GAME FACTS – With the first half of University Athletic Association play in the books, the Emory men's basketball team will take on its most recent opposition this weekend. On Friday (Feb. 1), the Eagles will travel to Brandeis before closing out the weekend with a Sunday match-up at New York University.
The Auerbach Arena on the Brandeis campus will serve as the site of the 64th match-up between the Eagles and Judges with tip slated for 8:00 pm, while the noon start against the Violets of NYU, which will be played at the Sportsplex (68th and Lexington Ave.), will represent the 65th time the two schools have squared off.
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 208-101. In games played at the Woodruff PE Center, Zimmerman posts a 122-28 ledger and claims an 86-73 mark in road/neutral settings.
He has guided Emory to 10 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 191-68 (.737) 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 14-4 overall and is tied for the top spot in the UAA with a mark of 5-2. The Eagles own a four-game winning streak after posting a pair of double-digit wins at home this past weekend, bettering Brandeis by a 92-59 count on Friday before registering a 97-75 triumph over NYU on Sunday. Sophomores Romin Williams and Matt Schner ranked as the team's leading scorers at 17.5 and 16.5 points per game, respectively, while classmates Matt Davet (16.0 pog) and Lawrence Rowley (13.5 ppg) also figured prominently in the offensive efforts.
Emory turned in a shooting mark of 47.7 percent (62-of-130) from the floor, including 43.1 percent (25-of-68) from beyond the arc, while holding the two foes to 37.9 percent from the field and 30 percent from distance.
Emory is 10-1 in home games and 4-3 in away/neutral contests this season.
Brandeis hosts Emory with an overall record of 11-7 (4-3 UAA). Following its defeat to Emory on Friday, the Judges bounced back with a 75-69 victory at Rochester on Sunday. BU is 4-4 in home dates and 7-3 in road/neutral contests.
NYU heads into a Friday night home date vs. Rochester with an overall record of 6-12, 0-7 in the league. NYU is 2-6 at home and 4-6 on the road.
SERIES RECORDS – In a series that began in January of 1988, Emory holds an all-time mark of 34-29 vs. Brandeis. The Eagles' win on Friday was their fifth in the last six meetings against BU. The Judges have won 19 of the 31 contests that have been played on their home floor.
NYU holds a 36-28 advantage in the series with Emory. The Eagles have won the last three games between the two schools, which includes last year's 73-68 decision in NYC. The Violets stand 19-13 against Emory in games contested on their home court.
EMORY USES THE THREE-BALL – Emory made the most of its three-point attempts during its four-game home stand against UAA opposition. The Eagles knocked down 13 treys against Brandeis before sinking a dozen vs. NYU, its fourth straight and 10th of the campaign with double figures in that category. Emory ranks first in the UAA with an average of 10.7 triples per game and stands 24th among all D-III teams (through Jan. 27). Over the last four games, Emory is shooting a keen 44.1 percent (52-of-118) from distance.
Earlier this season, the Eagles have converted a UAA-record 19 treys in the 116-77 victory over Trinity (Dec. 1). Heading into Friday's game at Brandeis, Emory has been successful on 35.9 percent (193-of-538) of its attempts from beyond the arc. The team's 193 treys ties for 11th on the program's seasonal ladder.
The Eagles have had five or more players record three-pointers in 10 contests this season, highlighted by eight finding their way into the triple column vs. Keuka and seven in the Trinity and Brandeis (Jan. 25) tilts.
Earlier in the campaign, Emory tied a then-school record with 18 triples against Keuka College (Nov. 17).
SCHNER ON A ROLL – Matt Schner has been a key contributor during Emory's four-game winning streak, notching double digits in in all four outings while scoring at a team-high 19.5 points-per-game clip. Schner tied Matt Davet for team scoring honors with 16 points in the Brandeis game before totaling 17 points against NYU, his 13th double-digit performance of the season.
Over his last four contests, Schner is shooting a team-best 70.7 percent (29-of-41) from the field while knocking down a blazing 80 percent (12-of-15) from three-point range. In addition, he has grabbed a team-leading 8.8 rebounds over the four-game stretch, leading the club in that department in three contests.
In league action only, Schner is tossing in 15.1 points, eighth on the league list, and is third in field goal percentage (.645, 40-of-62).
DAVET PROVIDING PUNCH – Entering this weekend's contests, sophomore Matt Davet ranks second among UAA players in overall scoring average, registering a 16.8 points-per-game average mark. In league play, Davet is third on the UAA ladder at 17.7 points per game. Davet is coming off back-to-back efforts of 16 points in this past weekend's games vs. Brandeis and NYU.
A double-figure scorer on 15 occasions this season, he has tallied 20 or more points in seven contests and ranked as the squad's leading scorer in six games. Career-wise, he has appeared in 46 contests and has chalked up 26 double-figure scoring performances.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL KEY FOR EMORY – Through 18 games, taking care of the ball has played a significant role in the team's success, owning an 11-0 mark when having fewer turnovers than the opposition (3-4 when having more turnovers). Including the 2017-18 campaign, Emory stands 27-3 when finishing with fewer miscues than the opposition. Emory closed out the Brandeis contest (Jan. 25) with eight turnovers, the fourth time this year it finished in single digits in that department.
Emory leads the UAA and ranks 58th in the D-III ranks (through an. 27) in turnover margin (+2.83). The Eagles have registered the advantage in the points-off-turnovers category in 13 contests.
Through seven UAA games, Emory is deadlocked with Rochester for the No. 1 slot in the league in turnover margin (+3.14)
EMORY ON THE GLASS – Through 18 games, Emory has outrebounded 13 opponents and finished with a double-digit edge in that category in seven contests, most recently a 42-32 edge vs. Brandeis (Jan. 25). Emory is averaging a conference-best 42.4 boards per outing including a league-high 14.6 caroms on the offensive end of the floor, helping it to an edge in second-chance points in 13 games.
Emory claims three of the UAA's top-13 rebounders, led by sophomore Lawrence Rowley whose 7.8 per-game average is good for the No. 5 spot on the league ladder. Matt Schner (6.7 rpg) stands 8th on the conference chart while Matt Davet holds down the No. 13 slot (5.9 rpg).
The Rowely, Schner and Davet trio have either individually or collectively ranked as the team's top performers in rebound in in 17 outings with Rowley leading or tying for club honors in 10 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 543 (30.2 ppg) to 396 (22.0 ppg) margin. Emory has recorded the advantage in the points-off-bench category in 13 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 8th in Division III (through Jan. 27) with a 93.8 points per game average.
Emory has scored 90 or more points in 13 contests this year (tying the 1988-89 team for the second-highest total), 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 18 games with four 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 16.8 per-game effort slotting him second on the league chart. Lawrence Rowley holds down the No. 8 position (14.8 ppg) while Matt Schner rounds out the quartet with a 13.4 per-game effort, good for 11th among UAA players.
The Eagles have had five or more players score in double figures in eight occasions this year.
EAGLES AND THE CENTURY MARK – Emory's 116 points against Carnegie Mellon (Jan. 20) 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.
ROWLEY FINDS THE MARK – Lawrence Rowley ranks second on the club and eighth among University Athletic Association players with a 56.1 percent effort from the floor, converting 97-of-173 field goal attempts. Rowley has shot 50 percent or better in six of his last seven (.569, 37-of-65) and in 13 games this year and has four contests of 70 percent or higher (three at home, one on the road).
SHARE THE BALL – Emory has displayed the trait for sharing the basketball with its average of 17.9 assists per game good for the No. 1 spot in the UAA and 18th 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 4.9 assists per game while Romin Williams holds down the No. 5 position at 3.9 per contest. In addition, Stuck is first in the UAA and 6th in the D-III (through Jan. 27) 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. Brandeis (Jan. 25) – 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
52 – vs. NYU (Jan. 27) – 2nd 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 tops the UAA with an average of 3.1 three-point field goals per game, with that effort slotting him 58th nationally. Williams has drained three triples in four of his last five and in a total of nine 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 45 games and his 119 three-point field goals ties Jake Davis (2010-14) for 17th on the program's all-time ladder.
STRONG FROM THE STRIPE – Emory has been solid from the foul line this year, connecting at a 76.8 percent (274-of-357) clip, good for first place among UAA teams and 20th in D-III (through Jan. 27). Emory has converted 70 percent or higher of his foul shots in 15 contests this year, including last Sunday's game vs. NYU when it finished at 89.3 percent (second-highest mark of the year), draining a season-high 25 out of 28.
Individually, Lawrence Rowley has moved into fifth place, up five spots from last week, among UAA players with a showing of 81.1 percent (60-of-74) from the stripe. Romin Williams (.792, 38-of-48) stands ninth on the league lists and Matt Davet (.789, 56-of-71) 10th.
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 (176-58) play and the second-best mark in league action (85-34) .… Washington University has the conference's second-best overall ledger (168-60) and the top slate in conference play (88-31) … That Emory has at least one three-point field goal in its last 562 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 50 of its last 51 games when allowing 69 or fewer points (3-0 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 31-2 ledger in games since the 2016-17 season when it has converted 10 or more three-pointers in a contest (10-0 in '18-19, 11-0 in 2017-18, 10-2 in '16-17).
NOTES – Romin Williams has produced 10 or more points in 37 of 45 career outings and has tallied 20 or more points 14 times … So far this season, Williams, who has led the team in scoring in six games, has produced 16 double-digit scoring performances and seven of 20 or more points … Matt Davet and Romin Williams both have notched a team-high seven games of 20 or more points this year … Lawrence Rowley claims the No. 5 position in the UAA with an average of 2.83 offensive rebounds per game while Matt Schner is just one spot behind at 2.77 … Matt Schener has shot 50 percent or better from the floor in 11 games and stands 7th on the conference chart in field goal percentage (.573, 90-of-157) … Schner has chalked up 13 performances of double-digit scoring this season … Senior Gebereal Baitey enters the upcoming weekend with steals in his last 13 games … Baitey posts 106 career thefts, good for 19th place on the school's all-time ladder, and has recorded 30 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) … Since the 2012-13 season, the Eagles are 110-7 when outshooting the opposition from the floor (11-1 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 170-20 when leading at halftime (14-1 in 2018-19, 19-1, in '17-18, 13-0 in '16-17; 18-3 in 2015-16) … Emory is averaging 46.6 points during the first half of play and 46.3 over the final 20 minutes of action … Opponents are scoring at an average of 37.5 points in the first half and 42.6 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 104-12 (.896) over its last 116 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 26 halves while being outpointed in 10 … Emory is tied for first in the UAA with an average of 7.2 steals per game and has turned in three contests with double-figure thefts including a season-high 15 vs. LaGrange (Dec. 5) …
Matt Schner and Gebereal Baitey are tied for third in the conference in steals average (1.4 spg) … The Eagles have scored 50 or more points in a half on 12 occasions, and their 68 first-half points against Carnegie Mellon (Jan. 20) represented the highest total by a Zimmerman-coached team … Emory enjoys a 284-214 edge in the points-off-turnovers category … Emory has led by 10 or more points at halftime in 10 contests … The Eagles are No. 1 in the UAA and 38th in the D-III ranks (through Jan. 27) in scoring margin (+12.4) … 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).