GAME FACTS – After playing its first three University Athletic Association games on the road, the Emory men's basketball team returns home this weekend to play a pair conference foes, starting on Friday (Jan. 18) against Case Western followed by a Sunday contest against Carnegie Mellon. The Woodruff PE Center will serve as the site of the 53rd match-up between the Eagles and Case Western with tip slated for 8:00 pm, while the noon tip against the Tartans of CMU will represent the 62nd time the two schools have squared off.
Both games will be streamed with Mark Harmon handling the play-by-play duties.
THE COACHES – Jason Zimmerman (Davidson, 1994) is in his 12th 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 204-101. In games played at the Woodruff PE Center, Zimmerman posts a 118-28 ledger and claims an 86-73 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 187-68 (.736) since the 2009-10 season.
The Case Western Reserve program is led by third-year Head Coach Todd McGuinness (Bethany, '02). Heading into Friday's game, McGuinness has compiled a school ledger of 28-36. In 10 years as a head coach, which includes a seven-year stint at Hartwick (2009-10 through 2015-16), McGuinness owns a career record of 142-108.
Now in his 29th year of patrolling the Carnegie Mellon sideline is Tony Wingen (Springfield, '82). Wingen will take a school won-lost mark of 320-395 into a Friday night clash at Rochester. Now in his 31st campaign as a head coach, Wingen starts the weekend with a career effort of 341-423.
2018-19 RECORDS – Emory stands 10-4 in overall play, 1-2 in the UAA. The Eagles split a pair of road contests last weekend, winning a 108-98 shootout at Washington University before coming out on the short end of a 96-86 overtime verdict to Chicago. Sophomore Matt Davet was named UAA Co-Player of the Week after averaging a team-high 26.0 points over the two games. Davet totaled 25 points against WU before chalking up his second double-double of the year, a career-high 27 point, 11-rebound effort against Chicago. Davet sank nine-of-15 from the floor against the Maroons, including three-of-five from three-point range with one of those treys tying the game with 11 ticks on the clock and forcing the extra session.
Emory is 6-1 in home games and 4-3 in away/neutral contests this season.
Case Western comes to town with an overall record of 8-6 (1-2 UAA). The Spartans split of pair of two-point home dates last weekend, bettering NYU by a 57-55 margin before losing to Brandeis, 67-65. CWRU is 1-2 on the road and 7-4 at home.
Carnegie Mellon enters the third weekend of conference play with an overall slate of 8-6 and has gotten off to a 3-0 start in UAA affairs. This past weekend, the Tartans hosted and defeated Brandeis (80-63) and NYU (81-67). All three of CMU's conference wins have been by double figures. Carnegie Mellon has been victorious in five of seven home contests and is 3-4 on the road.
SERIES RECORDS – In a series that began in January of 1987, Emory holds an all-time mark of 32-20 vs. Case Western. The Eagles have won the last four games including last year's 91-59 (in Atlanta) and 75-72 (in Cleveland) outcomes. Emory has captured 18 of the 25 match-ups against the Spartans in games played at the Woodruff PE Center.
Emory checks in with a 39-22 advantage in the series with Carnegie Mellon. The Eagles have won the last nine match-ups including a pair of nail biters last year, 82-77 in Atlanta and 82-80 in Pittsburgh. Emory posts a 25-5 mark against CMU in games that have been played at the Woodpec.
DAVET PRODUCING OFFENSE – Entering this weekend's contests, sophomore Matt Davet has registered three straight contests of 20-plus points and is scoring at a league-high 18.1 points-per-game average. Over his last three outings, he is tossing in 25.0 points and shooting 55.6 percent (25-of-45) from the field. In addition, he has been successful on 36.8 percent (7-of-19) from three-point range and converted 90 percent (18-of-20) from the stripe.
A double-figure scorer on 12 occasions this season, he has tallied 20 or more points in seven contests and ranked as the squad's leading scorer in five games. Career-wise, he has appeared in 42 contests and has chalked up 23 double-figure scoring performances.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL KEY FOR EMORY – Through 14 games, taking care of the ball has played a significant role in the team's success, posting a 7-0 mark when having fewer turnovers than the opposition (3-4 when having more turnovers). Including the 2017-18 campaign, Emory stands 23-3 when finishing with fewer miscues than the opposition. The Eagles' eight turnovers in the Wash U game represented their second game this year with single digits in that category (had six vs. Oswego State)
Emory leads the UAA in turnover margin (+2.07), and has registered an advantage in the points-off-turnovers category in nine contests.
EMORY ON THE GLASS – Through 14 games, Emory has outrebounded 11 opponents and finished with a double-digit edge in that category in six contests, most recently a 47-36 edge in the Wash U game last Friday. Emory is averaging a conference-best 43.6 boards per outing including a league-high 15.0 caroms on the offensive end of the floor, helping it to an edge in second-chance points in nine games.
Emory claims three of the UAA's top-13 rebounders, led by sophomore Lawrence Rowley whose 8.2 per-game average is good for the No. 4 spot on the league ladder. Matt Davet (6.7 rpg) ranks 9th on the conference ladder while sophomore Matt Schner holds down the No. 13 slot (6.1 rpg).
The Rowely, Schner and Davet trio have either individually or collectively ranked as the team's top performers in rebound in 13 outings with Rowley leading or tying for club honors in nine games.
EMORY BENCH ANSWERING THE CALL – Emory has used its depth to its advantage this season as the Eagle reserves have outscored their counterparts by a 427 (30.5 ppg) to 309 (22.1 ppg) margin. Emory has recorded the advantage in the points-off-bench category in nine contests and has seen the reserves total 40 or more points in four games.
OFFENSE IN AMPLE SUPPLY – Offense has been plentiful for Emory thus far, with the Eagles ranking first among UAA squads and 10th in Division III (through Jan. 14) with a 92.4 points per game average.
Emory has scored 90 or more points in nine contests this year, and has cracked the 100-point plateau three times.
The Eagles' five straight outings of 90 or more points (Dec. 1 through Dec. 30) tied the 2013-14 squad (Nov. 23 – Dec.3, 2013) for the program's second-longest streak. The 1989-90 team holds the top mark with seven straight performances of 90 or more points (Jan. 5 – Jan. 26, 1990) en route to closing out that season with a school-record 17 contests of 90 or more points.
EMORY FEATURES BALANCED ATTACK -- Emory has employed a balanced scoring attack through its first 14 games with four players averaging in double figures. Leading the scoring parade is Matt Davet at 18.1 points per game, good for the No. 1 spot on the UAA chart. Sophomore Romin Williams is close behind at 17.4 points, which places him third on the UAA ladder. Lawrence Rowley holds down the No. 9 position (14.5 ppg) and paces the team with 13 double-figure scoring performances. Matt Schner rounds out the quartet with a showing of 11.6 points per game, placing him 13th in the league.
EAGLES AND THE CENTURY MARK – Emory's 116 points vs. Trinity (Dec. 1) established a school record for most points in a game, surpassing the previous mark of 112 set against Sewanee on Nov. 29, 2005. Earlier in the season (Nov. 17), the Eagles dialed up 109 points vs. Keuka College, which at the time tied the program's sixth-highest game total. Emory reached the century mark for the third time in the Wash U game when it dialed up 108 points, tying the program's 12th-highest game total.
In its history, Emory has scored 100 or more points 51 times and claims a 46-5 ledger in such outings. During Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach, Emory has 10 contests of 100 or more points and stands 19-1 in those games.
EMORY USES THE THREE-BALL – Emory stands second in the UAA and 30th in the D-III ranks (through Jan. 14) with an average of 10.1 three-point field goals per game. The Eagles have converted 10 or more triples on six occasions this season including a UAA-record 19 in the 116-77 victory over Trinity. The Eagles have been successful on 33.6 percent (141-of-420) of their attempts from beyond the arc.
The Eagles have had five or more players record three-pointers in seven contests this season, highlighted by eight finding their way into the triple column vs. Keuka and seven in the Trinity tilt.
Earlier in the campaign, Emory tied a then-school record with 18 triples against Keuka College (Nov. 17).
ROWLEY FINDS THE MARK – Lawrence Rowley ranks first on the club and eighth among University Athletic Association players with a 55.6 percent effort from the floor, converting 74-of-133 field goal attempts. Rowley has shot 50 percent or better on 10 occasions and has four contests of 70 percent or higher (three at home, one on the road), most recently against Berry College when he nailed seven-of-10 field goal opportunities. This past weekend, he shot 55.6 (10-of-18) from the floor and averaged 14.5 points in the games vs. Wash U and Chicago.
SHARE THE BALL – Emory has displayed the trait for sharing the basketball with its average of 17.3 assists per game, tying for the No. 1 spot in the UAA and 32nd among all D-III programs. The Eagles have doled out 20 or more assists four times this year -- 29 vs. Trinity (Dec. 1), the third-highest mark in school history, 22 vs. East Texas Baptist (Dec. 30), 21 vs. Keuka (Nov. 17) and 21 vs. Wash U (Jan. 11).
Sophomore Nick Stuck paces the team and is second in the conference with an average of 4.5 assists per game while Romin Williams holds down the No. 4 position at 3.9 per contest. In addition, Stuck is second in the UAA and 19th in the D-III (through Jan. 14) in assist/turnover ratio (2.9).
EMORY'S HIGHEST-SCORING HALVES IN 2018-19
65 – vs. Trinity (Dec. 1) – 2nd Half
63 – vs. Keuka (Nov. 17) – 1st Half
55 – vs. Wash U (Jan. 11) – 2nd Half
55 – vs. College of Staten Island (Nov. 16) – 2nd Half
54 – vs. Piedmont (Nov. 11) – 2nd Half
53 – vs. Wash U (Jan. 11) – 1st Half
51 – vs. East Texas Baptist (Dec. 30) – 2nd Half
51 – vs. Trinity (Dec. 1) – 1st Half
50 – vs. Oswego State (Dec. 29) – 2nd Half
WILLIAMS A LONG-RANGE THREAT -– Romin Williams is tied for the UAA lead with an average of 3.1 three-point field goals per game, with that effort slotting him 50th nationally. Williams has drained three or more triples in six games and has tied the school's single-game record of eight treys twice this season – most recently against East Texas Baptist (Dec. 30) when he went eight-of-13 from distance, and the first time against Keuka College (Nov. 17), seven of which came during the opening 20 minutes of play. Williams finished that contest with a career-high 32 points.
Williams is one of three players in school annals to hit eight three-pointers in a game,
joining Alex Gulotta (vs. Guilford, Nov. 20, 2010) and Richard Somers (vs. LaGrange, Nov. 16, 2001) in that club.
Career-wise, Williams has appeared in 41 games and his 108 three-point field goals ranks 20th on the program's all-time ladder, six shy of tying Jonathan Terry (2013-17) for 19th place.
STRONG FROM THE STRIPE – Through the first 14 games of the season, Emory has been solid from the foul line, connecting at a 75.9 percent (214-of-282) clip, good for second place among UAA teams and 31st in D-III (through Jan. 14). Emory has converted 70 percent or higher of his foul shots in 12 contests this year, and is coming off a 76.2-percent afternoon in the Chicago game.
Individually, Davet is No. 6 among league players with an 82.8 percent (48-of-58) showing in foul shooting while Lawrence Rowley is 11th at 78.1 percent (50-of-64).
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 (172-58) play and the second-best mark in league action (81-34) .… Washington University has the conference's second-best overall ledger (164-60) and the top slate in conference play (84-31) … That Emory has at least one three-point field goal in its last 558 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 49 of its last 50 games when allowing 69 or fewer points (2-0 in 2018-19, 11-0 in '17-18, 7-1 in '16-17, 13-0 in '15-16, 16-0 in '14-15) … Emory posts a 27-2 ledger in games since the 2016-17 season when it has converted 10 or more three-pointers in a contest (6-0 in '18-19, 10-0 in 2017-18).
NOTES – Romin Williams has produced 10 or more points in 33 of 41 career outings and has tallied 20 or more points 12 times … So far this season, Williams, who has led the team in scoring in five games, has produced 12 double-digit scoring performances and five of 20 or more points …Lawrence Rowley is tied for the No. 1 position in the UAA with an average of 3.1 offensive rebounds per game … Matt Schener has shot 50 percent or better from the floor in seven games and is 11th on the conference chart in field goal percentage (.526, 61-of-116) … Schener has chalked up nine performances of double-digit scoring this season … Senior Gebereal Baitey enters the upcoming weekend with steals in his last nine games … Baitey posts 100 career thefts, good for a 19th-place tie on the school's all-time ladder, and has recorded 29 contests with two or more steals … On the offensive end of the floor, Baitey has five double-figure scoring games this season (31 in his career) … Since the 2012-13 season, the Eagles are 107-7 when outshooting the opposition from the floor (8-1 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 166-20 when leading at halftime (10-1 in 2018-19, 19-1, in '17-18, 13-0 in '16-17; 18-3 in 2015-16) … Emory is averaging 44.6 points during the first half of play and 46.4 over the final 20 minutes of action … Opponents are scoring at an average of 37.6 points in the first half and 43.3 points in the second half … The Eagles have won 42 of their last 43 games at the Woodruff PE Center against non-league foes with the only blemish coming earlier this year against Randolph-Macon (Nov. 25) … Emory is 100-12 (.892) over its last 112 home contests … The Eagles have recorded 100 or more points 51 times in program history and own a 46-5 won-lost record in those affairs … During Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach, Emory has 20 contests of 100 or more points and stands 19-1 in such games … The Eagles have outscored the opposition in 19 halves while being outpointed in nine … Emory paces the UAA with an average of 7.4 steals per game and has turned in three contests with double-figure thefts including a season-high 15 vs. LaGrange (Dec. 5) … Matt Schner is third in the conference in steals average (1.5 spg) while Gebereal Baitey is tied for fourth (1.4 spg) … The Eagles have scored 50 or more points in a half on nine occasions, and their 65 first-half points against Trinity (Dec. 1) represented the highest total by a Zimmerman-coached team … Emory enjoys a 242-186 edge in the points-off-turnovers category … Emory has led by 10 or more points at halftime in seven contests … The Eagles are No. 1 in the UAA and 65th in the D-III ranks in scoring margin (+9.7) … Romin Williams saw a 17-game three-point field goal streak (tying 13th-longest in school history) come to an end in the Oswego State game (Dec. 29).