GAME FACTS – After playing its opening three games of the 2018-19 season on the road, the Emory men's basketball team looks forward to competing on its home floor this Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 24-25) when it hosts its Thanksgiving Classic.  Joining the Eagles in this year's event are Maryville College, Randolph-Macon College and Oglethorpe University. All of the games will be played at the Woodruff PE Center on the Emory campus.

A schedule of the Classic is as follows:

Saturday, Nov. 24
2:00 pm – Emory vs. Maryville College
4:00 pm – Oglethorpe vs. Randolph-Macon

Sunday, Nov. 25
2:00 pm – Emory vs. Randolph-Macon
4:00 pm – Maryville vs. Oglethorpe

THE COACHES – Jason Zimmerman (Davidson, 1994) is in his 12^th 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 197-97.   In games played at the Woodruff PE Center, Zimmerman posts a 112-27 ledger and an 85-70 mark in road/neutral settings.  

He has guided Emory to nine straight winning seasons and six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).  The Eagles are the lone D-III school to have won at least one NCAA contest in each of the past six years.  

After going 17-33 his first two years at Emory, Zimmerman has compiled a won-lost slate of 180-64 (.737) since the 2009-10 season.

Randy Lambert, an icon in the D-III coaching ranks, is in his 39^th and final season at the helm of the Maryville College program. During his run with the Scots, he has compiled 701 victories and led the program to 19 NCAA Tournament appearances.  He was named the 2017-18 USA South Coach of the Year, and entered this season ranked fourth in the nation among active head coaches in career victories.

In his third season as head coach at Randolph-Macon is Josh Merkel (Salisbury, 2001).  Merkel enters the Emory Thanksgiving Classic with a school mark of 39-17. In seven campaigns as a head coach, which includes a four-year stint at Salisbury, Merkel owns a career slate of 105-58.

2018-19 RECORDS – No. 19-ranked Emory stands 3-0 after picking up a pair of wins to claim the championship at Roanoke College's Dick Leftwich Tip-Off Tournament.  The Eagles opened with an 86-68 victory over Staten Island on Friday before rolling to a 109-73 triumph over Keuka College in the finals. Sophomore Romin Williams was named the MVP of the Tournament after averaging 22.5 points in the two games.  Classmate Matt Davet also garnered all-tourney recognition as well, tossing in 19.5 points and grabbing a team-high 9.5 rebounds.

Maryville College stands 0-2 after dropping contests this past weekend at home in its College Classic.  The Scots fell to Eastern, 68-65, before losing to Emory & Henry, 86-74.

Randolph-Macon sports a 4-0 ledger heading into a Tuesday home date against Ferrum. In their most recent action, the Yellow Jackets won both of their games at the Gettysburg Tip-Off Tournament this past weekend, defeating Albright, 82-69, and Gettysburg, 88-67.

SERIES RECORDS – In a series that began in November of 1990, Maryville holds a 16-13 all-time mark against Emory. The Eagles have narrowed the gap recently with wins in the last two and seven of the past eight meetings.  Last season Emory recorded a 102-92 decision over the Scots at LaGrange College. The Eagles check in with a 7-4 edge over Maryville in games that have been played at the Woodruff PE Center. Coach Zimmerman shows an 8-4 slate against Maryville.

When Emory and Randolph-Macon square off on Sunday, it will represent the first time the schools have met.

EMORY AND HOME OPENERS - Emory has enjoyed considerable success over the years in home-opening games, winning 27 of 32 contests. The Eagles have won their last 14 home openers including last year's 83-64 outcome over Piedmont which doubled as their season opener.

Maryville has served as Emory's home-opening opponent on two occasions with the Scots winning both games.  The last time MC was the Eagles' home-opening foe came on Nov. 20, 1999, with the Scots emerging with a 62-57 triumph.

EAGLES AND THE CENTURY MARK – Emory's 109 points vs. Keuka College tied the program's sixth-highest game total in school annals while representing the 49^th time in program history that it reached the century mark with the Eagles posting a 45-4 record in such contests. In tied the second-highest point total by a Zimmerman-coached Emory team

During Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach, Emory has 18 contests of 100 or more points and stands 17-1 in those games. 

DAVET OFF THE SOLID START – Sophomore Matt Davet has been given the Eagles a big boost off the bench through the first three games, averaging a team-high 21.0 points and producing a pair of 20-plus point outings in the process.

After picking up a career-high 25 points in the season opener vs. Piedmont, Davet followed that with a 24-point evening against Staten Island hitting eight-of-16 from the floor including four three-point field goals in eight tries, and four-of-five from the stripe in notching his third career contest of 20 or more points.  He also topped all players with a career-high 15 rebounds, tying the 21^st-highest individual game total in school history. 
Against Keuka, Davet led all reserves with 14 points in a 16-minute stint, connecting on five-of-nine field goal attempts and all three of his free throws.

EMORY RAINS THREES DOWN ON KEUKA – The Eagles tied a school single-game record with 18 three-point field goals in the Keuka game.  Emory knocked down 18-of-43 from beyond the arc against the Wolves, tying the total from the Dec. 6, 2005 game at Sewanee (111-105 overtime win).  The Eagles' 43 attempts established a school record, topping the 40 tries launched at Oglethorpe on Jan. 2, 2018.

Emory has 10 or more treys in two games this year and is average of 12.3 triples per game tops the UAA.

WILLIAMS TIES SCHOOL MARK FOR THREE POINTERS – Romin Williams tied a school single-game record when he sank  eight three-point field goals against Keuka College this past Sunday.

Williams totaled seven first-half triples en route to racking up 28 points during the opening 20 minutes of play, which helped the Eagles race to a 63-40 halftime lead.  He closed out the game with a career-high 32 points, sinking eight-of-18 from beyond the arc in the process and tying Alex Gulotta (vs. Guilford, Nov. 20, 2010) and Richard Somers (vs. LaGrange, Nov. 16, 2001) for the school record. 

EMORY PICKED AS TEAM TO BEAT IN UAA – Emory was picked as the team to beat in the University Athletic Association in a preseason poll conducted by the league coaches.  The Eagles picked up six of the eight first-place votes cast and recorded 48 points.  The University of Rochester was tabbed for second, receiving the other two first-place ballots and totaling 42 points.

DID YOU KNOW --  Since the 2010-11 season, Emory has the No. 1 record among UAA teams in overall (165-54) play and the second-best mark in league action (80-32) .… Washington University has the conference's second-best overall ledger (157-55) and the top slate in conference play (83-29) … That Emory has at least one three-point field goal in its last 547 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 48 of its last 49 games when allowing 69 or fewer points (1-0 in 2018-19, 11-0 in '17-18, 7-1 in '16-17, 13-0 in '15-16, 16-0 in '14-15) … That the Eagles went 8-0 at home during the non-conference this season and have won their last 36 non-league contests dating from the early stages of the 2012-13 campaign (included in the streak are 8 NCAA Tourney wins) … Emory posts a 23-2 ledger in games since the 2016-17 season when it has converted 10 or more three-pointers in a contest (2-0 in '18-19, 10-0 in 2017-18).

NOTES –  Since the 2012-13 season, the Eagles are 102-6 when outshooting the opposition from the floor (3-0 in 2018-19, 16-1 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 159-19 when leading at halftime (3-0 in 2018-19, 19-1, in '17-18, 13-0 in '16-17; 18-3 in 2015-16) … Emory is 94-11 (.894) over its last 105 home contests … The Eagles have recorded 100 or more points 49 times in program history and own a 44-5 won-lost record in those affairs … During Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach, Emory has 18 contests of 100 or more points and stands 17-1 in such games … Senior Gebereal Baitey posts 85 career steals and has recorded 25 contests with two or more thefts to his credit … Sophomore Lawrence Rowley has registered double-figure scoring in all three games and is coming off a career-high 21-point afternoon against Keuka … In addition, Rowley has two double-doubles to his credit this season … Emory has outpointed the opposition in all six halves this season … The Eagles have scored 50 or more points in a half on three occasions, and their 63 first-half points against Keuka represented the second-highest total by a Zimmerman-coached team … Sophomore Nick Stuck dished out a career-high nine assists in the Keuka contest … Emory has chalked 10 or more steals in two of three games and enjoys a 66-25 cushion in the points-off-turnovers category.