GAME FACTS -  The Emory men's basketball team, ranked No. 8 nationally among D-III programs,  continues University Athletic Association play this weekend when hosts a pair of conference foes.  On Friday (Jan. 20), the Eagles welcome Carnegie Mellon University to the Woodruff PE Center for an 8:00 p.m. start before entertaining Case Western Reserve University on Sunday in a noon tip.

A video stream for both games will be available.  To access the webcasts, go to the following address - http://www.emoryathletics.com/information/webcasts

THE COACHES - Leading the Emory program is fifth-year Head Coach Jason Zimmerman (Davidson, 1994). 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).  During his tenure with the Eagles' program, he has compiled a school and career record of 65-49.

Last season, Zimmerman directed the Eagles to an overall record of 20-5, the program's first 20-win campaign since 1989-90.  In addition, Emory placed second in the University Athletic Association with an 11-3 slate, the second-highest league-play total in school annals.  

Tony Wingen (Springfield, 1982) is in his 22nd season as head coach of the Carnegie Mellon program.  During his tenure with the Tartans, he has manufactured a 247-292 won-lost record. In 24 years as a head coach, that includes a two-year stint at Sewanee, Wingen has compiled a career mark of 268-320.

In his ninth campaign in calling the shots at Case is Sean McDonnell (Boston College, 1996).  Prior to his current post, McDonnell was the head coach at Hiram College for three seasons.

RECORDS – Emory checks in with an overall record of 13-1, including a 2-1 effort in the UAA.  Last Friday, the Eagles had their 12-game winning streak snapped when they dropped an 89-73 decision at NYU.  Emory then bounced back with a sterling performance at Brandeis on Sunday, hammering out a 95-58 verdict over the Judges.   Sophomore Jake Davis averaged a team-high 21.5 points and grabbed 7.5 rebounds over the two-game set with his 24-point effort against NYU representing his sixth out of 20 or more points this year.  Junior Michael Friedberg totaled 17 points in each contest and connected on 63.2 percent (12-of-19) of his field goal tries.

Carnegie Mellon invades Atlanta with an overall mark of 6-8 (1-2 UAA).  Last weekend, CMU lost a pair of home affairs, falling to Chicago, 100-55, on Friday before dropping a tight 66-64 outcome against Washington University.

Case will take an overall record of 8-6 (0-3 UAA) into a Friday night contest at Rochester.  Last weekend, the Spartans lost at home to Washington University (87-71) and Chicago (85-66).

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Zimmerman  

SERIES RECORDS – In a series that began in November of 1987, Emory posts an all-time mark of 27-20 against Carnegie Mellon.  The teams split the two meetings last year with Emory coming through with an 88-71 decision at home before the Tartans won on their home floor, 72-70 in overtime.   The Eagles have been victorious in 19 of the 23 contests that have been played on their home floor.

Both Emory and Case have captured 19 wins in the series that started in January of 1987.  The Eagles captured both games last year, 97-73 in Atlanta and 83-64 in Cleveland.   Emory has bettered Case by an 11-7 margin in games played on its home court.

EMORY PUTS HOME COURT STREAK ON THE LINE – When Emory welcomes Carnegie Mellon to campus on Friday, it will be putting its 14-game home court winning streak on the line.  After winning their last nine games at the Woodruff PE Center last season, the Eagles have captured all five of their home encounters this year, outpointing their opponents by a healthy 86.2-70.8 per-game margin.  Emory's last loss at home came on Dec. 30, 2010, when Washington and Lee posted an 86-75 win.  The Eagles have won their last nine UAA home games dating from the final home league appearance during the 2009-10 campaign.

FOSTER SHINES vs. BRANDEIS – Freshman Alex Foster made his presence known in the Brandeis contest, coming off the bench to notch a season-high 20 points in 17 minutes of action.  The 6-foot-7 Foster drained seven-of-nine from the floor including all four of his three-point attempts en route to his third double-figure scoring effort of the year.

Foster totaled 13 of his 15 first-half points over the final 4:53 of the first stanza, hitting five-of-six from the field along with all three of his triple tries. 

FRIEDBERG ON A ROLL – Junior Michael Friedberg has significantly boosted his offensive production recently, scoring in double figures in six of the last seven games (eight on the year) while shooting 50 percent or better from the floor in his last seven outings.  In his last five contests, the 6-foot-6 Friedberg is averaging 17.0 points and shooting a blazing 66.7 percent (32-of-48) from the field.  His 11.6 per-game scoring mark is third on the team and 12^th among UAA players while his 56.1 percent (60-of-107) mark from the field ranks sixth on the league ladder. 

In addition to his ascending offensive numbers, Friedberg has been a consistent performer on the glass with a 6.1 per-game average in rebounding good for eighth place on the league list.  He has finished with six or more boards on seven occasions and has three games of double figures.   In addition, he tops all conference cagers and stands 10^th nationally in blocked shots (2.6 bps) with his 37 rejections fifth on Emory's seasonal ladder.   Career-wise, Friedberg, who had a seven-game streak of two or more blocks snapped in the Brandeis affair, stands third all-time at Emory with 106 blocked shots.

3-POINT SHOT A KEY IN EMORY OFFENSIVE ATTACK – The Eagles have used the three-point field goal to their benefit this year with the squad averaging a league-high 9.9 treys per game.  Emory, ranked 10th nationally in triples per game through contests played Jan. 15, has knocked down 10 or more from beyond the arc in nine games this season and has captured its last 18 outings when reaching double figures in three-point field goals. 

While the senior tandem of Alex Gulotta (35) and Justin Resnick (23) have accounted for a little over 42 percent of the team's three-point field goals this season, Emory has been able to spread around its three-point attack throughout the year.  The Eagles have had five or more players ring up at least one trey in 10 games, and claim eight outings where six or more have notched triples.

After sinking nine-of-10 three-point attempts in the first half against Brandeis, Emory ended that game with an outstanding effort of 63.2 percent (12-of-19) from beyond the arc, the fifth-highest game mark in school annals.

CLAUNCH CONTINUES CLIMB UP EMORY CAREER CHARTS – Austin Claunch totaled 26 points in last weekend's contests at NYU and Brandeis, upping his career total to 1,093, good for ninth place on the school's all-time list.   He'll enter the weekend needing 34 points to tie Rashawn Allen for eighth place on that list.  Claunch, along with Jake Davis, has scored in all 14 Emory games has produced six games of 20 more points this season and has 13 career outings to his credit with Emory claiming a 12-1 ledger in such contests.

Already the school's all-time leader with 497 assists, Claunch is working his way up Emory career lists in steals where he resides in the No. 7 spot with 143 thefts, three shy of tying Kevin Felner (1989-93) for sixth.  He is No. 2 in career free throw percentage (.881, 259-of-294) and has drawn 66 starting assignments, 13^th all-time at the school.

As for this season, he tops the league and holds down the No. 3 post nationally in assists (6.9 apg).  He is fourth among UAA players in free throw percentage (.889) and second in steals (1.8 spg).  He sets the standard and is 17^th nationally in assist/turnover ratio (2.9) and is also tied for the top spot in the league in minutes (33.1 mpg).

DAVIS WATCH – Sophomore Jake Davis notched his third straight double-double and fifth of the season when he finished the NYU game with a team-high 24 points and 10 rebounds, making him the first Eagle since Clayton Fuller to register three consecutive double-doubles. Fuller opened the 2003-04 campaign with four straight outings of double figures in both points and rebounds. 

Davis followed his NYU performance with a 19-point, team high eight-rebound afternoon against Brandeis, the fourth straight and eighth time this season that the 6-foot-5 frontliner either led or shared for team honors on the boards.  He team-leading 7.5 rebounds per game is good for the No. 5 position on the UAA chart and he has seven or more rebounds to his name on eight occasions. 

Offensively, he is churning out a league-high 19.9 points per game and included in his 14 double-figure scoring games are six efforts of 20 or more points.  He has been successful on 50 percent or better of his field goal attempts in eight games and his 54.9 percent (107-of-195) mark from the floor is good for an eighth-place tie in the UAA.  He also ranks first in the conference in free throw percentage (.912, 52-of-57) and is sixth in steals (1.3 spg).   He will enter the Carnegie Mellon game having made his last 37 free throws, the second-longest streak in school annals, just one shy of tying Austin Claunch's top mark of 38.

NOTES –  Over the last three halves of play, Emory is shooting 66.7 percent (32-of-48) from three-point range … Emory's 61 points in the first stanza in the Brandeis contest represented the most points in a half by a Zimmerman-coached Eagles' squad …  Emory recorded 10 steals in the NYU game, the squad's sixth outing of double-figures in that category … The Eagles top the UAA in steals with an 8.6 per-game mark … Emory is enjoying a league-best 5.29 per-game average in turnover margin, good for 21^st place among all D-III programs … Emory connected on 86.4 percent (19-of22) of its attempts from the charity stripe, the sixth time this season it finished with an effort of 80 percent or higher … The Eagles own the league's best mark with a 75.6 percent showing at the foul line, good 15^th nationally … Alex Gulotta has hit two or more three-point field goals a total of 10 games this year … Gulotta is averaging 2.5 treys per game, good for the No. 2 position in the league with that mark ranking 85^th nationally … Career-wise, Gulotta holds down fourth place on the school's all-time ladder with 168 three pointers, just one shy of tying Kevin Felner (1989-93) for third place … Senior Justin Resnick is tied for 12th among UAA players in three-point field goals per game (1.6 tpg) … Emory ended up the Brandeis game with six turnovers, the fourth time this season that it finished a contest with fewer than 10 miscues … In the last four contests, Emory is averaging 9.75 turnovers compared to the opposition's mark of 16.0 miscues … Emory has scored 50 or more points in seven of 28 halves this year … Emory has outscored the opposition in 21 of 28 halves … The Eagles stand 12-0 when leading at the break this season, 49-8 during Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach … Emory has turned the ball over on fewer occasions than the opposition in 12 games this season … Emory has scored 90 or more points under Zimmerman on 24 occasions and posts a 22-2 slate in those contests … Emory has outshot 11 opponents from the floor this year … The Eagles are shooting 46.8 percent (230-of-491) from the floor during the first half and 45.4 percent (198-of-436) in the second stanza …  Opponents are shooting 40.1 percent (154-of-384) in the opening half and 44.0 percent (165-of-384) over the final 20 minutes.