played on its home floor.

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty 

NOTES -- The Eagles are 17-3 during Thomaskutty’s tenure as head coach when scoring 80 or more points … Jackson’s team-high nine rebounds against Brescia marked the fourth time this year that she topped the squad in that category … In her last three contests, Jackson is averaging 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and shooting 59.3 percent (19-of-32) from the field … Freshman Savannah Morgan has also turned a productive three-game stretch, averaging 12.3 points and shooting 58.3 percent (14-of-24) from the floor … Hannah Lilly’s team-high 12.3 points-per-game scoring average ranks her ninth among UAA players in games played through Jan. 6 … Emory has outshot eight opponents from the floor this season and stands 7-1 in those contests … The Eagles have enjoyed an edge in the  rebounding department in six games and post a 6-0 mark in those outings … Over the last three games, the team is averaging 81.0 points and shooting 47.8 percent from the floor while allowing opponents 67.0 points and a 39.7 field goal percentage mark …  Hannah Lilly has paced the team in scoring on five occasions this season … Sophomore Danielle Landry continues to pace the squad and the UAA  in rebounding with a 9.1 per-game showing … Freshman Selena Castillo tied her season high with five assists in 13 minutes of action vs. Brescia … Emory shot 52.8 percent from the floor (38-of-72) against the Lady Bearcats of Brescia, the team’s second-highest showing of the campaign …  Emory has registered 10 or more steals in eight of 11 games … Emory has outscored the opposition in 16 of 22 halves … As a team, the Eagles rank No. 1 in the UAA in both scoring (80.5 ppg) and steals (13.8 spg).