GAME FACTS - After taking a well-earned break for the holidays, the Emory men's basketball squad returns to action this Saturday and Sunday (Jan. 2-3) when it competes at the Washington & Lee Tournament.  The Eagles battle Drew University on the opening day of action in a 4:00 p.m. tip and will be preceded by Swarthmore College vs. Washington & Lee at 2:00 p.m.  On Sunday, the consolation game will be played at 2:00 p.m. followed by the championship contest at 4:00 p.m.

There will be Live Stats for all four games of the Tournament and video streaming of games involving Washington & Lee.  For more information, go to:  http://www.generalssports.com/sports/mbkb/2009-10/schedule

THE COACHES - Leading the Emory program is third-year Head Coach Jason Zimmerman (Davidson, '94)  Named head coach in April of 2007, Zimmerman came to Emory after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Evansville (2003-04 through 2006-07).  Prior to his stint with the Aces, Zimmerman was an assistant at Davidson College for seven years (1996-97 through 2002-03).

In his second season as the head coach at Drew University is Darryl Keckler (Trevecca Nazarene, 2003).  Prior to his appointment at Drew, Keckler served as an assistant coach at Gettysburg for five seasons.

Adam Hutchinson (Amherst, 1993) directs the fortunes of the Washington & Lee program. During his tenure as the Generals' top man, he has compiled a won-lost effort of 61-100 including a 48-40 mark the past four seasons.

Calling the shots at Swarthmore College is 23^rd-year head coach Lee Wimberly.  He ranks as the school's all-time winningest coach with 169 victories.

2009-10 RECORDS - Emory owns a three-game winning streak and will take a 6-3 record into this weekend's action.  The Eagles closed out a month-long, five-game homestand with an 89-81 win over Hanover College on Dec. 19. Senior Chad Hixon led the way in that contest with team highs in points (15) and rebounds (13).

Drew will meet Emory with a 2-5 record.  The Rangers last played on Dec. 9 when they came out on the short end of a 81-66 decision at Staten Island. Drew was to have played the College of New Jersey on Dec. 19 but that game was cancelled due to inclement weather.

Washington & Lee stands 6-2 following a 76-62 win at home over Ferrum on Dec. 30. The Generals and Emory have played one common opponent this year, that being Greensboro College. W&L topped the Pride, 67-55, on Nov. 15, while the Eagles fashioned an 88-74 win (Dec. 17).

Swarthmore tangles with Washington & Lee looking to snap a two-game losing streak that has left its record at 1-7.  In their last action, the Garnet lost to Washington College in overtime on Dec. 9, 80-70. 

 

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Zimmerman    

SERIES RECORDS -  The game against Drew University on Saturday will mark the first meeting on the hardwood between the Eagles and Rangers.

Swarthmore owns a 2-0 edge in the all-time series with Emory.  The schools last met on January 6, 1999, with the Garnet claiming a 63-56 triumph.

Both Emory and Washington & Lee claim seven victories in the series that started in 1987.  The last confrontation took place on Nov. 20, 2007, with the Eagles chalking up a 76-72 win at the Woodruff PE Center.

EMORY OFFENSE PUTTING UP NUMBERS - Emory's 88- and 89-point totals against Greensboro and Hanover College, respectively, marked the sixth and seventh times this year that the Eagles had scored 85 or more points in a game.  Last season, Emory reached or surpassed the 85-point plateau on five occasions. 

In games played through Dec. 30, Emory holds down the No. 1 spot among University Athletic Association teams with an 85.4 points per game average.  The Eagles have posted 90 or more points on four occasions and also rank third in the loop in field goal percentage (.500) and first in three-point field goal percentage (.427).  


EMORY SPREADS SCORING AROUND - Through nine games, Emory has had five or more players score 10 or more points in five contests, a dramatic jump from last year's total of one time.  The Eagles have had six double-figure scorers in two games this year (Nov. 29, vs. LaGrange & Dec. 7 vs. Oglethorpe), the first time since the 2003-04 season that they had a pair of games with six players finishing with 10 or more points.

THREE-POINT SHOT AN EMORY WEAPON --  Emory has made the most of the three-point shot and is averaging 7.8 treys per contest. The Eagles have seven or more treys in seven contests and have a pair of outings of 10 or more including 15 from beyond the arc, the second-highest game total in school history, against Oglethorpe on Dec. 7.  In UAA statistics through Dec. 30, Emory held down the No. 1 position with a 42.7 percent mark from three-point range. After nine games a year ago, Emory was averaging 5.3 three-pointers per game.

PLAYERS MOVING UP EMORY CAREER CHARTS - During the early stages of the season, a pair of Emory players are moving up the school's career listings in various categories.  Senior Daniel Curtin has moved into 10^th position with 103 three-point field goals and stands 9^th all-time at the school with a 36.6 percent showing (103-of-281) in three-point shooting.

Senior Anthony Fernandez is 19^th all-time at Emory with 326 rebounds and is four shy of tying Clayton Fuller (2002-04) for 18^th place.  Scoring-wise, Fernandez has 762 points to his credit and is seven shy of cracking the school's top 20 list.

NOTES - In games that it has won, Emory is averaging 91.7 points and shooting 53.0 percent from the floor ... In games they have lost, the Eagles are scoring 73.0 points and shooting 43.9 percent from the field ... Sophomore Austin Claunch has scored in double figures on seven occasions and his team-leading 14.3 points per game average is good for eighth place among UAA players in games played through Dec. 30 ... In addition, Claunch tops the team and is No. 2 on the UAA chart in assists with a 6.8 per-game average, and is fourth in field goal percentage (.568)  ... Senior Chad Hixon's 15-point, career-high 13-rebound performance against Hanover on Dec. 19 was his second straight double-double and fourth of his career ... Emory connected on a season-high 57.9 percent (33-of-57) of its field goal attempts vs. Greensboro (Dec. 17), the program's third-highest mark during Jason Zimmerman's stint as head coach ... Emory has shot 50 percent or better from the field in four games this season and is 4-0 in those contests ... The Eagles turned the ball over just three times against Hanover, establishing a school record for fewest miscues in a game ... Daniel Curtin will enter the Washington & Lee Tournament with three-point field goals in his last six outings ... Curtin is tied for 14^th place in the UAA in scoring (10.8 ppg) and is No. 2 in three-point field goal percentage (.500), hitting on 20-of-40 attempts ... Junior Julien Williams will start the weekend with a three-game double-figure scoring streak ... Williams is No. 2 on the club and tied for 11^th in the UAA in rebounding (5.9 rpg) ... Emory has outrebounded six opponents this year and stands 5-1 in those games ... Emory shows a 7-1 slate under Zimmerman when converting 25 or more free throws.