Emory Women's Basketball To Host Tip-Off Tournament

TOURNAMENT FACTS – Fresh off an impressive season-opening win over Oglethorpe on Tuesday, the Emory women’s basketball team returns to the hardwood this Friday and Saturday (Nov. 19-20) when it hosts the Emory Tip-Off Tournament.  Joining the Eagles in this year’s field is Piedmont, University of the South and College of St. Benedict.  The schedule for the tournament is as follows.

Friday, Nov. 19
Emory vs. University of the South – 6:00 p.m.
Piedmont vs. College of Saint Benedict – 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 20
Consolation Game – 4:00 p.m.
Championship Game – 6:00 p.m.

All four games of the Emory Tip-Off Tournament will be will be video streamed. To access the webcast, go to www.emoryathletics.com.

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 eighth year as head coach at the University of the South is Dickie McCarthy (Georgia). 

Entering her sixth season as the head coach at Piedmont College is Jamie Purdy (Piedmont 2000).  During her stint with the Lions, Purdy has compiled a school record of 86-49, and has guided the program to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2007 and 2008.

Mike Durbin (Kent State, 1981) is in his 25^th season as the head coach at the College of Saint Benedict.  Named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year on five occasions, Durbin has chalked up an impressive 538-121 school record.

2010-11 RECORDS – Emory stands 1-0 following a decisive 94-74 win over Oglethorpe earlier this week.  The Eagles received double-figure scoring from four players, led by freshman Hannah Lilly’s 16 points.  Sophomore Misha Jackson totaled 15 points and eight boards while sophomore Danielle Landry and freshman Taylor Bruzzio rounded out the squad’s double-digit scorers with 12 and 10 points, respectively. The 94 points represented the highest-scoring output by a Thomaskutty-coached team.

The University of the South comes to town with a record of 1-0 after posting a season-opening 100-94 victory at home against Covenant College on Tuesday.  Leading the Tigers in that affair was junior Dani Kabbes with 35 points and 16 rebounds.

The College of Saint Benedict opened its season at home on Monday and came away with a 69-58 victory over Wisconsin-Eau Claire.  Three Blazers scored 12 points in the win, Amy Stifter, Laura Canton and Morgan Dale.

Piedmont will be making its season debut on Friday when it meets St. Benedict.  Last year, the Lions recorded an overall record of 14-14.

SERIES RECORDS – Emory holds a slim 27-10 advantage in the all-time series with  South.  Last season, the Tigers snapped a four-game losing streak to Emory with a 97-87 victory at Sewanee.  Emory stands 14-4 against Sewanee in games played on its home floor.

Emory has won the last five meetings against Piedmont and claims a 13-10 series edge vs. Piedmont.  Last season the teams met twice with the Eagles capturing a 65-63 win on the road (Dec. 31, 2009) before registering a 67-61 triumph at home (Jan. 14, 2010).

If Emory meets St. Benedict this weekend, it will mark the first-ever meeting in basketball between the programs.

NOTES -- The Eagles are 14-2 during Thomaskutty’s tenure as head coach when scoring 80 or more points … The 94 points scored against Oglethorpe was the 13^th highest single-game total in school history … Sophomore Danielle Landry recorded her first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebouds in the Oglethorpe contest … The Eagles came up with 20 steals against Oglethorpe, tying the fifth-highest mark in school history …. Emory has an overall record of 14-6 in its last 20 November games … The Eagles have a total of 10 new faces on this year’s 16-player roster … Included among the newcomers are a pair of transfers, sophomore Misha Jackson (Atlanta), who played at Division II member Florida Southern College in 2009-10, and junior Emily Hyncik (Skillman, NJ), a two-year player (2008-09 & 2009-10) at Sacred Heart University (CT).