GAME FACTS – The Emory men's basketball team returns home for a Wednesday evening showdown against Covenant College. The Woodruff PE Center on the Emory campus will serve as the venue for the ninth meeting between the Eagles and Scots and tip is slated for 7:00 pm.
The will be a webcast of the contest and it can be accessed by going to the following:
http://emoryathletics.com/information/webcasts. Handling the play-by-play duties will be Justin Hanover.
THE COACHES – Jason Zimmerman (Davidson, 1994) is in his 11th year of patrolling the Emory sideline. 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, he ranks as the program's winningest coach, compiling a school and career record of 175-94. In games played at the Woodruff PE Center, Zimmerman posts a 100-26 ledger and a 75-68 mark in road/neutral settings.
He has guided Emory to eight straight winning seasons and five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017). The Eagles are the lone D-III school to have won at least one NCAA contest in each of the past five years.
After going 17-33 his first two years at Emory, Zimmerman has compiled a won-lost slate of 158-61 (.724) since the 2009-10 season.
Neal Young (Anderson, '08) is in his first season at the helm of the Covenant College program. Prior to his current post, he served as the head coach at Goshen College for four seasons (2013-14 through 2016-17).
2017-18 RECORDS – Emory heads into Wednesday's game against the Scots with a 4-2 record. The Eagles split a pair of games last week, winning at home against Birmingham Southern last Wednesday, 91-86, before coming out on the short end of a 90-85 verdict at Hampden-Sydney on Saturday.
Freshman Romin Williams led three Emory double-figure with 26 points, the high-water mark by an Eagle this season, in the BSC game, hitting seven-of-15 field goal attempts and 11-of-12 from the stripe. Williams also led all players with seven assists and tied for team honors with three steals. Williams and senior Adam Gigax each produced a team-high tying 17 points in the H-SC affairs, while senior Gebereal Baitey chipped in 14 points on the strength of seven-of-eight field goal shooting.
Emory is 2-0 at home and 2-2 in road/neutral contests.
Covenant College heads into a Tuesday night match-up at Sewanee with a 3-1 slate. Prior to meeting the Tigers, the Scots won their third game in a row this past Saturday, defeating Berea, 93-64.
SERIES RECORDS – In a series that began in December 2010, Emory posts an all-time mark of 7-1 against Covenant College. The Scots came away with their first win in the series last season when they topped the Eagles by a 74-70 count. Emory has won all five meetings between the schools that have been played at the Woodruff PE Center.
WILLIAMS ON A HOT STREAK – Romin Williams has been an offensive tear over the past three games, averaging a team-high 22.0 points while doling out 6.7 assists. In addition, he has been successful on 52.5 percent (21-40) of his field goal attempts and 89.4 percent (17-19) from the charity stripe. He has led or shared for team scoring honors in each of the last three contests, with his 17-point afternoon vs. Hampden-Sydney marking his fifth double-figure scoring effort of the young season.
Through games played Dec. 4, Williams ranks prominently in a number of statistical categories among UAA players including scoring (6th, 17.0 ppg), assists (5th, 4.7 apg), steals (t-2nd, 2.2 spg) and free throw shooting (5th, .824).
BAITEY PRODUCING AT BOTH ENDS OF FLOOR – Junior Gebereal Baitey has been effective at both ends of the floor, scoring in double figures on four occasions and averaging 11.5 points per game, good for the No. 4 spot on the club and tied for 18th among UAA players. Baitey has connected on 50 percent or better of his field goal attempts in four contests and his 50.9 percent (29-57) effort from the floor ranks 11th on the league ladder.
Defensively, Baitey is averaging a conference-high 3.0 steals per game. He has two or more thefts to his credit in all six games and posted back-to-back games of three steals in last week's outings vs. Birmingham Southern and Hampden-Sydney.
DID YOU KNOW? – That since the 2010-11 season, Emory has the No. 1 record among UAA teams in overall (143-51) play and the second-best mark in league action (68-30) .… Washington University has the conference's second-best overall ledger (139-51) and the top slate in conference play (70-28) … That entering the Covenant College contest, Emory has at least one three-point field goal in its last 523 games -- The last time the Eagles failed to convert from beyond the arc came on Feb. 14, 1997, vs. Washington University (0-of-6) … Emory was won 37 of its last 38 games when allowing 69 or fewer points (1-0 in '17-18, 7-1 in '16-17, 13-0 in '15-16, 16-0 in '14-15) … That Whit Rapp holds down the No. 3 spot on Emory's all-time chart with 471 assists and is No. 2 in assists average (5.6 apg) … Standing in the No. 2 spot on the Eagles' career ladder in assists in Michael Florin (2011-15) with 509 … That Adam Gigax stands eighth all-time at Emory with 153 three-point field goals and is now eyeing Spiros Ferderigos' (2004-2008) No. 7 mark of 157 … Gigax's total of 28 points over the last two games upped his career total to 938 points, good for the No. 17 position on the school's all-time ladder.
NOTES – Senior Christopher Avant's team-high eight rebounds in the Hampden-Sydney contest represented the fourth time this year that he ranked as the team leader in that department … Avant is pulling down a squad-best 6.7 rebounds per game, with that effort ranking 11th among UAA players … Offensively, Avant has shot 50 percent or better from the field in all six games and his 63.0 percent (29-46) is good for the No. 3 spot on the UAA ladder … In its four wins, Emory is shooting 38.3 percent (44-115) from three-point range compared to 26.5 percent (13-49) in its two losses … Emory has shot 70 percent or better from the charity stripe in five games and its 75.0 percent (87-116) effort is No. 2 among UAA teams … The Eagles are averaging 43.0 points during the first half of play and 48.3 points over the final 20 minutes … The Eagles are 41-6 in the last 47 games when making 10 or more three-point field goals in a game (3-0 in '17-18) … The Emory reserves have outscored the opposing subs by a 167-121 margin through six contests … Whit Rapp has 15 career games with 10 or more assists to his credit … Christopher Avant has one double-double this year (vs. Piedmont, 10 points, 11 rebounds) and five in his career … Gebereal Baitey's three steals against Hampden-Sydney marked his 18th career outing of two or more thefts … Adam Gigax is second on the team and stands ninth in the league in scoring average (14.8 ppg)… Gigax has converted three or more triples in all six contests to date and has been successful on 42.1 percent (16-38) of his three-point attempts, good for the No. 6 position on the UAA ladder … Junior Beau Bommarito's 13-point outing vs. Hampden-Sydney was his fourth double-figure scoring performance of the season … Since the 2012-13 season, the Eagles are 85-6 when outshooting the opposition from the floor (2-1 in '17-18, 17-1 in '16-17, 12-3 in '15-16, 18-0 in '14-15) … During Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach, Emory stands 140-18 when leading at halftime (3-0, in '17-18, 13-0 in '16-17; 18-3 in 2015-16) … Emory is 82-10 (.891) over its last 92 home contests … The Eagles have recorded 100 or more points 48 times in program history and own a 43-5 won-lost record in those affairs … During Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach, Emory has 17 contests of 100 or more points and stands 16-1 in such games.