GAME FACTS – The Emory men's basketball team gears up for a pair of home University Athletic Association contests this weekend, beginning on Friday (Jan. 25) against Brandeis followed by a Sunday match-up with New York University. The Woodruff PE Center will serve as the site of the 63rd match-up between the Eagles and Brandeis with tip slated for 8:00 pm, while the noon start against the Violets of NYU will represent the 64th time the two schools have squared off.
Both games will be video 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 206-101. In games played at the Woodruff PE Center, Zimmerman posts a 120-28 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 189-68 (.735) since the 2009-10 season.
Leading the Brandeis program is first-year Head Coach Jean Bain (Northeastern, '02). Named to his current post in October 2018, Bain had spent the previous two seasons on the coaching staff at Columbia University, the final year as associate head coach. Before his stint at Columbia, Bain served as associate head coach at Dartmouth from 2012 through 2016.
Also in his first year of patrolling the NYU sideline is Dagan Nelson (Ramapo College, '96). Nelson claims collegiate head coaching experience, having spent four years at SUNY-New Paltz (2007-11), and has stints as an assistant at Eastern Kentucky and Stony Brook.
2018-19 RECORDS – Emory stands 12-4 overall, 3-2 in the UAA. The Eagles made the most of their opening home weekend of conference play, registering double-digit wins over Case Western Reserve (91-74) and Carnegie Mellon (116-100). The Eagles had four players average double figures in scoring led by sophomore Matt Schner at 22.5 points per outing. Schner connected on 18-of-21 from the floor, including 87.5 percent (7-of-8) from three-point range. Schner also paced the squad in rebounding (10.5 rpg). Emory had its collective shooting eye in focus, hitting better than 50 percent from the floor in both outings and finishing the weekend with an effort of 53 percent (80-of-151) including 45 percent (20-of-25) from beyond the arc.
Emory is 8-1 in home games and 4-3 in away/neutral contests this season.
Brandeis comes to town with an overall record of 10-6 (3-2 UAA). The Judges split of pair home dates last weekend, edging Chicago, 72-71, in overtime, before dropping a 53-50 verdict to Washington University. BU is 4-4 in home dates and 6-2 in road/neutral contests.
NYU heads into a Friday night contest at Rochester with an overall record of 6-10, 0-5 in the league. The Violets are coming off a pair of losses at home, 91-70 to Washington University and 74-68 to Chicago. NYU has split eight road games and is 2-6 at home.
SERIES RECORDS – In a series that began in January of 1988, Emory holds an all-time mark of 33-29 vs. Brandeis. The Eagles won both meetings last year (90-57 at BU, 82-69 in Atlanta) and have captured eight of the last 10 contests between the schools. Emory has won the last nine and stands 21-10 in games that have been played at the Woodruff PE Center.
NYU holds a 36-27 advantage in the series with Emory. The Eagles did win both meetings last year, 73-68 in New York and 96-85 in Atlanta. The Violets have emerged victorious in 17 of the 31 games contested at the Woodruff PE Center, though Emory has won the last two on its home court.
ROWLEY AND SCHNER PRODUCE CAREER CONTESTS – Sophomores Lawrence Rowley and Matt Schner came through with career performances over the weekend in Emory's two wins.
The 6-foot-7 Rowley led all players with a personal-best 28 points in the 91-74 victory over Case Western, hitting 11-of-16 field goal attempts, including three treys, and all three of his free throw opportunities. Rowley accounted for 19 second-half points in helping the Eagles' to a 46-32 scoring advantage over the Spartans in the final 20 minutes of action.
Schner came through with 30 points against Carnegie Mellon, connecting on 13 field goals in 15 attempts, the high-water mark by an Emory player this year and tying the school's 17th-highest individual game total. In addition, he was successful on all four of his three-point field goal attempts, hitting three of those in the first half en route to a 21-point stanza.
DAVET PROVIDING PUNCH – Entering this weekend's contests, sophomore Matt Davet ranks third among UAA players in overall scoring average, registering a 16.9 points-per-game average mark. In league play, Davet is second on the UAA ladder at 18.4 points per game.
A double-figure scorer on 13 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 44 contests and has chalked up 24 double-figure scoring performances.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL KEY FOR EMORY – Through 16 games, taking care of the ball has played a significant role in the team's success, posting a 9-0 mark when having fewer turnovers than the opposition (3-4 when having more turnovers). Including the 2017-18 campaign, Emory stands 25-3 when finishing with fewer miscues than the opposition. The Eagles' season-low five turnovers in the Carnegie Mellon game represented their third game this year with single digits in that category (8 vs. Wash U (Jan. 11) and six vs. Oswego State (Dec. 29))
Emory leads the UAA and stands 66th nationally (through Jan. 21) in turnover margin (+2.7), and has registered an advantage in the points-off-turnovers category in 11 contests.
EMORY ON THE GLASS – Through 16 games, Emory has outrebounded 12 opponents and finished with a double-digit edge in that category in six contests, most recently a 47-36 edge vs. Wash U (Jan. 11). Emory is averaging a conference-best 42.9 boards per outing including a league-high 14.9 caroms on the offensive end of the floor, helping it to an edge in second-chance points in 11 games.
Emory claims three of the UAA's top-13 rebounders, led by sophomore Lawrence Rowley whose 7.9 per-game average is good for the No. 5 spot on the league ladder. Matt Schner (6.6 rpg) stands 10th on the conference chart while Matt Davet 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 in 15 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 477 (29.8 ppg) to 354 (22.1 ppg) margin. Emory has recorded the advantage in the points-off-bench category in 11 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 7th in Division III (through Jan. 21) with a 93.8 points per game average.
Emory has scored 90 or more points in 11 contests this year, and has cracked the 100-point plateau four 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 16 games with five players averaging in double figures. Leading the scoring parade is Romin Williams with a conference-leading 17.5 points-per-game average. Matt Davet is close behind with his 16.9 per-game effort slotting him third on the league chart. Lawrence Rowley holds down the No. 9 position (14.8 ppg) and is tied with Williams for the team lead with 14 double-figure contests. Matt Schner (13.0 ppg) and Gebereal Baitey (10.2 ppg) round out the group with their scoring averages placing them 11th and 22nd among league cagers, respectively.
The Eagles have had five players score in double figures on six occasions this year.
EAGLES AND THE CENTURY MARK – Emory's 116 points in last Sunday's Carnegie Mellon tilt tied the program's single-game scoring record set earlier vs. Trinity University (Dec. 1), while representing the fourth time this year it had reached the 100-point plateau. The 116 points erased the previous mark of 112 set against Sewanee on Nov. 29, 2005. Earlier this year (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 (Jan. 11) when it dialed up 108 points, tying the program's 12th-highest game total.
In its history, Emory has scored 100 or more points 52 times and claims a 47-5 ledger in such outings. During Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach, Emory has 21 contests of 100 or more points and stands 20-1 in those games.
EMORY USES THE THREE-BALL – Emory stands first in the UAA and 28th in the D-III ranks (through Jan. 21) with an average of 10.5 three-point field goals per game. The Eagles have converted 10 or more triples on eight occasions this season including a UAA-record 19 in the 116-77 victory over Trinity. On the year, the Eagles have been successful on 35 percent (168-of-480) of their attempts from beyond the arc. Entering the upcoming weekend, Emory's 168 treys ranks 17th on the program's seasonal ladder.
The Eagles have had five or more players record three-pointers in eight 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 seventh among University Athletic Association players with a 56.9 percent effort from the floor, converting 87-of-153 field goal attempts. Rowley has shot 50 percent or better in his last five straight (.600, 27-of-45) and in 12 games this year and has four contests of 70 percent or higher (three at home, one on the road). This past weekend, he shot 65 percent (13-of-20) from the floor and averaged 16.5 points in the games vs. Case Western and Carnegie Mellon.
SHARE THE BALL – Emory has displayed the trait for sharing the basketball with its average of 18.1 assists per game good for the No. 1 spot in the UAA and 17nd among all D-III programs. The Eagles have doled out 20 or more assists six 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), 21 vs. Wash U (Jan. 11), 21 vs. Case Western and 27 vs. Carnegie Mellon that tied the program's sixth-highest mark.
Sophomore Nick Stuck paces the team and is second in the conference with an average of 4.8 assists per game while Romin Williams holds down the No. 4 position at 4.2 per contest. In addition, Stuck is second in the UAA and 8th in the D-III (through Jan. 21) in assist/turnover ratio (3.3).
EMORY'S HIGHEST-SCORING HALVES IN 2018-19
68 – vs. Carnegie Mellon (Jan. 20) – 1st Half
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 53rd nationally. Williams has drained three or more triples in each of his last three and in a total of eight games this year, 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 43 games and his 114 three-point field goals ties Jonathan Terry (2013-17) for 19th on the program's all-time ladder.
STRONG FROM THE STRIPE – Emory has been solid from the foul line this year, connecting at a 76.2 percent (234-of-307) clip, good for first place among UAA teams and 25th in D-III (through Jan. 21). Emory has converted 70 percent or higher of his foul shots in 14 contests this year, including last weekend's games vs. Case Western (.846, 11-of-13) and Carnegie Mellon (.750, 9-of-12).
Individually, Matt Davet (48-of-60) and Romin Williams (32-of-40) are tied for the No. 8 spot among league players with an 80 percent (48-of-58) showing in foul shooting while Lawrence Rowley is deadlocked for 10th at 79.4 percent (54-of-68).
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 (174-58) play and the second-best mark in league action (83-34) .… Washington University has the conference's second-best overall ledger (166-60) and the top slate in conference play (86-31) … That Emory has at least one three-point field goal in its last 560 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 29-2 ledger in games since the 2016-17 season when it has converted 10 or more three-pointers in a contest (8-0 in '18-19, 11-0 in 2017-18, 10-2 in '16-17).
NOTES – Romin Williams has produced 10 or more points in 35 of 43 career outings and has tallied 20 or more points 13 times … So far this season, Williams, who has led the team in scoring in five games, has produced 14 double-digit scoring performances and six of 20 or more points … Lawrence Rowley is tied for the No. 2 position in the UAA with an average of 3.0 offensive rebounds per game … Matt Schener has shot 50 percent or better from the floor in nine games and has moved into 5th on the conference chart in field goal percentage (.577, 79-of-137) … Schener has chalked up 11 performances of double-digit scoring this season … Senior Gebereal Baitey enters the upcoming weekend with steals in his last 11 games … Baitey posts 102 career thefts, good for 19th place 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 six double-figure scoring games this season (32 in his career) … Baitey's four three-pointers vs. Carnegie Mellon last Sunday represented a career high … Since the 2012-13 season, the Eagles are 108-7 when outshooting the opposition from the floor (9-1 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 168-20 when leading at halftime (12-1 in 2018-19, 19-1, in '17-18, 13-0 in '16-17; 18-3 in 2015-16) … Emory is averaging 46.1 points during the first half of play and 46.5 over the final 20 minutes of action … Opponents are scoring at an average of 38.2 points in the first half and 43.5 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 102-12 (.894) over its last 114 home contests … The Eagles have recorded 100 or more points 52 times in program history and own a 47-5 won-lost record in those affairs … During Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach, Emory has 21 contests of 100 or more points and stands 20-1 in such games … The Eagles have outscored the opposition in 22 halves while being outpointed in 10 … Emory is tied for first in the UAA with an average of 7.3 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 tied for second in the conference in steals average (1.5 spg) while Gebereal Baitey is tied for fifth (1.4 spg) … The Eagles have scored 50 or more points in a half on 10 occasions, and their 68 first-half points against Carnegie Mellon (Jan. 20) 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 eight contests … The Eagles are No. 1 in the UAA and 52nd in the D-III ranks in scoring margin (+10.5) … 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).