Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty presents senior Beth Bergmann a ceremonial ball prior to the Rochester game (Feb. 2) recognizing Bergmann's achievement of reaching 1,000 career points.
(photo courtesy of The Wheel)

July 17

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SQUAD EARN SPOT ON WBCA ACADEMIC TOP 25 HONOR ROLL

The 2006-07 Emory University women's basketball program was recognized for its collective performance in the classroom, earning a spot on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for Division III.  The awards recognize teams throughout the nation in NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III as well as NAIA and junior colleges that have compiled the highest grade-point averages for the past academic year based upon nominations submitted by WBCA-member coaches.

The Eagles of Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty held down the No. 17 position on the Top 25 list, fashioning a GPA of 3.454 for the '06-07 school year.  The Emory squad had a strong showing during the recently completed spring semester, posting a 3.576 effort on the academic front. The Eagles were the lone representative from the University Athletic Association (UAA) to make the Top 25.  Hardin Simmons claimed the No. 1 ranking among Division III programs with a 3.664 GPA and was followed by McDaniel College (3.625).

South Dakota State University and Lake Superior State University were the No. 1 finishers in NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II, respectively.  The GPAs were calculated by dividing the total number of quality points earned by each student-athlete on an institution's roster in the given academic terms by the total number of hours earned by the team. 

To see the WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll, click here

EMORY 2006-07 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RECAP

The 2006-07 Emory women's basketball team was a young and enthusiastic squad that bonded down the stretch to finish on a positive note and laying the groundwork for optimism heading into the 2007-08 campaign.

For the record, the Eagles finished with an overall record of 10-15 including a 4-10 effort in University Athletic Association play.  While Emory finished under the .500 mark, it went 3-3 over its last six games including an impressive road win at No. 16-ranked Chicago while taking part in a pair of hotly-contested home games against No. 16-ranked Brandeis and No. 4-ranked NYU. 

The Eagles had just one senior in the starting lineup, guard Beth Bergmann, and relied heavily on several talented young players who showed steady improvement throughout the season. Emory faced a formidable schedule, playing seven teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, four of which hailed from the UAA.  In addition, the Eagles played in 10 games that featured opponents in the nation's Top 20. 

The three-point shot was a staple in the Eagles' offensive arsenal throughout the year and converted a school seasonal record of 119 from beyond the arc.  The Eagles were effective from the foul line as well, knocking down 70.6 percent of their attempts, good for third place among UAA squads and fourth on Emory's seasonal ladder.

Sophomore Lora Turner followed up a fine rookie season with a solid effort in 2006-07.  The 5-foot-11 frontliner garnered Second Team All-UAA honors and concluded the year leading the team in both scoring (13.1 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg).  Turner ranked prominently among UAA cagers in those categories, holding down the No. 4 position in scoring while tying for ninth in rebounding.   The owner of 20 double-figure scoring contests, Turner paced the squad with a 47.8 field goal percentage mark, good for fifth in the UAA.  The team's top point producer in 10 games, Lora cracked the 20-point plateau on three occasions including a career-high 23 points against Carnegie Mellon on Feb. 4.  Turner was just as effective on the boards, either leading or sharing for the team high in rebounding in 14 contests.  She posted three outings of 10 or more caroms including a career-best 15 against Oglethorpe (Nov. 29).  

When classmate Katie Anding was forced out of action following an early-season knee injury, senior Beth Bergmann shouldered much of the leadership and scoring responsibilities in the backcourt.  Bergmann ranked No. 2 on the club and 10th in the UAA in scoring (11.7 ppg) while logging a team-high 29 minutes per contest. An honorable-mention pick to the All-UAA Team, the 5-foot-6 Bergmann registered 15 contests of double-figure scoring including a season-best 25 points in the win at No. 16 Chicago.  Bergmann continued her reputation as a premier foul shooter and knocked down an Emory seasonal record 92.0 percent (69-of-75) from the charity stripe.  Career-wise, Beth wound up as the school's No. 5 all-time leading scorer with 1,117 points while claiming the No. 1 position in free throws (299) and free throw percentage (87.7%, 299-of-341).  Her 88 career starts were fourth most at Emory and her 175 steals placed third on the Eagles' all-time list.

Sophomore Erica Kaplan blossomed as a "go-to" player and used a strong second half of the season to help in earning honorable mention All-UAA acclaim.  Kaplan, 5-foot-7, tossed in 11.0 points per outing, good for the No. 3 spot on the team and 13th among UAA players, and stood first on the squad with a 37.2 percent effort from three-point range (35-of-94), placing her fourth in the league.  Erica notched double digits in the point column in 14 games including eight of the final 10 contests of the year.  She came up with the top scoring performance by an Emory player during the '06-07 season, a career-high 27 points against Carnegie Mellon (Feb. 4), and her six three-pointers in that affair represented the single-game high by any UAA player during the year.  The team's top scorer in five games, Kaplan converted a keen 85.3 percent (64-of-75) from the foul line, fourth in the UAA and good for the fifth-place tie on the school's seasonal ladder.  In addition, she finished No. 2 on the team in rebounding with a 4.5 per-game average and ranked as the Eagles' top board person in eight games.

While the trio of Turner, Bergmann and Kaplan distinguished themselves, a host of other players, both vets and newcomers, made significant contributions and in the process gained much-needed experience and confidence for the future.   Freshman Whitney Martin emerged as both a consistent inside scorer and effective rebounder.  A starter in five of 21 games, the 6-foot Martin averaged 4.0 points and 4.3 caroms per outing with her rebound average ranking third on the team.  Martin scored in 16 and grabbed rebounds in 20 contests while averaging 18.0 minutes per stint.  Martin scored in double figures on two occasions, including a season-high 14 points vs. Tennessee Temple, and registered a pair of nine-rebound contests performances. 

Sophomore Kerry Madison started 20 of 23 games and averaged 4.2 points and 3.7 rebounds (fourth on the team) per outing.  At 5-foot-11, Madison's length helped her record 17 blocked shots, good for third place on the squad.  In addition, she displayed the ability to hit the occasional three-point shot, knocking down 17 from distance.

After seeing action in just one game as a freshman in 2005-06, forward Jenny Kraus played a more prominent role, hitting the court in all 25 contests, three in a starting capacity.  She got out of the blocks quickly, scoring in double figures in four of the first seven games, averaging 9.4 points and shooting 72.4 percent (21-of-29) from the foul line in that stretch.  She ended the season ranked fourth on the team with a 6.3 points per game average and she found her way into the scoring and rebounding columns in 23 games.

The backcourt quartet of junior Katie Rizzo, sophomores Lauren Bugg and Kendall Boyd and freshman Mary Smith all competed for time and brought different strengths to the lineup. Rizzo drew the starting nod in six of 23 contests and averaged 2.9 points and 1.0 steals per game. Her most productive effort came when she contributed a season-high 13 points off the bench in just 16 minutes at Brandeis.   Boyd averaged the most playing time of the four, 15.8 minutes per game, and averaged 2.8 points and just under one assist per outing.  Smith made a splash in her first performance as an Eagle, scoring a team-high 20 points in a 72-62 season-opening win against Southwestern University.  Though that was the only time she would score in double figures, Smith did wind up seeing time in all 25 games, 10 as starter, and finishing with a 3.2 points per game average.   Bugg, a starter in four of 23 games, was among the starting five in the team's first three encounters of the season.  She doled out nine assists in the season opener which would stand all year as the high-water mark for an Emory as well as UAA player in that category.  Though she averaged the least amount of playing time among the group, she averaged 1.4 assists per outing.

Anding, whose season and career came to a premature end following a knee injury in a home game against the University of the South, played in a total of 77 games as an Eagle, 33 as a starter, and finished 12th on the school's all-time list in steals with 101.

All-University Athletic Association
Lora Turner                              Second Team                           Florence, AL (Mars Hill Bible School)
Beth Bergmann             Honorable Mention                   Oconomowoc, WI (Catholic Memorial)
Erica Kaplan                            Honorable Mention                   Commack, NY (Commack)

UAA Player of the Week
Erica Kaplan              Feb. 6                         Commack, NY (Commack)

Mar. 2

THREE EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYERS LAND ALL-UAA SPOTS

Three members of the 2006-07 Emory University women's basketball squad were selected to the All-University Athletic Association Team.  The all-league honorees were chosen by the conference coaches.

Leading the way for Emory was sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) who landed a spot on the second team. The 5-foot-11 Turner led Emory in scoring with a 13.1 points per game average, good for the No. 5 position among UAA performers.  In addition, she grabbed a team-high 6.5 rebounds per outing (8th in the UAA) and her team-leading 47.8 percent mark from the floor placed her sixth in the conference.  Turner, the only Emory player to have started all 25 games,  scored in double figures in 20 games and registered three efforts of 20 or more points.  She either led or shared for the team's scoring lead in 10 contests while leading or sharing for the squad's top mark in rebounding in 14 outings.  In league affairs, Turner tossed in 14.2 points, good for the No. 4 slot among UAA players, and hauled down 6.7 boards per contest, ranking her eighth on that list.

Senior Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI) and sophomore Erica Kaplan (Commack, NY) both landed honorable mention nods to the All-UAA Team. 

Bergmann finished second on the club and ninth among UAA players in scoring with an 11.7 per-game average. A starter in 20 of 23 games, Bergmann notched 15 games of double-figure scoring including three of 20 or more points.  A marksman from the foul line, Bergmann knocked down 92.0 percent of her attempts (69-of-75) from the charity stripe with that mark establishing a school seasonal record.  Bergmann closed out her career in fifth place on Emory's scoring list with 1,117 points while holding down the No. 1 spot in both free throws (299) and free throw percentage (87.6%).  Finally, her 150 career three-point field goals placed her second all-time at Emory.

Kaplan used a late-season flurry to rank third on the team and 13th among UAA players with an overall scoring average of 11.0 points per game.  In UAA contests, Kaplan upped her scoring effort to 13.4 points per contest, good for the No. 6 spot among conference leaders.  A starter in 22 of 24 games, she posted double-figure scoring games on 14 occasions including eight of her last 10 outings.  She was the club's top point producer in six games and finished with four contests of 20 or more points.  She ranked fourth in the UAA in free throw percentage in both overall (85.3%) and league affairs (89.6%).

Feb. 24

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SQUAD ENDS SEASON WITH WIN OVER CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY

Emory University sophomore Lora Turner scored 14 of her game-high 22 points in the second half and the Eagles used some clutch free throw shooting down the stretch in recording a 66-58 season-ending win over Case Western University.  The win capped off Emory's Senior Day and enabled it to close out the year with an overall record of 10-15, 4-10 in the University Athletic Association.  Case slipped to 9-16 in overall play, 1-13 in conference outings.

The Spartans held a 36-33 lead at halftime thanks in part to a 26-16 edge in rebounding and holding Emory to 35.5 percent shooting during the opening 20 minutes. 

Case held a 42-37 lead with 16:38 remaining before Emory went on an impressive 18-0 scoring blitz that enabled the home team to lay claim to a 55-42 advantage with 10:50 on the clock.  Keying the run that saw Emory hit seven-of-eight field goal opportunities were seven points by Turner and six by sophomore Erica Kaplan.  While the Eagles were having considerable success in that stretch, the Spartans misfired on five field goal attempts and turned the ball over on four occasions. 

Holding what seemed to be a comfortable 13-point lead, Emory went ice cold from the field, missing its next nine shots, while Case answered with a 14-0 run culminated by freshman Ashleigh Tondo's lay up with 3:41 left on the clock put the Spartans on top, 56-55.  After a Case basket knotted the game at 58-58 with 1:59 remaining, Emory tightened up and held the visitors scoreless the rest of the way while converting all eight of its free throw opportunities, four each by Kaplan and senior Beth Bergmann.

Kaplan finished with 16 points, hitting six-of-12 from the floor and all four from the charity stripe while Bergmann, one of two Emory seniors making their final appearance, finished with 11 points.  Senior Katie Anding, whose final season was cut short due to a knee injury, did make a game appearance in the waning moments with an appreciative crowd giving her a rousing ovation.

While Emory ended the contest being outshot (39.0 percent vs. 37.5 percent) and outrebounded (40-34), the Eagles made the most of their trips to the foul line, draining a season-high 91.3 percent (21-of-23) while Case hit six-of-10.

Feb. 21

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SQUAD PLAYS FINAL GAME OF '06-07

Probable Emory Starters -- (subject to change)

GAME FACTS - The Emory women's basketball team will conclude the 2006-07 season on Saturday (Feb. 24) when it entertains Case Western Reserve University.  The Woodruff PE Center on the Emory campus will be the setting for the 27th meeting between the Eagles and the Spartans and tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

THE COACHES - Emory is led by fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96).  She assumed control of the program prior to the start of the 2003-04 season.  Last year, she guided the Eagles to an overall record of 15-10, the most wins since the 1998-99 campaign.

Jacki  Windon (Gannon, ‘01) is in her third season in charge of the Case program.  Prior to her current assignment, Windon served as the head coach at Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, Ohio, for two seasons.

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

2006-07 RECORDS - Emory stands 9-15 overall, including 3-10 in University Athletic Association play. Last weekend the Eagles fell at home to No. 16 Brandeis, 58-51, and No. 4 New York University, 69-67.

Case comes to Atlanta with an overall ledger of 9-15 including a 1-12 mark in UAA outings.  Last weekend, the Spartans played their final home games of the season, falling to NYU, 68-65, and then dropping a 74-61 decision to Brandeis.

SERIES RECORD -  Case stands 15-11 all-time against Emory in a series that began on Dec. 3, 1988.  Emory won this year's initial meeting back on Jan. 6 by a 75-72 margin. Leading the Eagles' effort in that game was sophomore Lora Turner with 21 points and seven rebounds.  In games played on Emory's home court, each squad claims six wins.

BERGMANN CONTINUES SCORING CLIMB -Senior Beth Bergmann, (Oconomowoc, WI), who on Jan. 26 became the sixth player in school history to record 1,000 points in a career, enters the weekend with 1,106 points, good for fifth position on the school's scoring annals.  In last weekend's contests, Bergmann recorded 28 points including a 20-point afternoon against NYU.  During her career, Beth has posted double-figure scoring in 59 of 97 games.   Heading into the season finale, Bergmann's 11.7 per-game scoring average is No. 2 on the team and 10th in the UAA.

KAPLAN CONTINUES TO PUT UP NUMBERS -- Sophomore Erica Kaplan's 25 points against Brandeis last Friday represented her 13th effort of double-figure scoring this year and fourth of 20 or more points.  Against the Judges, she connected on eight-of-15 from the floor and knocked down three treys, her seventh outing of three or more from beyond the arc this year.  Kaplan has posted double digits in the scoring column in five of her past six games.  She is averaging 17.6 points in her last five games and is shooting 48.2 percent from the floor (28-of-58) in that stretch.   She ranks No. 3 on the squad in scoring with a 10.8 per-game average, good for a 14th-place tie among UAA players.  In league affairs, she stands second on the club and No. 5 in the conference with a 13.2 points per game mark. 

EMORY SHARP FROM THE FOUL LINE - Emory continued its fine free throw shooting last weekend by hitting a total of 30-of-40 attempts (75.0%).  In the NYU game, the Eagles finished with a 83.3 percent mark (10-of-12) from the stripe, the team's third-highest effort of the season.   In the last five contests, Emory has been successful on 78.1 percent (82-of-105) of its free throw opportunities compared to the opposition's mark of 71.2 percent (62-of-87).  Through games played Feb. 18, Emory is No. 3 among UAA squads in free throw percentage in both overall (.696) and conference (.730) action.

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

TURNER'S TALES - Sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) saw her double-figure scoring streak end at nine games when she finished with seven points against Brandeis.  Turner got back into double digits the following contest when she totaled 10 points against NYU, her team-high 19th effort of 10 or more points this year.  Lora stands first on the squad and fifth among UAA players with a 12.7 points per game average.  In addition, she ranks as Emory's top rebounder with a 6.3 per-game average, good for the No. 8 spot on the league's ladder.  Her 305 points this year is 18th on the school's seasonal chart

In conference outings, Lora also ranks fourth in scoring with a 13.6 per-game effort. 
She has come up with two or more steals in seven of her last 10 games and is second place on the team in thefts with 34 (1.41 spg).

EMORY NOTES  -- Emory has posted double digits in the steals category on 12 occasions ... The Eagles have shot 70 percent or better from the foul line in 15 contests this year ... Sophomore Jenny Kraus (Ann Arbor, MI) has found her way into the scoring column in 23 of her 24 appearances ... Brandeis turned the ball over 25 times against the Eagles, tying the high mark by an opponent in a league contest this year ... Erica Kaplan has 21 career contests of double-figure scoring to her credit ... Entering the weekend, Kaplan stands No. 4 in the UAA with a mark of 84.5 percent (60-of-71) from the foul line ... In league play, Kaplan has been successful on 88.6 percent (39-of-44) from the charity stripe, good for the No. 4 position ... The Eagles have 18 contests with double figures in offensive rebounds ... Emory has outrebounded six opponents this year and stands 5-1 in those games ... During Thomaskutty's tenure at Emory, the Eagles show a  25-10 record when holding a foe to 60 or fewer points ... Emory has attempted more free throws than its opponents in 14 games this season  ... While Beth Bergmann continues her climb up the Emory all-time scoring list, she also figures prominently in other career categories ... Her 87.4 percent mark (293-of-335) from the foul line is good for the No. 1 spot as are her 293 makes ... Bergmann has registered 149 career three-point field goals at Emory, good for the No. 2 spot on the career ladder ... Bergmann is No. 2 in overall action among UAA players and No. 3 nationally in free throw percentage (.913) ... Bergmann will enter the Case game having made 24 of her last 25 free throw attempts ... Lora Turner is 18th on Emory's all-time scoring list with 614 points ... In addition, Turner is No. 4 all-time at Emory in field goal percent (.492), having converted 196-of-398 opportunities.

WEB CASTING OF EMORY BASKETBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Basketball home games this season.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

Emory's All-Time Leading Scorers

Feb. 18

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FALLS TO NO. 4 NYU

The Emory women's basketball team gave No. 4-ranked New York University all it could handle Sunday afternoon before coming out on the short end of a 69-67 thriller at the Woodruff PE Center on the Emory campus.  The win boosted NYU's record to 22-2 in overall play, 11-2 in the University Athletic Association.  Emory fell to 9-15 in overall play, 3-10 in league outings.

A layup by sophomore Jessica McEntee with 1:11 remaining snapped a 67-67 tie and provided the winning margin for the visitors.  McEntee's bucket capped off a memorable afternoon as she finished with a career-high 36 points while grabbing 18 rebounds.  The Eagles had a chance to tie or win the game in the waning seconds following a missed NYU shot and subsequent rebound by sophomore Lora Turner.  However, time expired before Emory could get off a shot attempt allowing NYU to record its sixth straight victory.

Emory got out the blocks quickly and used keen outside shooting in racing to a 40-25 lead with 4:37 remaining in the first half.  The Eagles knocked down their first seven three-point field goal attempts over a nine-minute stretch in staking claim to that lead, three of those coming from senior Beth Bergmann.  However, NYU regrouped and closed out the first half with an impressive 15-0 run that knotted the game at 40-40 heading into intermission.  McEntee had already posted a double-double in the opening half of action, registering 26 points and 12 rebounds.

The second half proved to be a nip-and-tuck affair that featured a total of six ties and five lead changes with the biggest advantage any team being five points.  A jumper by sophomore Eric Kaplan gave Emory a 58-56 lead with 8:27 remaining but the Eagles went scoreless for nearly four minutes while the Violets came up with five points to take a 61-58 lead.  After a pair of foul shots by Turner cut the deficit to 61-60 with 4:12 left, NYU responded with baskets by McEntee and Karen Bachman to go up by five, 65-60, with 3:27 on the clock.  The Eagles battled back to within 65-64 when on the strength of a pair of free throws by Kaplan and hoop by Turner.  Emory eventually tied the game at 67-67 with 1:27 left when Bergmann calmly sank three free throw attempts after being fouled on a three-point shot attempt.

Bergmann paced the Emory scoring effort with 20 points while doling out five assists.  Kaplan finished with 15 points while snatching a team-high nine rebounds.  Turner rounded out the double-digit point producers with 10 points while finishing with seven boards.

Emory winds up the season next Saturday when it hosts Case Western Reserve University starting at 2:00 p.m.

 Feb. 16

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM'S RALLY FALLS SHORT AGAINST BRANDEIS

Emory University's women's basketball team saw a late rally fall short Friday evening as the Eagles dropped a University Athletic Association game to No. 16-ranked Brandeis University.  The Judges held off Emory and escaped the Woodruff PE Center with a 58-51 triumph, raising their record to 18-4 overall, 8-4 in UAA contests.  Emory saw its overall record slip to 9-14 in overall play, 3-9 in UAA outings.

After trailing by a 27-16 margin at halftime, Emory saw the visiting Judges go on a 10-2 run in opening 7:30 of the second half to take a 37-18 lead with 12:30 remaining,  Still trailing, 39-20, with 9:45 on the clock, Emory slowly chipped away at the deficit.  Using four points by senior Beth Bergmann and three each by sophomores Erica Kaplan and Lora Turner, Emory posted a 10-2 scoring spurt to draw within 11 points, 41-30, with 7:25 remaining.  Brandeis responded with an 11-2 blitz capped by a three-point field goal by Kiersten Holgash to go back up by what seemed a comfortable 52-35 margin with 4:27 left.

Undaunted, Emory battled back with an 8-0 flurry that closed the gap to 52-43 with 1:11 remaining. After pushing ahead by 11 points, back-to-back treys by Kaplan made the score 56-49 with 28 ticks left on the clock and when Bergmann sank a pair of charity tosses with 24 seconds left, Emory was down by just five points, 56-51. However, the comeback fell short as Brandeis made a pair of free throws and survived the Eagles' last-ditch attempts from beyond the arc. 

Kaplan was the only Emory player to crack double figures in scoring with 25 points, hitting eight-of-15 from the floor including three from long range.  She also paced the team with six rebounds.  For the game, Emory hit just 26.9 percent (14-of-52) from the floor compared to Brandeis' 43.1 percent (22-of-51).  Brandeis enjoyed a 48-28 advantage in the rebounding department but the Judges' 25 turnovers (Emory had 16) helped the Eagles stay in the game.

Emory's next action takes place on Sunday when it hosts New York University starting at 2:00 p.m.

Feb. 14

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SQUAD GEARING UP FOR UAA HOME CONTESTS

Probable Emory Starters -- (subject to change)

GAME FACTS - After winding up the road portion of it schedule last weekend, the Emory University women's basketball team looks forward to a pair of home University Athletic Association contests when it hosts Brandeis University on Friday (Feb. 9) before battling New York University on Sunday (Feb. 11).  The Woodruff PE Center on the Emory campus will be the site of both games with Friday's tilt set to begin at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday's affair at 2:00 p.m.

THE COACHES - Emory is led by fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96).  She assumed control of the program prior to the start of the 2003-04 season.  Last year, she guided the Eagles to an overall record of 15-10, the most wins since the 1998-99 campaign.

Carol Simon (Colby College, ‘85) is in her 20th season in charge of the Brandeis program and takes a school and career record of 279-222 into Friday's contest.

Janice Quinn (NYU, '85) is in her 20th year as head coach at NYU and owns a school and career mark of 432-114 heading into a Friday game at Case Western Reserve.

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

2006-07 RECORDS - Emory stands 9-13 overall, including 3-8 in UAA play. Last weekend the Eagles split a pair of road contests, coming out on the short end of a 62-50 decision to No. 16 Washington University before posting a 69-63 triumph over No. 16 Chicago.

Brandeis University, ranked No. 16 nationally in the USA Today ESPN Division III Top 25 Coaches' Poll, and 14th by d3hoops.com, comes to town with an overall ledger of 17-4 including a 7-4 effort in UAA outings, good for a third-place tie. The Judges have won four of their last five outings including a 74-48 decision over Carnegie Mellon and a 65-49 verdict over the University of Rochester last weekend.  

NYU heads into the weekend ranked No. 4 in the USA Today ESPN Division III Top 25 Coaches' Poll and No. 7 in the d3hoops.com rankings. The Violets are on a four-game win streak and topped Rochester, 77-54, and Carnegie Mellon, 86-66, last weekend.

SERIES RECORDS -  Brandeis stands 20-16 all-time against Emory in a series that began on Jan. 20, 1989.  The Judges won this year's initial meeting back on Jan. 21 by a 73-59 margin. In games played on Emory's home court, the Eagles enjoy an 11-7 edge and have won the last two affairs played at the Woodruff PE Center. 

NYU holds a 29-7 margin in the all-time series against Emory.  The Violets won the first meeting of the season, 75-57.  

BERGMANN CONTINUES SCORING CLIMB -Senior Beth Bergmann, (Oconomowoc, WI), who on Jan. 26 became the sixth player in school history to record 1,000 points in a career, enters the weekend with 1,078 points, good for fifth position on the school's scoring annals.  Last weekend, Bergmann recorded 40 points and moved past Lynn Oberschmidt's (2002-06) total of 1,070 points.  During her career, Beth has posted double-figure scoring in 58 of 94 games.

KAPLAN HAS REVERSAL OF FORTUNE --  After going scoreless in the Washington University game, sophomore Erica Kaplan bounced back in a big way against Chicago, recording 21 points while sharing for team honors with six boards.  Kaplan converted seven-of-11 from the floor against Maroons and knocked down three three-point field goals, her sixth outing of three or more treys this season.  Kaplan has scored in double figures in five of her last seven games and in 11 on the year.  She ranks No. 3 on the squad in scoring (10.0 ppg) and is No. 2 in rebounding (4.4 rpg).

EMORY SHARP FROM THE FOUL LINE - While Chicago both outshot and outrebounded the Emory, the Eagles made up for that with excellent foul shooting that saw them convert 84 percent (21-25) from the charity stripe, its second highest mark of the year.  In the last three games, Emory has been successful on 80 percent (52-of-65) of its free throw opportunities compared to the opposition's mark of 64.2 percent (27-of-42).  Through games played Feb. 12, Emory is No. 3 among UAA squads in free throw percentage in both overall (.691) and conference (.725) action.

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

TURNER'S TALES - Sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) recorded 16 and 10 points, respectively, last week in the Washington University and Chicago games and in the process ran her double-figure scoring streak to nine games.  Turner, who has reached double-digit scoring a team-best 18 times this season, paces the team in scoring with a 13.1 points per game mark, good for the No. 4 spot among UAA players.  In conference outings, Lora also ranks fourth with a 14.5 per-game effort. 

Turner stands as the team's top rebounder with a 6.4 per-game showing which is good for ninth place among league leaders.  She has come up with two steals in each of the last four and in six of her last eight games and has moved into second place on the team in thefts with 31 (1.40 spg).

EMORY NOTES  -- Emory has posted double digits in the steals category on 11 occasions ... The Eagles have shot 70 percent or better from the foul line in 13 contests this year ... Sophomore Jenny Kraus (Ann Arbor, MI) has found her way into the scoring column in 21 of her 22 appearances ... Chicago turned the ball over 25 times against the Eagles, an opponent season high in a league game ... Erica Kaplan has 19 career contests of double-figure scoring to her credit ... Entering the weekend, Kaplan stands No. 4 in the UAA with a mark of 85.0 percent (51-of-60) from the foul line ... In league play, Kaplan has been successful on 90.0 percent (30-of-33) from the charity stripe, good for the No. 2 position ... In its nine wins, Emory has allowed opponents a 38.6 percent mark from the field (203-of-525) while allowing 45.4 percent effort (366-of-805) in its 12 setbacks ... The Eagles have 17 contests with double figures in offensive rebounds ... Emory has outrebounded six opponents this year and stands 5-1 in those games ... During Thomaskutty's tenure at Emory, the Eagles show a  25-9 record when holding a foe to 60 or fewer points ... Emory has attempted more free throws than its opponents in 13 games this season  ... While Beth Bergmann continues her climb up the Emory all-time scoring list, she also figures prominently in other career categories ... Her 87.0 percent mark (282-of-324) from the foul line is good for the No. 1 spot as are her 282 makes ... Bergmann has registered 146 career three-point field goals at Emory, good for the No. 2 spot on the career ladder ... Bergmann is No. 2 in overall action among UAA players in free throw percentage (.897) and No. 4 in conference affairs (.868) ... Lora Turner is tied with Melissa Savicki (1989-93) for 18th place on Emory's all-time scoring list with 597 points ... In addition, Turner is No. 3 all-time at Emory in field goal percent (.498), having converted 191-of-383 opportunities.

WEB CASTING OF EMORY BASKETBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Basketball home games this season.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

Emory's All-Time Leading Scorers

Feb. 11

EAGLES TOP NO. 16 CHICAGO

Emory University senior Beth Bergmann scored a season-high 25 points and sophomore Erica Kaplan totaled 21 points and the Eagles held off a late charge by No. 16-ranked Chicago to post a 69-63 win on the road.  The win raised Emory's overall record to 9-13, 3-8 in the University Athletic Association.  Chicago saw its record slip to 17-5 in overall play, 6-5 in conference affairs.

The tandem and Bergmann and Kaplan accounted for 23 points and six assists during the opening half of play and helped Emory claim a 33-25 lead after 20 minutes of action. Kaplan hit five-of-nine from the floor, including a pair of three-point field goals while Bergmann hit three field goals, including a pair from distance. 

Emory built a 10-point cushion on four occasions during the second half, the last coming with 15:22 remaining when sophomore Lora Turner knocked down a jumper.  The Maroons, playing before a Senior Day crowd at the Ratner Athletics Center, fought back to tie the game, 50-50, with 7:18 left on the clock when sophomore Alex Leach hit a trey. The Eagles countered with a 6-1 spurt with Bergmann's second basket in that stretch giving the visitors a 56-51 edge with 4:49 left in the contest.

After Chicago drew to within two points, 57-55, with 3:43 left, a trey by Kaplan and a jumper by Bergmann pushed the Eagles' advantage to 62-55 with just 1:59 remaining.  From there, Emory held Chicago at bay by sinking five-of-six from the foul line over the last 40 seconds.

Bergmann concluded the contest by sinking seven-of-17 from the floor and nine-of-10 from the foul line.  Kaplan, who was held scoreless on Friday night at Washington University, bounced back in fine fashion by hitting seven-of-11 from the field and four-of-five from the charity stripe.  Kaplan also tied sophomore Kerry Madison for team-high honors with six boards.

While Chicago outshot Emory from the floor (43.3% vs. 35.0%) and finished with a 42-38 edge on the glass, the Eagles countered by hitting on 21-of-25 from the foul line while Chicago hit only six-of-14.  The Maroons also turned the ball over 25 times resulting in 23 Emory points.

Emory's next action takes place on Friday, Feb. 16, when it hosts Brandeis University starting at 6:00 p.m.

Feb. 9

EMORY EDGED BY WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN DEFENSIVE STRUGGLE

The Emory women's basketball team turned in a solid defensive effort against No. 16-ranked Washington University Friday evening on the Bears' home court but it wasn't enough as Emory came out on the short end of a 62-50 decision.  The record dropped Emory's overall record to 8-13 including a 2-8 slate in University Athletic Association play.  Washington University saw its record improve to 16-5 in overall contests, 8-2 in conference outings.

Emory was able to keep the league's No. 3 scoring team in check for most of the evening but found the going tough on the offensive end of the floor.  The Eagles ended the game shooting just 31.6 percent from the floor (18-of-57) compared to the Bears' mark of 39.3 percent (22-of-56).  Washington held a 41-36 edge in the rebounding department while each squad finished the contest with 22 turnovers.

The first half was a game of runs with Washington getting out of the gate quickly as it raced to a 12-2 lead with 14:44 left in the stanza.  However, Emory countered with a 23-6 run of its own, keyed by 10 points by sophomore Lora Turner and six points by Jenny Kraus, to take a 25-18 advantage with 4:51 left.  From there, Emory could only muster a pair of free throws the remainder of the half as the Bears scored 13 of the game's next 15 points to take a 31-27 margin into the locker room at intermission.

Washington stretched its lead to 12 points, 46-34, with 9:02 left in the game when Sarah Tibesar hit her only field goal of the game.  The Eagles bounced back when back-to-back three-pointers by Kraus and senior Beth Bergmann drew Emory to within six points, 46-40, with 7:42 on the clock.  However, that was as close as the visiting Eagles' could get as Washington Univ. eventually captured its 10th win in 11 home decisions this season.

Turner paced Emory's scoring efforts with 16 points, her eighth straight double-figure scoring game, and finished as the team's leader with six boards.  Bergmann totaled 15 points to round out the team's double-digit point producers.

Emory's next action takes place on Sunday (Feb. 11) when it plays at the University of Chicago.

Feb. 7

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SQUAD TO PLAY FINAL TWO UAA ROAD GAMES OF SEASON

Probable Emory Starters -- (subject to change)

GAME FACTS - The Emory University women's basketball team plays its final two University Athletic Association road games of the year this weekend when it takes on Washington University on Friday (Feb. 9) before battling the University of Chicago on Sunday (Feb. 11).  The Washington University Field House (3,000) will be the site of the 37th meeting between the schools and tip is slated for 6:00 p.m. (CST).  The Ratner Athletics Center on the Chicago campus will be the setting for the 37th battle between the Eagles and Maroons and that game will start at 2:00 p.m. (CST).

The contest against Washington University can be heard via the internet.  The site is:
http://www.kwur.com/.

The game against Chicago will also be available via the internet.  Please go the following web address: http://athletics.uchicago.edu/

THE COACHES - Emory is led by fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96).  She assumed control of the program prior to the start of the 2003-04 season.  Last year, she guided the Eagles to an overall record of 15-10, the most wins since the 1998-99 campaign.

Nancy Fahey (Wisconsin, ‘81) is in her 21st season in charge of the Washington University program and takes a school and career record of 487-84 into Friday's contest. Fahey guided the Bears to four straight NCAA Championships (1998-2001) and has produced 17 seasons of 20-plus wins.

Aaron Roussell (Iowa, '2001) is in his third year as head coach at Chicago and takes a school record of 49-21 into a Friday evening game at Case Western Reserve.

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

2006-07 RECORDS - Emory stands 8-12 overall, including a 2-7 slate in UAA play. Last weekend the Eagles split a pair of home contests, coming out on the short end of a 68-63 decision to No. 7 Rochester before posting a 77-55 win over Carnegie Mellon that ended a seven-game losing skid.

Washington University, ranked No. 16 nationally in the USA Today ESPN Division III Top 25 Coaches' Poll, and 17th by d3hoops.com, hosts Emory with an overall ledger of 15-5 including a 7-2 effort in UAA outings, good for a three-way tie for first place. The Bears split a pair of road games last weekend, losing 83-58 at New York University before coming away with a 51-45 triumph at Brandeis.

Chicago hosts Case Western Reserve University on Friday with a won-lost mark of 16-4, 5-4 in league contests.  The Maroons enter the weekend having dropped their last four games including a pair of nail biters last week, 52-50 at Brandeis and 76-75 at NYU.  Chicago shares the No. 16 spot with Washington University in the USA Today ESPN Division III Top 25 Coaches' Poll and holds down the No. 23 position in the d3hoops.com rankings.

SERIES RECORDS -  Chicago stands 22-14 all-time against Emory and has won the  last five meetings between the schools. Earlier this season (Jan. 12), the Maroons registered an 81-50 win at the Woodruff PE Center.  Chicago has won 11 of 16 meetings played on its campus.

Washington University holds a 32-4 margin in the all-time series against Emory.  The Bears won the initial meeting of the season in Atlanta, 69-54.  

BERGMANN CONTINUES SCORING CLIMB 1,000 -Senior Beth Bergmann, (Oconomowoc, WI), who on Jan. 26 became the sixth player in school history to record 1,000 points in a career, enters the weekend with 1,038 points, good for sixth position on the school's scoring annals.  Bergmann is 33 points shy of passing Lynn Oberschmidt's (2002-06) fifth-place total of 1,070 points.  During her career, she has posted double-figure scoring in 56 of 92 games.

KAPLAN PICKING UP SCORING PACE --  Sophomore guard Erica Kaplan (Commack, NY), named the UAA Player of the Week following her performance last weekend against Rochester and Carnegie Mellon that saw her average 21.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists, has given Emory a boost over the past five games with her increased scoring pace.  Kaplan has recorded double-figure scoring in four of her last five contests and is averaging 17.2 points in that stretch.  In addition, she is shooting 49.1 percent (28-of-57) from the floor including an outstanding 51.5 percent from three-point range (17-of-33). Kaplan's career-best 27 points against Carnegie Mellon (Feb. 4) marked her 10th double-figure scoring performance of the season and represents the high-water mark by an Emory player this season.

Finally, Kaplan holds down the No. 2 position among UAA players in three-point field goal percentage (39.7%, 27-of-68) and is No. 4 in free throw percentage (85.5%, 47-of-55) in games played through Feb. 4.

TURNER A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY - Sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) recorded 12 and a career-high 23 points, respectively, last week in the Rochester and Carnegie Mellon games and now has a team-high 16 contests of double-figure scoring this year.
 
In addition, the 5-foot-11 Turner, who has produced double digits in the scoring column in seven straight games, grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds against CMU, her second double-double of the year and third of her career. In her last four performances, she is shooting 64.2 percent from the floor (27-of-42)

Turner, the only Emory player to have started all 20 games this season, holds down the No. 1 spot on the team and ranks fourth among UAA players with a 13.1 per-game scoring average.  She also ranks as the squad's top rebounder with a 6.5 per-game showing, good for a ninth-place tie in the league listings.  She has also climbed the conference's list in field goal percentage with her 51.0 percent effort good for the No. 4 position.

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

EMORY NOTES  -- Freshman Whitney Martin (Barrington, IL) gave the Eagles a boost on the boards last weekend pulling down seven rebounds against Rochester before tying her season high with nine against Carnegie Mellon.  Martin has rebounds in 15 of her 16 appearances this year and her 4.8 per-game average ranks second on the team ... Emory's 77 points in the Carnegie Mellon game represented a season high while its 47.3 percent mark from the field was a season best for a conference game as was its 16 assists ... Erica Kaplan's 15-point, 10-rebound exhibition against Rochester was her first career double-double and second career contest of 10 or more rebounds ... Emory has posted double digits in the steals category on 10 occasions ... The Eagles' 76 percent showing from the foul line in the Carnegie Mellon game represented the 11th time this year they had shot 70 percent or better from the charity stripe ... Sophomore Jenny Kraus (Ann Arbor, MI) has found her way into the scoring column in 19 of her 20 appearances ... Erica Kaplan has 17 career contests of double-figure scoring to her credit ... In its eight wins, Emory has allowed opponents a 38.0 percent mark from the field (177-of-465) while allowing 45.9 percent effort (344-of-749) in its 12 setbacks ... The Eagles have 15 contests with double figures in offensive rebounds ... Emory has outrebounded six opponents this year and stands 5-1 in those games ... During Thomaskutty's tenure at Emory, the Eagles show a  25-9 record when holding a foe to 60 or fewer points ... Emory has attempted more free throws than its opponents in 12 games this season  ... While Beth Bergmann continues her climb up the Emory all-time scoring list, she also figures prominently in other career categories ... Her 86.7 percent mark (269-of-310) from the foul line is good for the No. 1 spot while her 143 career three-point field goals and 269 free throws are good for the No. 2 positions.  

WEB CASTING OF EMORY BASKETBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Basketball home games this season.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

Emory's All-Time Leading Scorers

Feb. 6

EMORY'S ERICA KAPLAN NAMED UAA BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Emory University sophomore Erica Kaplan (Commack, NY) has been selected by the University Athletic Association as Women's Basketball Player of the Week following her performance last weekend in a pair of home contests.  It marks the first time that she has won the award.  

The 5-foot-7 Kaplan averaged 21.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in helping the Eagles to a split of a pair of league contests.  Kaplan recorded her first career double-double with a team-high 15-point, 10-rebound effort against No. 7 Rochester Friday evening.  In the game vs. the Yellowjackets, she converted six-of-12 from the floor, including three-of-five from three-point range.  Her 10 boards was her first double-digit effort in that category this year and second in her career. 

In a 77-55 triumph vs. Carnegie Mellon, Kaplan paced the squad's scoring effort with a career-high 27 points while totaling seven rebounds and three assists.  Kaplan sank eight-of-13 from the field, including a career-high six-of-nine from three-point range, just one trey shy of tying the school's single-game mark.  She scored 19 of her 27 points in the second half.  Her 27 points represent the high-water mark by an Emory player this season.

In the two games, she shot 56 percent from the floor (14-of-25) including a blistering 64.2 percent from three-point range (9-of-14), and 83.3 percent from the foul line (5-of-6).  She has scored in double figures in four of her last five outings and in 10 games this year.

Through games played Feb. 4, Kaplan holds down the No. 2 position among UAA players in three-point field goal percentage (39.7%, 27-of-68) and is No. 4 in free throw percentage (85.5%, 47-of-55).

Emory (8-12 overall, 2-7 UAA) resumes action on Friday, Feb. 9, when it plays at No. 17 Washington University.

Feb. 4


EMORY RACES BY CARNEGIE MELLON

Sophomore guard Erica Kaplan scored 19 of her career-high 27 points in the second half while classmate Lora Turner posted a career-high 23 points in leading the Emory women's basketball team to a 77-55 triumph over Carnegie Mellon University.  The win ended a seven-game losing skid for the Eagles and boosted their overall won-lost ledger to 8-12, 2-7 in the University Athletic Association.  Carnegie Mellon fell to 8-12 overall, 2-7 in conference outings.

Kaplan sank six-of-nine from the floor, including four-of-seven from three-point range, in the final 20 minutes of action and helped Emory post a decisive 50-29 second-half scoring advantage.  Emory connected on 58.1 percent of its field goal opportunities (18-of-31) in the second stanza en route to registering a season high in points.

Both squads struggled with their shooting in the first half as Emory took a slim 27-26 advantage into the intermission.  The Eagles were successful on just 33.3 percent of their attempts (8-of-24) from the floor while Carnegie converted just 25 percent (8-of-32) of its tries.

In the second half, Kaplan came up with nine of 11 Emory points over a 3:40 stretch that enable the host team to take a 47-39 lead with 11:35 remaining.  After CMU drew to within three points with 9:02 on the clock, the Eagles blew the game wide open with a 15-1 explosion, with Turner producing six points and Kaplan three, that boosted the lead to an insurmountable 66-49 count with 3:51 left.

Kaplan finished the contest hitting eight-of-13 field goals and her six three pointers were  just one shy of tying the school single-game mark.  Turner knocked down nine-of-14 from the floor and five-of-seven from the foul line en route to her point total, and her game-high 12 rebounds represented her second double-double of the season and third of her career.

Emory shot 47.3 percent (26-of-55) from the floor in the game, its best showing in a conference contest this season, while limiting Carnegie Mellon to 31.3 percent (20-of-64) which marked an opponent low in UAA outings this year. The Eagles also enjoyed a hefty 51-28 edge in rebounding.

"We executed considerably better in the second half and moved the ball around more effectively," Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty said.  "Carnegie Mellon was doubling Lora Turner which helped open it up for Erica.  Kaplan is shooting the ball with great confidence right now which is good to see."

Emory's next action takes place on Friday (Feb. 9) when it plays at Washington University.

Feb. 2

COMEBACK FALLS SHORT vs. NO. 7-RANKED ROCHESTER

The Emory University women's basketball team gave the No. 7-ranked University of Rochester squad all it could handle Friday evening before the Yellowjackets came away with a 68-63 win.  The win boosted Rochester's overall record to 17-2 including 6-2 in the University Athletic Association.  The loss dropped Emory's record to 7-12 in overall play, 1-7 in UAA tilts.  The game was played at the Woodruff PE Center on the Emory campus.

Emory sophomore Erica Kaplan turned in a huge game for the Eagles with a team-high 15 points, hitting six-of-12 from the floor including three-of-five from three-point range, while pulling down a season-high 10 rebounds.  Sophomore Lora Turner totaled 12 points and senior Beth Bergmann rounded out the team's double-figure scorers with 10 points.

A Bergmann three-point field with 8:06 left in the first half drew Emory to within six points of the Yellowjackets, 22-16.  Rochester then went on a 10-2 run, boosting its margin to 32-18 with 4:07 left in the opening stanza.  The Eagles eventually went into the locker room at halftime down by a 36-25 margin. 

Emory opened the second half on a strong note and when a basket by freshman Mary Smith capped a 14-5 spurt, the Eagles trailed by just two points, 41-39 with 14:11 remaining.  Kaplan played a big role in that run, registering eight points on a pair three-pointers and a field goal.   Rochester regrouped and answered Emory's charge with a 14-6 blitz that was keyed by the long-range shooting of Helen Baroody that increased its lead to 55-45 with 10:06 left on the clock.  Baroody accounted for 11 of those points nine of which came on three treys. Baroody and Emily Bango each finished with 16 points for Rochester.

Emory battled back again and when sophomore Jenny Kraus drained one from distance with 2:32 left, that capped a 9-0 Eagles' charge and drew the hosts to within three points, 60-57.  However, that was as close as Emory could get as Rochester fended off the comeback bid.

Emory ended the game shooting 45.5 percent from the field (25-of-55) while Rochester finished with a 36.7 percent showing (22-of-60).  The Yellowjackets made the most of their trips to the charity stripe, converting 15-of-18 (83.3%) while Emory struggled in  that department, sinking just 50 percent (6-of-12).   Rochester also enjoyed a 39-34 advantage on the glass including a 13-7 margin on the offensive end.

"It was a tale of two halves," Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty said.  "In the first half, Rochester was making all the hustle plays and it seemed like we were standing around.  In the second half, we played more aggression and discipline and were able to stop some of their sets.  However, some tough turnovers down the stretch hurt us."

Emory returns to action on Sunday (Feb. 4) when it hosts Carnegie Mellon at 2:00 p.m.

Jan. 30

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SQUAD RETURNS HOME FOR A PAIR OF UAA ENCOUNTERS

Probable Emory Starters -- (subject to change)

GAME FACTS - After playing its last four games on the road, the Emory University women's basketball teams looks forward to a pair of home University Athletic Association contests this weekend when it hosts the University of Rochester on Friday (Feb. 2) before battling Carnegie Mellon University on Sunday (Feb. 4).  The Woodruff PE Center on the Emory campus will be the site of both games with Friday's tilt set to begin at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday's affair at 2:00 p.m.

THE COACHES - Emory is led by fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96).  She assumed control of the program prior to the start of the 2003-04 season.  Last year, she guided the Eagles to an overall record of 15-10, the most wins since the 1998-99 campaign.

Jim Scheible (Clarkson, ‘88) is in his eighth season in charge of the Rochester program.  While with the Yellowjackets, Scheible has guided the Rochester to back-to-back Final Four appearances (2003 & 2004).

Gerri Seidl (Pittsburgh, '78) is in her 23rd year as head coach at Carnegie Mellon and has a school and career record of 252-306.

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

2006-07 RECORDS - Emory stands 7-11 overall, including a 1-6 slate in UAA play. The Eagles are aiming to snap a six-game losing streak that includes last weekend's setbacks at Carnegie Mellon (77-66) and No. 8 Rochester (75-52).

Rochester, ranked No. 7 nationally in this week's d3hoops.com top 25 Poll, invades the Woodruff PE Center with a 16-2 overall record including a 5-2 effort UAA outings, good for a three-way tie for second place.   After suffering a pair of losses the weekend of Jan. 19-21, the Yellowjackets got back into the win column with victories over Case Western Reserve University (62-41) and Emory (75-52) last week. Rochester is 7-2 in away/neutral games.

Carnegie Mellon starts the weekend sporting an overall ledger of 8-10, 2-5 in UAA play.  The Tartans came away with a pair of triumphs on their home court last weekend, topping Emory, 77-66, and Case, 70-58.  

 SERIES RECORDS -  Rochester stands 19-17 all-time against Emory and has won the  last seven meetings between the schools. However, in games played in Atlanta, the Eagles have compiled a 12-7 mark against Rochester though the Yellowjackets have won the last three contests played at the Woodruff PE Center.  

Emory holds a 21-15 edge in the all-time series against Carnegie Mellon that started on Dec. 2, 1988.  The Tartans' win last weekend, snapped a six-game winning streak that Emory had enjoyed over CMU. The Eagles stand 12-5 all-time against Carnegie Mellon in meetings played on their home court and have captured the last three meetings played in Atlanta.

BERGMANN CRACKS 1,000 CAREER POINTS -Senior Beth Bergmann's (Oconomowoc, WI) season-high, 20-point evening vs. Carnegie Mellon enabled her to become sixth player in Emory history to reach 1,000 points in a career.  Bergmann entered the game with 994 points and reached that milestone with her 10th double-figure scoring effort of the season and ninth career performance of 20 or more points.  Bergmann now has 1,021 points to her credit and is 50 points shy of passing Lynn Oberschmidt's (2002-06) fifth-place total of 1,070 points.  During her career, she has posted double-figure scoring in 55 of 91 games.

KAPLAN PICKING UP SCORING PACE --  Sophomore guard Erica Kaplan's (Commack, NY) increased scoring output over the last three games has given the Eagles a viable offensive weapon.  In her last three contests, Kaplan is averaging 14.7 points per game while shooting 42.1 percent from three-point range (8-of-19).  Kaplan totaled a season-best 20 points (second-highest career total) against Carnegie Mellon, her eighth double-figure scoring performance of the year.  In addition, Kaplan has converted all eight of her free throw attempts in that stretch and her 85.7 percent showing from the charity stripe (42-of-49) ranks fourth among UAA players.

TURNER A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY - Sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) recorded 17 and 14 points, respectively, last week in the Carnegie Mellon and Rochester games and now has a team-high 14 contests of double-figure scoring this year. In addition, the 5-foot-11 Turner, who has produced double digits in the scoring column in five straight games, grabbed a team-high eight rebounds against the Yellowjackets, the 11th time in '06-07 that she had either led or tied for the team high in that category. Turner, the only Emory player to have started all 18 games this season, holds down the No. 1 spot on the team and ranks fifth among UAA players with a 12.6 per-game scoring average.  She also ranks as the squad's top rebounder with a 6.2 per-game showing, good for a ninth-place tie in the league listings.  

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

EMORY NOTES  -- After 18 games, Emory has posted double digits in the steals category on 10 occasions ... In its last seven games, Emory has converted 82-of-116 attempts (70.6%) from the foul line ... Emory recorded a season-high nine three-point field goals in the Carnegie Mellon game, the best effort by the Eagles in that category since Jan. 22, 2006, when they rained down nine treys against Carnegie Mellon ... Emory concluded the Rochester game with seven offensive rebounds, ending an eight-game streak where it had posted 10 or more boards on the offensive end ... Heading into Friday's game vs. Rochester, Emory will be looking to snap a six-game streak of shooting less than 40 percent from the floor ... Sophomore Jenny Kraus (Ann Arbor, MI) has found her way into the scoring column in 17 of her 18 appearances ... Erica Kaplan has 15 career contest of double-figure scoring to her credit ... In its seven wins, Emory has allowed opponents a 39.1 percent mark from the field (157-of-401) while allowing 46.7 percent effort (322-of-689) in its 11 setbacks ... The Eagles have 14 contests with double figures in offensive rebounds ... Emory has outrebounded five opponents this year and stands 4-1 in those games ... During Thomaskutty's tenure at Emory, the Eagles show a  24-9 record when holding a foe to 60 or fewer points ... Emory has attempted more free throws than its opponents in 11 games this season  ... While Beth Bergmann continues her climb up the Emory all-time scoring list, she also figures prominently in other career categories ... Her 87.3 percent mark (263-of-301) from the foul line is good for the No. 1 spot while her 142 career three-point field goals and 263 free throws are good for the No. 2 positions.
 
WEB CASTING OF EMORY BASKETBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Basketball home games this season.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

Emory's All-Time Leading Scorers

Jan. 28

ROCHESTER PULLS AWAY FROM EMORY

The Emory University women's basketball team battled No. 8-ranked Rochester on even terms for 25 minutes Sunday afternoon before the Yellowjackets pulled away for a 75-52 win.  The setback dropped Emory's overall record to 7-11 overall, 1-6 in University Athletic Association play, while Rochester saw its overall increase to 16-2, 5-2 in league affairs.

Emory hit on just 31 percent of its field goal attempts (9-of-29) in the first half and went into halftime down by a 32-23 count.   The Yellowjackets hit 40 percent from the floor during the opening stanza and they outrebounded the visiting Eagles by a 24-14 margin.

Emory scored the first six points of the second half as three-point field goals by sophomores Kerry Madison and Erica Kaplan cut the gap to three points, 32-29.  The Eagles were still within striking distance with 15:13 remaining when they trailed by five points, 36-31.  However, Rochester rattled off 10 unanswered points and held Emory scoreless for the next five minutes and twenty-nine seconds as it took firm control of the game, 46-31. 

Sophomore Lora Turner was the lone Emory player to score in double-figures with 14 points, sinking five-of-10 from the floor and four free throws.  Turner also tied for game-high honors with eight rebounds.  Kaplan and sophomore Jenny Kraus each contributed eight points.

"We had some defensive breakdowns and did not execute when we needed to," Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty said.  "Rochester is a big, physical team that plays disciplined.  They took away some of the things we wanted to do offensively. 

"I thought that Lora Turner was a bright spot for us," Thomaskutty added.  "As hard as Rochester was doubling her, it's a tribute to Lora that she was able to score what she did."

Emory ended the game shooting 33.3 percent from the floor (18-of-54) while Rochester countered with a 44.8 percent effort (26-of-58).  The Yellowjackets used their superior size to post a 45-28 advantage in the rebounding department. 

Emory returns to action on Friday, Feb. 2, when it plays host to Rochester in a 6:00 p.m. tip.

Jan. 26

EAGLES' RALLY FALLS SHORT AT CARNEGIE MELLON

The Emory University women's basketball team's furious second-half rally fell short Friday evening as the Eagles dropped a 77-66 decision at Carnegie Mellon.  The loss dropped Emory's overall record to 7-10 overall, 1-5 in the University Athletic Association.  The win upped Carnegie Mellon's overall slate to 7-10, 1-5 in UAA contests.

Emory trailed by 18 points, 33-15, late in the first half before closing out the stanza on an 8-0 run that narrowed the deficit to 33-23. 

In the second half, the Eagles continued to battle it way back into the game, using the strong inside play of sophomore Lora Turner along with an onslaught of three-point field goals.  Emory opened the final 20 minutes of action outscoring the host Tartans by a 15-9 margin to edge closer at 42-38 with 15:23 left.  Keying the run that saw Emory hit six-of-eight shots from the field were Turner's six points and a pair of three-pointers by senior Beth Bergmann.  Bergmann's second trey in that spurt enabled her to reach the 1,000-career point plateau, making her just the sixth women's player in Emory history to reach that mark.

Emory continued to hound CMU and Bergmann's third trey of the half knotted the contest at 46-46 with 12:20 remaining.  However, the Tartans regrouped and scored the game's next 10 points to assume a 56-46 advantage with 9:15 on the clock.  Emory managed to get within five points but CMU fended off the Eagles' comeback bid.

Bergmann totaled a season-high 20 points, hitting five three-point field goals and five-of-six from the foul line, en route to her 10th double-figure scoring effort of the year.  Sophomore Erica Kaplan tied Bergmann for team-high scoring honors as her total also represented a season high.  Kaplan knocked down seven-of-14 from the floor, including four-of-eight from distance, and both of her free throw attempts.  Turner rounded out Emory's double-digit scorers with 17 points, converting seven-of-nine from the floor and three-of-five from the charity stripe. 

Emory finished the contest shooting 36.8 percent from the floor (21-of-57) compared to Carnegie Mellon's 44.4 percent (28-of-63).  The Eagles hit a season-high nine three-point field goals and recorded a 36.0 percent mark from beyond the arc (9-of-25).  Emory's second-half rally was fueled in part to 50 percent shooting (6-of-12) from three-point range.  The Tartans posted a 43-34 advantage on the glass and had 16 turnovers to Emory's 20 miscues.

Emory's next action takes place on Sunday (Jan. 28) when it plays at the University of Rochester starting at 2:00 p.m.

Jan. 23

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SQUAD HITS THE ROAD FOR UAA ACTION

Probable Emory Starters -- (subject to change)

GAME FACTS - The Emory University women's basketball team takes to the road for the second consecutive weekend when it meets Carnegie Mellon on Friday (Jan. 26) and the University of Rochester on Sunday (Jan. 28).  Skibo Gymnasium (1,500) on the CMU campus will serve as the site of the 36th meeting between the Eagles and Tartans and tip is slated for 6:00 p.m.  The Louis Alexander Palestra on the Rochester campus will be the setting of the 36th battle between Emory and the Yellowjackets that will begin at 2:00 p.m.

THE COACHES - Emory is led by fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96).  She assumed control of the program prior to the start of the 2003-04 season.  Last year, she guided the Eagles to an overall record of 15-10, the most wins since the 1998-99 campaign.

Gerri Seidl (Pittsburgh, '78) is in her 23rd year as head coach at Carnegie Mellon and has a school and career record of 250-306.

Jim Scheible (Clarkson, ‘88) is in his eighth season in charge of the Rochester program.  While with the Yellowjackets, Scheible has guided the Rochester to back-to-back Final Four appearances (2003 & 2004).

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

2006-07 RECORDS - Emory stands 7-9 overall, including a 1-4 slate in University Athletic Association play. The Eagles are aiming to snap a four-game losing streak that includes setbacks last weekend at No. 14-ranked NYU (75-57) and No. 16 Brandeis (73-59).

Carnegie Mellon hosts Emory with an overall record of 6-10, 0-5 in UAA outings. The Tartans have dropped their last three games including a 91-49 loss at the University of Chicago and a 76-64 defeat at Washington University last weekend.  

Rochester, ranked No. 8 nationally in this week's d3hoops.com top 25 Poll, starts play this weekend with a 14-2 overall record, 3-2 in UAA tilts.  Rochester suffered its first losses of the campaign last weekend, 57-36 at Washington University and 67-60 at Chicago. The Yellowjackets are 7-0 this year in games played on their home court.  

 SERIES RECORDS -  Emoy holds a 21-14 edge in the all-time series against Carnegie Mellon that started on Dec. 2, 1988.  The Eagles have won the last six encounters between the schools including a 72-52 triumph at CMU and an 84-43 victory at home last season.  In contests played at CMU, each squad posts nine wins.  

Rochester stands 18-17 all-time against Emory.  The Yellowjackets have won the last six meetings including a 70-40 verdict at Rochester and a 62-50 outcome at Emory last year.  In games played on its home court, Rochester posts an 11-5 effort against Emory.

BERGMANN APPROACHING 1,000 CAREER POINTS - Heading into this weekend's action, senior Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI) is on the verge of becoming the sixth player in history to reach the 1,000 career point plateau.  Bergmann currently has 994 points to her credit and holds down the No. 6 spot on the school's all-time scoring adder. During her career, she has posted double-figure scoring in 54 of 89 games.

TURNER A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY - Sophomore Lora Turner's (Florence, AL) 14-point effort in the Brandeis game last Sunday marked her team-high 12th double-figure scoring game of the season.  In addition, the 5-foot-11 Turner tied Erica Kaplan for the team lead in rebounding with seven boards, the third straight and 10th time in '06-07 that she had either shared or tied for the team's lead in that category.  Turner, the only Emory player to have started all 16 games this season, holds down the No. 1 spot on the team and ranks ninth among UAA players with a 12.3 per-game scoring average.  She also ranks as the squad's top rebounder with a 6.4 per-game showing, good for the No. 10 spot in the league listings.

EMORY NOTES  -- In games played through Jan. 21, Emory ranks fourth among UAA in steals (11.25 spg) ... After 16 games, Emory has posted double digits in the steals category on 10 occasions ... In its last five games, Emory has converted 56-of-80 attempts (70.0%) from the foul line while the opposition has sank 58-of-83 (69.8%) ... NYU's 25 free throws and 35 attempts from the charity stripe were opponent season highs ... Emory shot a season-high 43.8 percent from three-point range in the Brandeis contest, hitting on seven-of-16 opportunities ... Junior Katie Rizzo (Elk Grove Village, IL) recorded a career-high 13 points in the Brandeis affair, hitting on all five field goal attempts and both her free throw opportunities ... Sophomore Erica Kaplan's 16 points against Brandeis was her second-highest total of the campaign and seventh double-figure scoring performance of the year ... Career-wise, Kaplan has produced double-digit scoring on 14 occasions .... Kaplan is No. 3 among UAA players with an 84.4 percent effort in foul shooting (38-of-45) ... Sophomore Kerry Madison (Los Angeles, CA) snatched a career-high eight rebounds in the NYU game ... In its seven wins, Emory has allowed opponents a 39.1 percent mark from the field (157-of-401) while allowing 47.1 percent effort (268-of-568) in its nine setbacks ... The Eagles have a seven-game streak with 10 or more offensive rebounds and have 13 contests with double figures in that category this season ... Emory has outrebounded five opponents this year and stands 4-1 in those games ... During Thomaskutty's tenure at Emory, the Eagles show a  24-9 record when holding a foe to 60 or fewer points ... Emory has attempted more free throws than its opponents in 11 games this season  ... While Beth Bergmann continues her climb up the Emory all-time scoring list, she also figures prominently in other career categories ... Her 87.4 percent mark (257-of-294) from the foul line is good for the No. 1 spot while her 137 career three-point field goals is good for the No. 2 position.  

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

WEB CASTING OF EMORY BASKETBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Basketball home games this season.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

Emory's All-Time Leading Scorers

Jan. 21

NO. 16 BRANDEIS TOPS EMORY

The Emory University women's basketball team's second-half rally against No. 16 Brandeis fell short as the Eagles dropped a 73-59 verdict to the Judges.  The loss dropped Emory's overall record to 7-9, 1-4 in the University Athletic Association.  Brandeis recorded its fourth win in its last five contests and upped its record to 13-2 overall, 3-1 in UAA action.  The game was played at the Auerbach Arena on the Brandeis campus.

Trailing by a 24-17 margin with 8:41 left in the first half, Emory managed to score only six points the remainder of the stanza and faced a 37-23 deficit heading into halftime.  The Eagles shot just 29.6 percent from the field during the opening half of play and turned the ball over 12 times which Brandeis converted into 12 points.

Emory regrouped and roared back in the opening minutes of the second half, outscoring the hosts by a 16-4 margin to draw to within two points with 13:25 remaining when sophomore Katie Rizzo knocked down a jumper. Sophomores Lora Turner (Florence, AL) and Erica Kaplan (Commack, NY) keyed the comeback with six and five points, respectively, while sophomore Jenny Kraus (Ann Arbor, MI) contributed a trey.  Emory was effective from beyond the arc throughout the game and shot a season-best 43.8 percent (7-of-16) from distance in the game.

After Rizzo's shot cut the gap to two points, the Judges ran off seven straight points to assume a 48-39 lead with 11:45 on the clock   A Kaplan three-pointer drew the Eagles to within five, 52-47, with 8:25 left but Brandeis put the game away with a 14-4 spurt that gave in a 15-point cushion with 3:39 remaining.

Kaplan paced the Emory scoring attack with 16 points, her second-highest total of the season, sinking five-of-eight from the floor, including two-of-three from three-point territory, and all four of her free throw attempts.  Turner finished with 14 points and shared the team's rebounding honors with Kaplan as the pair each grabbed seven boards.  Rizzo closed out the double-figure scorers for Emory with 13 points, hitting on all five field goal opportunities as well as a pair from the charity stripe..

Emory shot 36.8 percent (21-of-57) from the floor compared to Brandeis' mark of 40.6 percent (26-of-64).  The Judges posted a 45-35 edge in rebounding and the Eagles finished with 19 turnovers compared to the home team's 16 miscues.

Emory's next action takes place on Friday (Jan. 26) when it plays at Carnegie Mellon starting at 6:00 p.m.

Jan. 19

EMORY DROPS UAA ROAD GAME TO NO. 14 NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

The Emory University women's basketball team hung tough on the road Friday evening against No. 14-ranked New York University but fell short as the Violets used a strong performance down the stretch to come away with a 75-57 decision.  The loss dropped Emory's overall record to 7-8, 1-3 in the University Athletic Association.  NYU recorded its third straight victory and in the process upped its record to 14-1 overall, 3-1 in UAA play. 

Playing before an enthusiastic crowd at the Coles Sports Center on the NYU campus, Emory got off to a slow start offensively, shooting just 28.2 percent (11-of-39) in the opening half en route to a 36-26 deficit at halftime. 

Trailing by a 42-31 count with 17:06 left in the contest, Emory then went on a stirring run that saw them outscore the host Violets by a 12-1 margin that resulted in the Eagles assuming a 43-42 lead when senior Lora Turner sank a jumper with 12:01 on the clock.  NYU then regrouped and responded with an 11-2 spurt of its own that put it up by a 53-45 margin with 8:44 remaining.

The Eagles battled back and used an 8-2 run, keyed by Turner's six points, to draw within two points, 55-53, with 6:53 remaining.  However, that was as close as Emory would get as NYU sprinted away with a decisive 20-4 scoring advantage to close out the contest.

Turner led the Emory scoring attack with 19 points, her 11th double-figure scoring effort of the season, sinking eight-of-16 from the floor and three-of-six from the charity stripe.  Turner also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.  Senior Beth Bergmann was the other Eagles' player to finish with double digits in scoring with 13 points. 

NYU sophomore forward Jessica McEntee led all players with 20 points and 18 rebounds.

For the game, NYU shot 44.7 percent from the floor (21-of-47), including 50 percent (8-of-16) from three-point range.  Emory finished with a 32.9 percent effort from the field (32.9 percent).

"The final score is not indicative of how the game was played," said Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty. "We played hard and overall our defense was good. NYU took advantage of its opportunities from the free throw line and made some baskets when they needed to."

Emory's next action takes place on Sunday (Jan. 21) when it visits Brandies University in a 2:00 p.m. start.

Jan. 17

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SQUAD PREPARE FOR UAA ROAD CONTESTS

Probable Emory Starters -- (subject to change)

GAME FACTS - The Emory University women's basketball team takes to the road this weekend when it meets New York University on Friday (Jan. 19) and Brandeis University on Sunday (Jan. 21).  The Coles Sports Center (1,900) on the NYU campus will serve as the site of the 36th meeting between the Eagles and Violets and tip is slated for 6:00 p.m.  Auerbach Arena (2,500) on the Brandeis campus will be the setting of the 36th battle between Emory and the Judges that will begin at 2:00 p.m.

THE COACHES - Emory is led by fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96).  She assumed control of the program prior to the start of the 2003-04 season.  Last year, she guided the Eagles to an overall record of 15-10, the most wins since the 1998-99 campaign.

Janice Quinn (NYU, '85) is in her 20th year as head coach at NYU and has a school and career record of 425-113. During her stint at her alma mater, Quinn has directed the program to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances including a national title in 1997.

Carol Simon (Colby College, ‘85) is in her 20th  season in charge of the Brandeis program.  Heading into a Friday home contest vs. Case Western Reserve, Simon has a school and career record of 273-220.  Last year she compiled a 20-5 mark, the Judges' third straight season of 20 or more wins.  

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

2006-07 RECORDS - Emory stands 7-7 overall, including a 1-2 slate in UAA play. The Eagles are looking to get back into the win column after suffering a pair of home defeats last weekend, 81-50 to No. 7 Chicago and 69-54 to Washington University.

NYU entertains Emory with an overall record of 13-1, 2-1 in UAA outings. The Violets share a No. 14 national ranking with the University of Wisconsin-Stout in this week's USA Today ESPN Top 25 Coaches' Poll and is ranked No. 16 in the country by d3hoops.com.  In its most recent action, NYU topped Hunter College, 88-60, on Monday.

Brandeis enters the weekend sporting an 11-2 overall record, 1-2 in UAA tilts.  The Judges are ranked No. 16 in the USA Today ESPN Top 25 Coaches' Poll and No. 17 by d3hoops.com.  In their last performance, the Judges came out on the short end of a 59-53 decision to NYU last Saturday.

SERIES RECORDS -  Chicago holds a 28-7 edge in the all-time series against Emory that started on Jan. 27, 1989.  Emory posted victories in both of last year's contests, 75-72 at NYU and 70-55 at the Woodruff PE Center.  

Emory stands 19-16 all-time against Brandeis.  The Eagles and Judges split a pair of meetings last season with Brandeis notching a 75-57 triumph on its home court before the Eagles registered a 62-52 triumph at the Woodruff PE Center.  

EMORY NOTES  -- In games played through Jan. 14, Emory ranks fourth among UAA in steals (11.93 spg) ... The Eagles finished the Washington University game with nine steals, ending an eight-game streak where they had compiled 10 or more thefts ... After 14 games, Emory has posted double digits in the steals category on 10 occasions ... In its last three games, Emory has converted 41-of-55 attempts (74.5%) from the foul line while the opposition has sank 20-of-29 (68.9%) ... In its seven wins, Emory has allowed opponents a 39.1 percent mark from the field (157-of-401) while allowing 48.4 percent effort (221-of-457) in its seven setbacks ...  Emory's seven three-point field goals in last Friday's game vs. Chicago tied a season high ...The Eagles have a five-game streak with 10 or more offensive rebounds and have 11 contests with double figures in that category this season ...Emory has outrebounded five opponents this year and stands 4-1 in those games ... During Thomaskutty's tenure at Emory, the Eagles show a  24-9 record when holding a foe to 60 or fewer points ... Emory has attempted more free throws than its opponents in 11 games this season ... Sophomore Kerry Madison (Los Angeles, CA) established a career best when she finished with a team-high 11 points vs. Washington University ... Sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) has scored in double figures a team-high 10 times this year and she paces the club with an 11.6 points per game average, good for 13th place among UAA players ... She has either led or shard for the team's scoring lead in six contests during the '06-07 campaign ... Turner concluded the Washington University with a team-best seven rebounds, the eighth time this season she ranked as the top rebounder ... In games played through Jan. 14, Turner ranks first on the team and 13th among UAA players in rebounding with a 6.1 per-game mark ...  Senior Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI) continues her climb to the 1,000-career point plateau and heads into the weekend with 973 points, good for sixth place on Emory's all-time scoring list ... Bergmann has 53 career contests of double-figure scoring in 87 outings ... Bergmann has converted 27-of-28 free throw attempts this season and her 96.4 percent showing from the charity stripe is good for the No. 1 position among UAA players ... Career-wise, Bergmann has an 87.4 percent effort from the foul line (257-of-294),  good for the No. 1 spot on the school's all-time chart ... Bergmann's 10.4 points per game average is No. 2 on the team and 14th on the UAA ladder ... Sophomore Erica Kaplan's (Commack, NY) 10 points in the Washington University game was her sixth double-figure scoring game of the season (13th of her career) ... Kaplan's 82.9 percent effort from the foul line (34-of-41) is good for the No. 4 position among UAA players.

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

WEB CASTING OF EMORY BASKETBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Basketball home games this season.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

Emory's All-Time Leading Scorers

Jan. 14

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY POSTS WIN OVER EMORY

The Emory University women's basketball team hosted Washington University in a University Athletic Association contest Sunday afternoon and came out on the short end of a 69-54 verdict.  The loss dropped Emory's overall record to 7-7, 1-2 in UAA play while Washington upped its overall slate to 10-4, 2-1 in conference affairs.

Emory shot just 33.9 percent from the floor (20-of-59) in the contest while the visiting Bears finished with a 43.1 percent showing (28-of-65).  Washington also finished with a hefty 47-34 edge in the rebounding department, 18-12 on the offensive end.

A jumper by freshman Mary Smith (Houston, TX) gave Emory a 10-8 lead with 13:00 left in the first half, however Washington responded with a 16-0 run that gave it control of the game, 24-10, with 8:10 left in the opening half.  That burst help the Bears to a 36-24 lead at halftime. 

A basket by sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) drew Emory to within nine points with 10:47 on the clock but a decisive 15-1 Washington scoring outburst, fueled by sophomore guard Jill Brandt's eight points, gave the Bears a 65-42 lead and ended any hopes of a comeback by the Eagles.

Sophomore Kerry Madison (Los Angeles, CA) led Emory's scoring effort with a career-high 11 points, sinking five-of-seven from the floor and one-of-two from the foul line.  Sophomore Erica Kaplan (Commack, NY) and Turner each totaled 10 points apiece with Turner also contributing a team-high seven boards.

Senior Rebecca Park posted a game-high 22 points and 17 rebounds to lead Washington. 

"Our defensive transition was not what it needed to be today," Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty said.  "Plus, our play on the boards was not effective.  We are going have to regroup and keep going as we have conference road games ahead of us."

Emory's next action takes place on Friday (Jan. 19) when it visits New York University in a 6:00 p.m. start.

Jan. 12, 2007

EMORY DROPS OUTING TO CHICAGO

The Emory University women's basketball team battled No. 7-ranked Chicago Friday evening and came out on the short end of an 81-50 decision.  The loss dropped Emory's record to 7-6, 1-1 in the University Athletic Association, while the Maroons upped their mark to 13-0, 2-0 in the UAA.

Emory jumped out to a quick start and led by a 6-0 margin just 41 seconds into the contest.  However, the Eagles hit a cold spell and went scoreless for nearly 12 minutes while the visitors ran off 25 unanswered points to take control of the game. In that decisive stretch, Emory missed 19 consecutive shots and was also hampered by nine turnovers.  Chicago used the burst to help it to a 43-26 halftime advantage, shooting 54.3 percent from the floor (19-of-35) while holding Emory to 29.4 percent (10-of-34). 

Any hopes that Emory had of clawing its way back into the game ended early in the second half as Chicago rattled off the first nine points of the final stanza of play to take a 54-26 lead with 15:57 remaining. 

Chicago concluded the contest shooting a blistering 54.5 percent from the field (37-of-68) while Emory managed to connect on just 29 percent (18-of-62).  Much of Chicago's damage was done on the inside where it posted a 54-18 bulge in the points-in-the paint category.  The Maroons also finished with a 49-27 advantage in rebounding.

Sophomore Kendall Boyd (Eden Prairie, MN) led the Eagles with 11 points while sophomore Jenny Kraus (Ann Arbor, MI) came off the bench to finish with 10 points. 

Chicago junior Nofi Mojidi totaled a game-high 19 points, hitting nine-of-12 from the floor, while freshman Molly Hackney tallied 13 points and eight rebounds. 

"Our transition defense killed us and they hurt us underneath," said Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty.  "I thought that Chicago played harder than we did and made the hustle plays when they needed to."

Emory returns to action on Sunday (Jan. 14) when it hosts Washington University in a 2:00 p.m. start.

Jan. 10

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM GEARING UP FOR FOR UAA HOME CONTESTS

Probable Emory Starters -- (subject to change)

GAME FACTS - The Emory University women's basketball team faces a pair of stern challenges this weekend when it battles a pair of highly regarded University Athletic Association opponents.  On Friday (Jan. 12), the Eagles entertain the undefeated University of Chicago in a 6:00 p.m. start before taking on Washington University on Sunday (Jan. 14) in a 2:00 p.m. tip.  Both contests will be played at the Woodruff PE Center on the Emory campus.

THE COACHES - Emory is led by fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96).  She assumed control of the program prior to the start of the 2003-04 season.  Last year, she guided the Eagles to an overall record of 15-10, the most wins since the 1998-99 campaign.

Aaron Roussell (Iowa, '01) is in his third year as head coach at Chicago and has a school and career record of 45-17. Prior to his appointment at Chicago, he had served as an assistant coach at the Minnesota State-University-Mankato.  

Nancy Fahey (Wisconsin, 1981) is in her 21st season in charge of the Washington University program.  Heading into a Friday contest at Case Western Reserve, Fahey has a school and career record of 480-83.  She has a pair of national championships to her credit (1998 & 1999) and has recorded 17 seasons of 20 or more wins.

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

2006-07 RECORDS - Emory stands 7-5 overall, including a 1-0 slate in UAA action, heading into its Friday bout against Chicago.  The Eagles opened the conference portion of its schedule last Saturday with a 75-72 win at Case.

Chicago, ranked No. 7 in this week's USA Today ESPN Division III Top 25 Coaches' Pool and No. 13 by d3hoops.com, stands 12-0 overall and 1-0 in league action.  The Maroons are coming off a 75-64 triumph at the Milwaukee School of Engineering on Tuesday.  Chicago opened conference play last Saturday with a 54-51 victory at home over Washington University.

Washington University takes an overall slate of 8-4, 0-1 in UAA play, into its road date at Case.  The Bears saw a seven-game win streak snapped last Saturday when it lost at Chicago.

SERIES RECORDS -  Chicago claims a 21-14 edge in the all-time series against Emory that started on Feb. 19, 1989.  In games played on the Eagles' home court, the Maroons have captured 10 of 18 contests.  Chicago has won the last four meetings between the clubs including last year's 72-62 (at Emory) and 54-36 (at Chicago) decisions.

Washington University holds a 31-4 margin in the all-time series against Emory.  Last year the Bears registered wins in both meetings, 71-55 at Emory and 73-51 in Saint Louis.    

EMORY NOTES  -- In games played through Jan. 7, Emory ranks fourth among UAA teams in free throw percentage (67.7%) and third in steals (12.08 spg) ... The Eagles finished the Case contest with 15 steals, the squad's second-highest total of the season, and own a seven-game streak of double-figure steals and nine for the season ... Emory converted a season-high 24 free throws at Case, the third game of the campaign of 20 or more makes from the charity stripe ... The Eagles' 75 points vs. Case tied their second-highest point total of the season and was the club's fourth game of 70-plus points (3-1) ...
In its seven wins, Emory has allowed opponents a 39.1 percent mark from the field (157-of-401) while allowing 48.1 percent effort (156-of-324) in its five setbacks ...  Emory has outrebounded five opponents this year and stands 4-1 in those games ... During Thomaskutty's tenure at Emory, the Eagles show a  24-9 record when holding a foe to 60 or fewer points ... Emory has attempted more free throws than its opponents in 10 games this season ... Emory has three straight and nine games this season with 10 or more offensive rebounds ... Senior Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI) continues her climb to the 1,000-career point plateau and heads into the weekend with 966 points, good for sixth place on Emory's all-time scoring list ... Bergmann has 53 career contests of double-figure scoring in 85 outings ...Bergmann, who currently has a team-best six-game double-figure scoring streak, has converted 25-of-26 free throw attempts this season and her 96.2 percent showing from the charity stripe is good for the No. 1 position among UAA players ... Career-wise, Bergmann has an 87.3 percent effort from the foul line (255-of-292),  good for the No. 1 spot on the school's all-time chart ... In her last three games, Bergmann is averaging 15.0 points and shooting 51.8 percent from the floor (14-of-27) including 58.8 percent from three-point range (10-of-17) ... She stands No. 2 on the team in scoring with an 11.8 points per-game showing, good for 13th  place among UAA cagers in games played through Jan. 7 ... Sophomore Lora Turner's (Florence, AL) career-high 21 points in the Case affair marked her ninth game of double-figure scoring this year ... Turner is tossing in a team-best 12.4 points per game average, good for the No. 8 spot in the UAA  ... She also ranks prominently in the league listings in rebounds where her 6.3 per-game effort places her 10th ... Sophomore Lauren Bugg's (Pembroke, FL) nine-point afternoon against Case represented her second-highest total as an Eagle ... Sophomore Erica Kaplan (Commack, NY) totaled 12 points against Case, her fifth double-digit showing of the campaign, and tied a career high with eight free throws ... Heading into the weekend, Kaplan has converted 82.9 percent (29-of-35) from the foul line, good for the No. 4 position in the UAA ... Sophomore Kerry Madison (Los Angeles, CA) is averaging a team-high 6.3 rebounds over the last three contests.

WEB CASTING OF EMORY BASKETBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Basketball home games this season.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

Emory's All-Time Leading Scorers

Jan. 6

EMORY OPENS UAA ACTION WITH WIN AT CASE WESTERN

The Emory University women's basketball team opened up University Athletic Association play Saturday afternoon with a hard-fought 75-72 triumph at Case Western Reserve University.  The win boosted Emory's record to 7-5 (1-0 UAA) while the Spartans of Case fell to 8-4 (0-1 UAA).

Emory sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) sparked the Eagles' victory, totaling a career-high 21 points, hitting on eight-of-14 from the floor and five-of-eight from the foul line.  In addition, Turner grabbed seven rebounds.  Senior Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI) and sophomore Erica Kaplan (Commack, NY) rounded out the Eagles' double-figure scorers with 15 and 12 points, respectively.  The duo of Bergmann and Kaplan combined to go 14-of-14 from the charity stripe with Kaplan converting all eight of her attempts and Bergmann draining all six of her opportunities.  Emory finished the conference opener with a big edge from the foul line, sinking 24-of-30 compared to the Spartans' eight-of-12.  Sophomore Lauren Bugg (Pembroke, FL) also played a key role in the triumph, registering nine points off the bench.

Behind eight points from both Turner and Bergmann, along with a balanced scoring attack that saw nine players find their way into the scoring column, Emory held a 39-33 lead at halftime.  The Eagles held an 11-point advantage at one point in the opening stanza, 38-27, with 2:30 left but Case regrouped to finish the stanza with a 6-1 run.

A jumper by Kaplan gave Emory a 42-35 margin in the early moments of the second half, but a 9-1 Spartans' scoring burst enabled the host team to take a 44-43 lead with 14:28 remaining.  With the score deadlocked at 49-49, a 12-6 Emory run gave it a 61-55 lead with 8:00 remaining.  The Eagles still held a six-point cushion with 1:09 left on a Turner lay up but saw Case draw to within one point with seven seconds left when Ashleigh Tondo hit a three-point field goal.  After a pair of free throws by Bergmann extended Emory's lead to three, a trey attempt by Case missed its mark and allowed the Eagles to snap a 12-game losing streak to the Spartans.

"We were more aggressive today and I think that was a big reason we had 30 free throw opportunities," Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty said.  "Our high-low game was effective with Lora Turner and she was able to take advantage of some match-ups.  Beth Bergmann did a great job of running the offense today and helped keep our transition game going."

Emory's next action takes place on Friday, Jan. 12, when it hosts UAA foe Chicago starting at 6:00 p.m.

Jan. 4

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SQUAD OPENS UAA ACTION AT CASE

Probable Emory Starters -- (subject to change)

GAME FACTS - The Emory University women's basketball team opens the program's 19th season of University Athletic Association play on Saturday (Jan. 6) when it plays at Case Western Reserve University.  The Horsburgh Gym at the Veale Center on the Case campus will serve as the site of the 26th meeting between the Eagles and Spartans and tip is slated for  2:00 p.m.

THE COACHES - Emory is led by fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96).  She assumed control of the program prior to the start of the 2003-04 season.  Last year, she guided the Eagles to an overall record of 15-10, the most wins since the 1998-99 campaign.

Jacki Windon (Gannon, '2001) is in her third year as head coach at Case and takes a school and career record of 32-28 into Saturday's game.

2006-07 RECORDS - Emory stands 6-5 heading into its conference opener.  In their most recent outing, the Eagles opened the 2007 portion of their schedule with a 59-40 loss at Maryville College on Jan. 2. 

Case will entertain the Eagles with an 8-3 won-lost effort.  The Spartans are coming off a 67-38 win at Bethany College on Jan. 3.

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

SERIES RECORDS -  In a series that started Dec. 3, 1988, Case posts an all-time record of  15-10 vs. Emory. The Spartans have won the last 12 meetings between the two schools with Emory's last win coming on Feb. 6, 2000.

EMORY NOTES  -- In games played through Jan. 3, Emory ranks third among UAA teams in steals (11.8 spg) ... The Eagles finished the Maryville game with 14 steals, the sixth straight and eighth contest of 10 or more thefts in a game this year ... The Eagles shot 41.7 percent from three-point range (5-of-12) against Maryville, their second-highest mark of the year ... Emory's 19 offensive boards in the Maryville contest tied the squad's second-highest mark of the year ... The Eagles have finished with 10 or more offensive rebounds in four of their last five and in eight contests ... Heading into its conference opener, Emory hopes to take better care of the ball as its has finished with 20 or more turnovers in three straight contests ... In its six wins, Emory has allowed opponents just a 38.2 percent mark from the field (127-of-332) while allowing its foes a 48.1 percent effort (156-of-324) in its five setbacks ...Emory has outrebounded five opponents this year and stands 4-1 in those games ...During Thomaskutty's tenure, Emory claims a record  24-9 when holding foes to 60 or fewer points ...  Emory has attempted more free throws than its opponents in nine games this season ... Senior Beth Bergmann's (Oconomowoc, WI) team-high 16 points against Maryville upped her career total to 951 points, good for sixth place on Emory's all-time scoring list ...  Bergmann has 52 career contests of double-figure scoring in 84 outings ... Bergmann, who currently has a team-best five-game double-figure scoring streak, has converted 95.0 percent of her free throw attempts (19-of-20), good for the No. 1 spot among UAA players in games played through Jan. 30 ... Career-wise Bergmann has an 87.1 percent effort from the foul line (249-of-286),  good for the No. 1 spot on the school's all-time chart ... Bergmann stands No. 2 on the team in scoring with a 11.4 points per-game showing, good for 13th place among UAA cagers ... Sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) has scored in double figures in five of the last six and in eight games this year and her team-leading 11.6 points per game average ranks her 12th among UAA players ... Turner also ranks prominently in the league listings in rebounds where her 6.2 per-game effort ties her for 10th ... Turner's 3.18 offensive rebounds per game is good for the No. 5 position in the UAA ... Sophomore Kerry Madison (Los Angeles, CA) tied her career best with seven rebounds against Maryville ... Madison has four career performances of seven rebounds and ranks second on the team in rebounds (4.1 rpg).

WEB CASTING OF EMORY BASKETBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Basketball home games this season.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

Jan. 2

EMORY BASKETBALL TEAM FALLS AT MARYVILLE COLLEGE

The Emory University women's basketball team opened the 2007 portion of its schedule with a loss at Maryville College on Monday, falling to the Lady Scots by a 59-40 score.  The loss dropped Emory's record to 6-5 while Maryville upped its record to 8-2.

Both squads got off to a sluggish start to open the game and the Eagles held a 9-8 with 13:09 left in the first half when senior Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI) hit a three-point field goal.  However, the was the last lead for Emory as the Lady Scots ran off a 17-2 scoring run that gave them a 25-11 lead with 6:04 left in the stanza.  Eventually, Maryville went into the half with a 33-15 lead after shooting 50 percent (13-of-2) from the floor while hold the visiting Eagles to just 22.6 percent (7-of-31).  Emory was also hampered by 15 turnovers during the opening 20 minutes of play.

Bergmann opened the second half on a strong note, knocking down a pair of treys that closed the gap to 33-24 with 17:13 remaining but that was as close as Emory would get as the Lady Scots would eventually build a pair of 22-point leads.  Bergmann led all scorers with 16 points, her fifth straight game of double-figure scoring, sinking six-of-13 from the field including four-of-seven from three-point range. Sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) finished with 10 points and tied for game-high honors with nine rebounds.  Both Bergmann and Turner finished the contest with three steals

Emory finished the game shooting 24.6 percent from the floor (14-of-57) compared to Maryville's effort of 42.9 percent (21-of-49).  The Lady Scots held a slim 41-39 edge in the rebounding department.

"It was one of those games where we could not get a shot to fall," said Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty.  "In the first half, we had some good looks at the basket but just could not convert.  I thought that we played well defensively, holding a team that was averaging over 70 points to 59."

Emory returns to action on Saturday (Jan. 6) when it opens University Athletic Association play at Case Western Reserve University in a 2:00 p.m. start.

Jan. 1

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM FACES ROAD TEST AT MARYVILLE COLLEGE

Probable Emory Starters -- subject to change

GAME FACTS - The Emory University women's basketball team opens the 2007 portion of its schedule on Tuesday (Jan. 2) when it faces Maryville College on the road.  The Boydson Baird Gymnasium on the Maryville campus will serve as the site of the seventh meeting between the Eagles and Lady Scots and tip is slated for 4:00 p.m.

THE COACHES - Emory is led by fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96).  She assumed control of the program prior to the start of the 2003-04 season.  Last year, she guided the Eagles to an overall record of 15-10, the most wins since the 1998-99 campaign.

Jeff Pardue (Kings College, '89) is in his first year as head coach at Maryville College. Prior to his current post, he had served as a men's and women's assistant coach for six seasons at Lees-McRae College.

2006-07 RECORDS - Emory stands 6-4 heading into its Tuesday contest.  The Eagles closed out a five-game homestand this past weekend, dropping a 101-64 decision to No. 10-ranked Illinois Wesleyan on Friday (Dec. 29) before posting a 65-57 win over Averett University on Saturday.

Maryville will host the Eagles with a 7-2 won-lost effort.  The Lady Scotts will be playing their first game since Dec. 18 when they lost at Transylvania, 73-43.  Maryville is 5-0 in games played on its home court this season and has a 14-game home court winning streak.  

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

SERIES RECORDS -  Emory has won the last four meetings and stands 4-2 all-time against Maryville College.  Last year, the Eagles registered a 70-54 win at the Woodruff PE Center on the Emory campus.  
EMORY NOTES  -- In games played through Dec. 30, Emory ranks third among UAA teams in free throw percentage (68.6%) and fourth in steals (11.6 spg) ... The Eagles finished the Illinois Wesleyan and Averett University games with 10 and 12 steals, respectively, and own a five-game streak of double-figure steals and seven for the season ... Emory converted a season-high seven three-point field goals in the Averett game ... Emory doled out a season-high 21 assists in the Averett contest, the second-highest mark during Thomaskutty's tenure as head coach ...  In its six wins, Emory has allowed opponents just a 38.2 percent mark from the field (127-of-332) while allowing its foes a 49.1 percent effort (135-of-275) in its four setbacks ... Emory has outrebounded five opponents this year and stands 4-1 in those games ... Averett's 57 points marked the third time this year that the Eagles had held an opponent to 60 or fewer points and raised Thomaskutty's record to 24-8 when held a foe to 60 or fewer points ... Emory saw a five-game streak of shooting 73 percent or better from the foul line come to an end in the Averett contest when it converted a season-low 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from the charity stripe ... Emory has attempted more free throws than its opponents in eight games this season ... The Eagles finished the Averett game with 16 offensive rebounds, the seventh contest this year of 10 or boards on that end of the floor ... Senior Beth Bergmann's (Oconomowoc, WI) team-high 14 points against Averett enabled her to move past Cathy Goodgame (1988-91) and into sixth place on Emory's all-time scoring list with 935 points ... Bergmann has 51 career contests of double-figure scoring in 83 outings ... Bergmann, who currently has a team-best four-game double-figure scoring streak, has converted all 19 of her free throw attempts this season ... Career-wise Bergmann has an 87.4 percent effort from the foul line (249-of-285),  good for the No. 1 spot on the school's all-time chart ... Bergmann stands No. 2 on the team in scoring with a 10.9 points per-game showing, good for a 14th-place tie among UAA cagers in games played through Dec. 30 ... Sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) has scored in double figures in seven games this year and her team-leading 11.8 points per game average ranks her 11th among UAA players ... Turner also ranks prominently in the league listings in rebounds where her 5.9 per-game effort places her 12th ... Sophomore Eric Kaplan's (Commack, NY) 13 points against Averett represented her fourth double-figure scoring performance of the campaign ... Sophomore Kerry Madison (Los Angeles, CA) scored a season-best eight points in the Averett game and tied her season high with seven rebounds ... Sophomore Jenny Kraus (Ann Arbor, MI) grabbed a career-high eight rebounds in the Averett game.  

WEB CASTING OF EMORY BASKETBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Basketball home games this season.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

Dec. 30

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM EDGES AVERETT

The Emory University women's basketball team closed out the 2006 portion of its schedule on a positive note with a hard-fought 65-57 home win over Averett University.  The victory upped Emory's record to 6-4 while the Cougars fell to 0-7.

Emory senior guard Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI) finished the contest with a team-high 14 points and six assists while sophomore Erica Kaplan (Commack, NY) scored 11 of her 13 points in the second half to pace the squad's offensive effort.

Both teams struggled offensively early on with each squad shooting 33.3 percent from the floor in the first half as Averett took a 27-25 lead at intermission. After tying the game on three occasions, Emory finally took its first lead of the contest when a jumper by sophomore Sarah Richards (Snellville, GA) gave Emory a 34-32 edge with 13:55 remaining.  A three-pointer by Kaplan stretched the Eagles' advantage to 43-37 with 9:22 on the clock, but Averett responded with a 7-0 spurt that allowed it to claim a 44-43 lead with 7:20 left.  Shortly thereafter, a three-pointer by Bergmann gave the Eagles the lead for good, 46-44, and a subsequent 8-0 burst, capped off by a Bergmann trey, increased Emory's lead to 54-45 with 6:20 remaining.  After seeing the Cougars cut the lead to three points with 2:26 left, a jumper by freshman guard Mary Smith and a Kaplan three-pointer sealed the outcome of the game.

Emory shot 39.3 percent from the floor (24-of-61) compared to Averett's mark of 37.3 percent (22-of-59).  The Eagles enjoyed a 42-36 bulge in rebounding and were led in that category by sophomores Jenny Kraus (Ann Arbor, MI) and Kerry Madison (Los Angeles, CA) with eight and seven boards, respectively.  After sinking just one of its 10 three-point attempts in the first half, Emory bounced back to knock down six-of-13 from long range in the final 20 minutes of action. 

"Our point guard play was better tonight and we did a better job in containing the other team's ball handlers," Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty said.  "I thought that Mary Smith and Kendall Boyd stepped up and gave us some big minutes as did Jenny Kraus when Lora Turner got in foul trouble."

Emory's next action takes place on Tuesday, Jan. 2, when it plays at Maryville College in a 4:00 p.m. start.

Dec. 29

BASKETBALL TEAM FALLS TO NO. 10-RANKED ILLINOIS WESLEYAN

The Emory University women's basketball team fell victim to a hot-shooting Illinois Wesleyan University club Friday evening as the No. 10-ranked Titans came away with a 101-64 win.  The loss dropped Emory's record to 5-4 while IWU boosted its mark to 10-0.

Emory actually outshot IWU from the floor (50.0 percent to 47.3 percent) but the Titans' vaunted outside shooting attack was in full gear as the visitors knocked down 19 three-point field goals while connecting on 45.2 percent from beyond the arc (19-of-42).  The Titans' 19 treys were the most against an Emory club since Jan. 26, 1997, when NYU converted 15.  In addition, IWU enjoyed a decisive 48-14 edge in the points off turnovers category as the Eagles ended the game with 29 turnovers compared to IWU's 13.

IWU held a 21-16 lead with 7:41 left in the first half before using a 20-8 run to build its advantage to 41-24 with just under two minutes left in the stanza.  Senior Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI) then scored five points in a 7-2 Emory spurt that narrowed the gap to 43-31 at halftime.

Emory's hopes of further chipping away in to the deficit in the second half were dashed when IWU went of a 20-0 scoring explosion from 16:24 to 12:59 that upped the Titans' lead to 73-39.  Sophomore Mallory Heydorn keyed that stretch with 11 points, nine of which came on a trio of three-pointers.  Heydorn finished with a game-high 32 points, sinking 12-of-19 from the floor including eight-of-14 from long range.  Heydorn also totaled five assists and 10 steals. Junior Sarah Bull posted 25 points while sophomore Claire Sheehan rounded out the Titans' double-figure scorers with 15 points.

Sophomore Lora Tuner (Florence, AL) paced the Emory offensive attack with a career-high tying18 points while pulling down a team-best seven rebounds.  Bergmann was the only other Emory player to finish with double digits in the scoring column with 11 points. It was Turner's fourth consecutive and seventh outing this season with 10 or more points and Bergmann's fifth double-figure outing.

Emory's next action takes place on Saturday, Dec. 30 when it hosts Averett University at 4:00 p.m.

Dec. 18

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CLOSES OUT HOMESTAND AGAINST ILLINOIS WESLEYAN AND AVERETT UNIVERSITY

Probable Emory Starters -- subject to change

GAME FACTS - The Emory University women's basketball team returns to action on Dec. 29-30 when it closes out a five-game homestand.  On the 29th, the Eagles entertain Illinois Wesleyan in 6:00 p.m. start before playing host to Averett University the following afternoon in a 4:00 p.m. contest.  Both games will be played at the Woodruff PE Center on the Emory.

THE COACHES - Emory is led by fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96).  She assumed control of the program prior to the start of the 2003-04 season.  Last year, she guided the Eagles to an overall record of 15-10, the most wins since the 1998-99 campaign.

Mia Smith (Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, '86) is in her ninth year as head coach at Illinois Wesleyan.  Heading into a Dec. 20 home contest against Manchester, Smith has compiled a school record of 129-85.   

Averett University is led by Kathy Bocock (Ferrum College, '86), who is in her 13th season. 

2006-07 RECORDS - Emory stands 5-3 heading into the Illinois Wesleyan contest.  In the Eagles' last game they posted a 54-46 triumph at home against Agnes Scott on Dec. 11.   

Illinois Wesleyan posts a classy 8-0 won-lost ledger heading into its game against Manchester.  The Titans are tied for the No. 10 position in the nation in the Dec. 19 USA Today ESPN Division III Top 25 Coaches' Poll and hold down the No. 18 spot in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll.  In its most recent action, IWU defeated Robert Morris College, 96-69, and Blackburn, 79-52, this past weekend at the Hariett Crannell Holiday Classic held in Decatur, Illinois.

Averett University will be looking for its first win of the season as it stands 0-5 heading into a Dec. 29 bout at Oglethorpe University.  The Cougars last played on Nov. 29 when they dropped a 75-65 decision at Salem College.

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

SERIES RECORDS - The games against Illinois Wesleyan and Averett University will mark the initial meetings in basketball.

EMORY NOTES  -- In games played through Dec. 16, Emory ranks fourth among UAA teams in steals (11.75 spg.) ...  The Eagles' 10 steals against Agnes Scott marked the third straight and fifth game of the campaign where they finished with double digits in that category ... Emory has outrebounded four opponents this year and stands 3-1 in those games ... In its five wins, Emory has allowed opponents just a 38.4 percent mark from the field (105-of-273) while allowing its foes a 49.7 percent effort (100-of-201) in its three setbacks ... Emory has attempted more free throws than the opposition in six games this year ... During Thomaskutty's tenure at Emory, the Eagles own a 23-8 record when holding the opposition to 60 or fewer points ... The Eagles have shot 73 percent or better from the foul line in their last four games and have converted 75.0 percent (51-of-68) in that stretch ... Heading into the Illinois Wesleyan game, sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) has a team-high three game double-figure scoring streak while senior Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI) and freshman Whitney Martin (Barrington, IL) have two consecutive games of 10 or more points ... Tuner has either led or shared for the team's lead in rebounding in four games this year, 12 in her career ... Bergmann has 49 career contests of double-figure scoring in 81 outings ... Heading into the IWU affair, Bergmann has 910 career points, good for the No. 7 spot on the school's all-time scoring list ... Bergmann needs 13 points to move past Cathey Goodgame's (1988-91) sixth-place mark of 922 ... Bergmann also holds down the No. 3 spot on Emory's career ladder with 120 three-point field goals ... The 46 points scored by Agnes Scott represented the sixth fewest points scored against a Thomaskutty-coached Emory team while its 26.4 percent showing from the field (14-of-53) was the second-lowest.

WEB CASTING OF EMORY BASKETBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Basketball home games this season.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

Emory's Top Offensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

Dec. 11

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM TOPS AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE

The Emory University women's basketball team used some gritty defensive play Monday evening in posting a hard-fought 54-46 win over Agnes Scott College in a game played at the Woodruff PE Center on the Emory campus.  The win boosted Emory's mark to 5-3 while Agnes Scott fell to 5-2.

The Scotties point total represented a season low by an Emory opponent as did their 26.4 percent (14-of-53) mark from the field.  The Eagles needed the stellar play on the defensive end of the floor as it finished the contest shooting just 32.2 percent (19-of-59) from the field including 15.4 percent from three-point range.

After building a 31-24 advantage at halftime, Emory missed 18 of its first 19 shots in the second half, scoring just three points in the opening 11:26 of the stanza.  Despite the slow going on the offensive end, the Eagles still held a three-point lead before a three-point play by sophomore Kerry Madison (Los Angeles, CA) boosted the advantage to six points.   Emory held a 44-37 lead with 3:58 remaining before a 7-2 spurt by Agnes Scott cut the gap to two points, 46-44, with 2:40 on the clock.  However, Emory held the Scotties to just two free throws the rest of the way while getting big buckets from freshmen Mary Smith (Houston, TX) and Whitney Martin (Barrington, IL), along with four straight free throws by senior Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI), to close the contest out.

Sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) led Emory with 11 points and nine rebounds.  Bergmann finished with 10 points as did Martin who also snared seven boards.  Though it was outrebounded by a 48-37 margin, Emory forced 25 Agnes Scott turnovers and turned those errors into 18 points.

"Agnes Scott's athleticism gave us some problems and they are a good club," Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty said.  "Even though we weren't hitting our shots, we still continued to play hard on the defensive end which was good to see.

"It was important for a young team such as ours to go into the break on a positive note.  It was a tough win but we got some good plays down the stretch to earn it."

Emory's next action takes place on Dec. 29 when it hosts No. 24-ranked Illinois Wesleyan at 6:00 p.m.

NOTES -- Lora Turner's 11 points represented her sixth double-figure scoring performance of this season and 16th of her career ... The 46 points by Agnes Scott was the sixth-lowest opponent total against a Christy Thomaskutty-coached Emory team ... Beth Bergmann is a perfect 16-of-16 from the foul line this season ... Career-wise, Bergmann stands as the school's all-time leader in free throw percentage with an 87.2 percent mark (246-of-282) ... Emory posted 10 steals vs. Agnes Scott, the third consecutive and sixth game this season that it had registered double digits in thefts ... The Eagles have shot 73 percent or better from the foul in each of its last four games and has converted 75.0 percent (51-of-68) from the charity stripe in that stretch.

Dec. 9

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM'S RALLY FALLS SHORT AGAINST TENNESSEE TEMPLE

Tennessee Temple junior Jana Hiadlovska hit a three-point field goal with 38 seconds remaining that snapped a 76-76 tie and helped propel the Crusaders to an 81-76 win over the Emory women's basketball Saturday afternoon.  Haidlovska's trey spoiled an Emory comeback that saw it rally from a 21-point deficit early in the second half.  The win upped Tennessee Temple's record to 7-9 while Emory slipped to 4-3.

Though Emory connected on 52.4 percent (11-of-21) of its field goal attempts in the first half, the Eagles found themselves staring at a 41-29 deficit at halftime as 15 turnovers negated its shooting performance.  The Crusaders took advantage of the Emory miscues, scoring 20 points off the Eagles' turnovers. 

The opening moments of the second half didn't go much better for Emory as Tennessee Temple ran off a 10-1 scoring run to assume a 51-30 lead with 18:16 left on the clock.  To Emory's credit, it regrouped and narrowed the gap to 62-48 with 9:37 remaining.  From there, Emory staged its comeback.  Freshman Whitney Martin (Barrington, IL) scored seven straight points to put Emory right back in the game, trailing by a 62-55 margin.  After Tennessee Temple increased its lead to nine points at 67-58 with 7:13 left, Emory responded with a 9-0 run that saw the Eagles knot the score at 67-67 when Lora Turner converted a lay-up with 4:49 on the clock.  Emory was never able to take the lead but did tie the game on two occasions over the remainder of the contest, the last time coming with 1:11 remaining when senior Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI) knocked down a three-pointer that made the score 76-76.

Martin ended the game tied for the Emory lead in scoring with 14 points, all of which came in the second half, as she consistently found openings inside.  She concluded the game hitting five-of-seven from the floor and four-of-six from the foul line.  Turner also finished with 14 points though foul trouble limited her to just 13 minutes of action.  Sophomore Jenny Kraus (Ann Arbor, MI) and Bergmann rounded out the team's double-figure scorers with 12 and 10 points, respectively. 

For the game, Emory shot 50 percent from the floor (27-of-54) compared to Tennessee Temple's effort of 55.4 percent (31-of-56).  Both teams ended the contest with 23 turnovers as Emory took better care of the ball in the second half while forcing the Crusaders to turn it over 15 times.

"The first half and the first few minutes of the second half just killed us," Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty said.  "Tennessee Temple was able to get a lot of points off our turnovers in the first half and that was a key part of the game. 

"We were able to get back into the game by being aggressive and that is when we play our best.  When we play passively, like we did the first 25 minutes, we are not a very good basketball team."

Emory returns to action on Monday, Dec. 11, when it hosts Agnes Scott College in a 7:00 p.m. start

Dec. 6

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM TAMES TIGERS OF SEWANEE

The Emory women's basketball squad got back into the win column Wednesday evening with a tight 63-60 win over the University of the South.. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak and upped the Eagles' record to 4-2. Sewanee saw its record fall to 3-3.

Throughout the majority of the first half the Eagles battled the Sewanee tandem of Stephanie Renninger and Dani Pettay who both put up 13 points in aiding the Tigers to a 30-25 lead at intermission. Emory spread out its attack in the opening 20 minutes with Katie Rizzo and Kendall Boyd leading the Eagles scorers with seven and six points, respectively.

The University of the South built an eight point lead, 45-37 with 14:08 remaining. Emory then responded with a 16-2 run over the next seven and a half minutes to take a 53-47 lead 6:40 left.  Six different Emory players scored in that stretch, highlighted by Jenny Kraus' five points. Sewanee then outscored Emory, 11-4, to take a 60-59 lead with 3:04 left. Renninger accounted for all 11 of Sewanee's points with 3 three-point field goals and a lay-up. However, Emory held Sewanee scoreless for the remainder of the game and used a lay-up Kraus with 2:41 remaining and a pair of free throws by Mary Smith with 1:25 left on the clock to seal the win.

The Eagles again had a balanced scoring attack with Kraus putting up 11 points and Lora Turner and Erica Kaplan both contributing 10. Sophomore Kerry Madison pulled down a team-high seven rebounds for Emory.

"We had to battle through some adversity this evening," Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty said. "With Beth (Bergmann) attending a funersal and Katie Anding going down with an injury, we had to step it up collectively as a team."

Emory hits the court again on Saturday at 2 pm for their next game against Tennessee Temple.

Dec. 4

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RETURNS HOME TO FACE SEWANEE AND TENNESSEE TEMPLE

Probable Emory Starters -- subject to change

 GAME FACTS - The Emory University women's basketball team returns home to start a five-game homestand that will close out the month of December.  On Wednesday (Dec. 6), the Eagles will battle the University of the South in a 6:00 p.m. start before finishing the week with a Saturday (Dec. 9) bout against Tennessee Temple in a 2:00 p.m. tip.  Both contests will be played at the Woodruff PE Center on the Emory campus.

THE COACHES - Emory is led by fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96).  She assumed control of the program prior to the start of the 2003-04 season.  Last year, she guided the Eagles to an overall record of 15-10, the most wins since the 1998-99 campaign.

Dickie McCarthy (Georgia, '77) is in his fourth year as head coach at the University of the South and has a school record of 45-37.   

Jamy Bechler (Hiram College) is in his first season at Tennessee Temple.  Prior to his current post, Bechler served as an assistant coach at Newberry College during the 2005-06 season.  He also has a four-year stint as the head coach of the women's program at LeTourneau University to his credit.

2006-07 RECORDS - Emory stands 3-2 heading into the Sewanee contest.  The Eagles have dropped their last two games and are coming off an 88-40 loss at Division I opponent Davidson College on Saturday.

The University of the South invades the Woodruff PE Center with a 3-2 record.  The Tigers snapped a two-game losing streak with a 71-65 home win over Oglethorpe on Saturday.

Heading into a Dec. 8 game at Judson College, Tennessee Temple stands 5-9. Temple ended a five-game losing skid on Saturday with a 101-15 win over Warren Wilson College.

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

SERIES RECORDS - In a series that started during the 1988-89 season, Emory holds a  24-9 lead in the all-time series against the University of the South.  In games played on Emory's home court, the Eagles show a 12-4 effort against the Tigers.  Last year, Emory ventured to Sewanee and recorded a 76-71 victory.

In a series that started during the 1992-93 campaign, each team claims one victory.  Last season Emory hosted Temple and captured a 74-64 decision.  

EMORY NOTES  -- Sophomore Jenny Kraus (Ann Arbor, MI) came off the bench in the Davidson game and led the squad in scoring with a career-high 13 points ... Kraus has two career outings of double-figure scoring, both of which have come this season ... Sophomore Lora Turner's 12-point, career-high 15 rebounds vs. Oglethorpe represented her second career double-double ... It was marked the 10th time in her career that she had either led or tied for the team lead in rebounding ... Emory saw a four-game streak of grabbing 10 or more offensive rebounds come to an end in the Davidson game as it ended that contest with eight boards on the offensive end ... Emory's four free throw attempts against Davidson represented the fewest during Coach Thomaskutty's tenure as head coach ... The previous low was five on two occasions ... Senior Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI) has 47 career contests of double-figure scoring in 79 outings ...  Checking into the Sewanee affair, Bergmann has 890 career points, good for the No. 7 position on the school's all-time list ... Bergmann holds down the No. 3 spot on Emory's career ladder with 120 three-point field goals ... The Eagles have outrebounded three of their five opponents .... During Thomaskutty's tenure at Emory, the Eagles own a 21-8 record when holding the opposition to 60 or fewer points ... Sophomore guard Erica Kaplan (Commack, NY) led the team with five rebounds in the Davidson game, the second time this year she has paced the club in that category.

WEB CASTING OF EMORY BASKETBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Basketball home games this season.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

Dec. 2

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM FALLS AT DAVIDSON

The Emory women's basketball team took to the road to play Division I foe Davidson College on Saturday and dropped an 88-40 decision to the Wildcats in a contest played at Belk Arena on the Davidson campus.  The loss left Emory's record at 3-2 while Davidson improved to 6-2.

Emory held a slim lead four minutes into the contest but the hosts regrouped to take a 20-11 lead with 6:34 left in the first half.  The Wildcats then closed out the stanza with a 20-11 scoring run to take a 40-22 margin heading into halftime.  Emory was hampered by cold field goal shooting, hitting on 34.6 percent of its opportunities (9-of-26), while Davidson sank 51.4 percent (19-of-37).  The Eagles also turned the ball over 14 times which the Wildcats converted into 14 points.

Emory could not get untracked in the second half as Davidson's defense forced 18 more turnovers.  For the game, Davidson scored 40 points off 32 Eagle turnovers.

Sophomore Jenny Kraus (Ann Arbor, MI) was the lone Emory player to score in double figures, hitting five-of-nine from the floor, including two-of-three from three-point range en route to 13 points.  Sophomore Erica Kaplan (Commack, NY) led the squad in rebounding with five boards.

Emory returns to action on Wednesday (Dec. 6) when it plays host to the University of the South starting at 6:00 p.m.

Nov. 29

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM DROPS 77-68 DECISION TO OGLETHORPE

The Emory women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the season this evening as Oglethorpe University saddled the Eagles with a 77-68 setback.  The loss dropped Emory's record to 3-1 while Oglethorpe improved to 2-3.

Cold shooting from the field and foul line doomed the Eagles chances as they finished the contest hitting just 31.3 percent (21-of-67) from the floor compared to the Petrels mark of 43.3 percent (29-of-67).  Emory enjoyed a 34-20 advantage in free throw attempts but converted just 21 of its opportunities from the charity stripe including 10-of-20 during the second half.

Facing a 37-32 deficit at halftime, the Eagles saw Oglethorpe post a 9-1 scoring run in the opening two minutes of the second half that increased the gap to 13 points.  The Petrels eventually built a 17-point cushion, 60-43, with 10:31 left in the game and held off a determined Emory rally that saw it draw to within 71-66 on the strength of a Lora Tuner layup with 1:03 left.

Senior guard Beth Bergmann and sophomore guard Eric Kaplan tied for team scoring honors with 17 points while Turner rounded out the double-figure point producers for Emory with 12 points while grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds. 

"Oglethorpe outworked us tonight," Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty said.  "You have to give credit to them.  There were moments where we had our spurts but they consistently outworked us."Emory returns to action on Saturday (Dec. 2) when it plays at Division I Davidson University.

Nov. 27

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HOSTS OGLETHORPE ON WEDNESDAY CONTEST BEFORE FACING SATURDAY ROAD TEST AT DAVIDSON

Probable Emory Starters -- subject to change

GAME FACTS - The Emory University women's basketball team continues the non-conference portion of its schedule with one home date and one road test this week.  On Wednesday (Nov. 29), the Eagles will entertain Oglethorpe at the Woodruff Center in a 6:00 p.m. start.  On Saturday (Dec. 2), Emory takes to the road to battle Division I opponent Davidson College at the Belk Center in a 2:00 p.m. tip

THE COACHES - Emory is led by fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96).  She assumed control of the program prior to the start of the 2003-04 season.  Last year, she guided the Eagles to an overall record of 15-10, the most wins since the 1998-99 campaign.

Ron Sattele is in his third year as head coach at Oglethorpe University. Last season, he guided the Petrels to a 21-7 won-lost ledger that included an NCAA Tournament berth

Annette Watts (East Tennessee State, 1981) is in her sixth season at Davidson and posts a school and career of 80-70 heading into a Nov. 29 game at High Point.  Last season, Watts directed the Wildcats to an overall record of 17-12 including a 12-6 effort in the Southern Conference, good for a second-place tie.

2006-07 RECORDS - Emory stands 3-0 heading into Oglethorpe contest.  In their last outing, the Eagles were successful in their first road game of the season, registering a 75-70 win at Piedmont College on Nov. 21.

Oglethorpe brings a 1-3 record into its game at Emory.  In its most recent performance, Oglethorpe dropped a close 84-81 decision at Maryville College on Sunday (Nov. 26).  Oglethorpe's lone win of the season came at Spelman, 85-58, on Nov. 21.  

Davidson will take a 4-2 record into its bout at High Point.  The Wildcats played at the Klosterman Buckeye Classic in Columbus, Ohio, this past weekend and split two games, losing to Montana by a 68-61 margin before topping Cornell, 67-39.

SERIES RECORDS - In a series that started during the 1991-92 season, Emory holds a  24-4 lead in the all-time series against Oglethorpe.  In games played at Emory, the Eagles show a 14-1 effort against the Petrels.  Last year, Oglethorpe hosted Emory and came away with a 76-74 win.

Saturday's contest against Davidson will mark the first meeting the two schools in basketball.

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

EMORY NOTES  -- Emory's bench has outscored opposition reserves in each of the first three games, showing a 97-42 (32.3 vs. 14.0) scoring edge ... Emory has outrebounded its first three opponents and holds a 39.7-34.3 per-game margin in that department ... Senior Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI) came off the bench in the Piedmont game and dropped in 16 points, her 46th career contest of double-figure scoring in 77 contests ...  Checking into the Oglethorpe game, Bergmann has 871 career points ... During Thomaskutty's tenure at Emory, the Eagles own a 21-8 record when holding the opposition to 60 or fewer points ... Lora Tuner's career-high 18 points in the Piedmont game represented her 12th career contest of double-figure scoring in 27 outings ... Turner's team-leading eight rebounds vs. Piedmont represented the ninth time in her career that she had either led or shared for the team's high in boards ... Sophomore Jenny Kraus made her second start of the season in the Piedmont game and responded with a career-high 12 points, hitting four-of-seven from the floor, including one three-point field goal, and three-of-four opportunities from the foul line .... Kraus has scored in all three games and holds down the No. 3 spot on the club in scoring with a 9.0 per-game average ... Emory has attempted more free throws than the opposition in all three games this season and is averaging 21.3 attempts from the charity stripe compared to the opposition's average of 14.7.

WEB CASTING OF EMORY BASKETBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Basketball home games this season.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

Nov. 21

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM TOPS PIEDMONT - RUNS RECORD TO 3-0

The Emory women's basketball team recorded a victory in its first road endeavor of the season Tuesday night with a 75-70 decision over Piedmont College.  With the win Emory upped its record to 3-0 while the Lions slumped to 1-2.

Emory displayed a balanced scoring attack with four players finishing in double figures. Leading the way was sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) with a career-high 18 points.  Turner knocked down five field goals and converted all eight of her free throw opportunities.  Turner's sharp shooting from the charity stripe trickled down to her teammates as the Eagles sank 17-of-20 from the line.  In addition, Turner also snatched a team-best seven rebounds.  Senior guard Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI) came off the bench to contribute 16 points and five assists.  Other players producing double digits in scoring included sophomores Jenny Kraus (Ann Arbor, MI) with 12 and Erica Kaplan (Commack, NY) with 10.  Emory took advantage of its superior depth and finished with contest with 36-16 advantage in bench points.

The Eagles shook off a cold-shooting first half that saw them make just 29.4 percent of their field goal opportunities in the first half and found the range over the final 20 minutes of play, draining 55.2 percent from the floor.  For the game, Emory finished with a 41.3 percent mark from the floor (26-of-63) compared to Piedmont's 53.7 percent.  The Eagles held a 35-31 edge in rebounding, including a 19-11 advantage on the offensive glass.

"Piedmont is an athletic team and they created some match-up issues for us," Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty said.  "I was pleased with the fact that we more effective in finishing our shots and that we were aggressive on the offensive boards."

Emory gets back into action on Nov. 29 when it hosts Oglethorpe at 6:00 p.m.

Nov. 20

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM TO PLAY AT PIEDMONT COLLEGE

Probable Emory Starters -- subject to change

GAME FACTS - The Emory University women's basketball team takes to the road for the first time this young season when it ventures to Piedmont College for a Tuesday (Nov. 21) night contest. The Johnny Mize Athletic Center on the Piedmont campus will serve as the site of the 17th meeting between the two schools and tip is slated for 6:00 p.m.

THE COACHES - Emory is led by fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96).  She assumed control of the program prior to the start of the 2003-04 season.  Last year, she guided the Eagles to an overall record of 15-10, the most wins since the 1998-99 campaign.

Jamie Childs is in her second year as head coach at Piedmont College and posts a school record of 21-8.  Last year, she guided the Lions to an overall record of 20-7.  In four years as a head coach, which includes a two-year stint at Middle Georgia College, Childs owns a career mark of 52-29.

2006-07 RECORDS - Emory stands 2-0 heading into the Piedmont contest.  The Eagles opened their season with a 72-62 win over Southwestern University on Friday (Nov. 17) before registering a 69-52 triumph over Meredith College on Sunday (Nov. 19).

Piedmont will make its home debut with a 1-1 record.  The Lions split a pair of games at the Amherst College Classic this past weekend, dropping a 69-63 decision to Middlebury College before notching its first win of the campaign, 67-57, against Amherst.

SERIES RECORDS - In a series that started in 1988, Piedmont posts 9-7 all-time record against Emory.  The Eagles won the two meetings played last year,  69-49 at Piedmont and 68-61 at the Woodruff Center.  

EMORY NOTES  -- Friday's win over Southwestern boosted Emory's all-time record in season openers to 12-7 and 15-4 in home-opening contests ... Freshman Mary Smith (Houston, TX) enjoyed a fine debut for the Eagles as she totaled a team-high 20 points in the win over Southwestern.  Smith's offensive output represented just the second time in school history that an Emory freshman had scored 20 or more points in a season-opening game.  The only other player to accomplish that was Mandy Jackson who notched 28 points against Millsaps on Nov. 22, 1991 ... Sophomore guard Lauren Bugg's (Pembroke, FL) 10-point effort against Southwestern marked her career high ... In addition, Bugg also established personal bests in assists (9) and steals (6) in that game ... Sophomore Sarah Richards (Snellville, GA) gave the Eagles a boost off the bench in both contests, posting career bests in both points (14) and rebounds (8) against Southwestern while sharing for the team lead in boards with seven in the Meredith College outing ... Meredith College's 35 turnovers represented the second-highest opponent total during Coach Thomaskutty's tenure at Emory.  The previous high was 31 turnovers by Carnegie Mellon (1/25/04) ... 13 of the 16 players who saw action in the Meredith College game got into the scoring column ... Sophomore Lora Turner's (Florence, AL) 10-point afternoon against Meredith was her 11th career outing of double-digit scoring ... Emory's win over Meredith increased Thomaskutty's record at Emory to 21-8 when holding the opposition to 60 or fewer points.

WEB CASTING OF EMORY BASKETBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Basketball home games this season.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SQUAD DEFEATS MEREDITH COLLEGE

The Emory women's basketball team used a solid defensive effort Sunday afternoon in recording a 69-52 victory over Meredith College.  The win raised Emory's record to 2-0 while the Angels fell to 0-2.  The game was played at the Woodruff PE Center on the Emory campus.

The Eagles forced Meredith into 16 first-half turnovers and posted a 28-21 edge on the boards in claiming a 45-25 halftime lead.  Emory held the visitors to just 31 percent from the (9-of-29) floor in the first 20 minutes of action while taking advantage of its superior depth to post a 29-2 margin in bench points. 

Emory built its advantage to 24 points in the early stages of the second half before a Meredith rally pulled it to within 13 points with 11:52 remaining.  However, the Eagles responded with an 8-0 run of their own to take control the contest again, 63-42, with 7:55 left.

Sophomore Lora Turner (Florence, AL) was the lone Emory player to score in double figures and finished with 10 points.  The Eagles spread the scoring around with 13 of the 16 players who saw action finding their way into the scoring column.  Sophomores Sarah Richards (Snellville, GA) and Erica Kaplan (Commack, NY) shared for the team in rebounding with seven boards.

"Our team is very deep this year," Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty said following the game.  "We have the luxury of playing more players, something we have not had in the last couple of years."

While Meredith ended the game outshooting the Eagles from the floor (34.0% vs. 32.9%), Emory parlayed 35 Meredith turnovers into a 30-16 advantage in the points off turnovers category.  The Eagles also showed a 42-9 bulge in bench points. 

Emory's next action takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 21, at Piedmont College with action slated to begin at 6:00 p.m.

Nov. 17, 2006

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SQUAD TOPS SOUTHWESTERN IN SEASON  OPENER

The Emory women's basketball team came up with some timely defensive play down the stretch Friday evening and parlayed that into a season-opening 72-62 win over Southwestern University is a game played at the Woodruff Center on the Emory campus. 

Leading the way for Emory was freshman Mary Smith (Houston, TX) who totaled a team-high 20 points, converting nine-of-11 from the field and two-of-three from the foul line.  After recording 11 points in the first half, Smith knocked down all four of her field goal attempts in the final 20 minutes of play.  Sophomore Sarah Richards (Snellville, GA) gave Emory a big boost off the bench with a career-best 14 points.  Richards sank six-of-11 from the floor and led all players with eight rebounds.  Despite giving up a height advantage to the Pirates, the Eagles ended the game with a 37-29 edge on the glass.

Facing a 57-51 deficit with 9:49 left in the game, Emory closed the contest with a furious 21-5 scoring outburst in securing the win.  The Eagles held Southwestern scoreless for a 5:26 span and ran off 11 straight points to assume a 62-57 edge with 4:23 left.  Keying that run Holding a 64-61 margin with 3:48 left, Emory raced away from the visitors with an 8-1 run to finish the evening.  Sophomore guard Lauren Bugg (Pembroke, FL) played a key role in the last 10 minutes of the game coming up with four of her game-high six steals.  In addition, Bugg established personal bests with 10 points and nine assists.

"This is an extremely satisfying victory," Emory Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty said after the game. "For not having a lot of depth this evening, the players found it within themselves to pull it out.  We played with a sense of urgency over the last eight minutes, especially on the defensive end of the floor."

Emory returns to action on Sunday (Nov. 19) with a home game against Meredith College starting at noon.

NOTE - Mary Smith's 20 points marked just the second time in school history that an Emory freshman had scored 20 or more points in a season-opening game.  The only other player to accomplish that was Mandy Jackson who notched 28 points against Millsaps on Nov. 22, 1991.

Nov. 15

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SQUAD GEARS UP FOR SEASON
OPENER

PROBABLE EMORY STARTERS -- subject to change ('05-06 stats)

GAME FACTS - The Emory University women's basketball team opens the 2006-07 this weekend with a pair of home games.  On Friday (Nov. 17), the Eagles tangle with Southwestern University at 6:00 p.m., before meeting Meredith College on Sunday (Nov. 19) in a noon start.  On Saturday, Meredith and Southwestern will play a game beginning at 2:00 p.m.

THE COACHES - Emory is led by fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96).  She assumed control of the program prior to the start of the 2003-04 season.  Last year, she guided the Eagles to an overall record of 15-10, the most wins since the 1998-99 campaign. Thomaskutty has a 2-1 record in both season and home-opening contests.

Pam Ruder (UW-Whitewater, ‘84) is in her second year as head coach at Southwestern University and 10th overall as a head coach.  In her first campaign with the Pirates, she guided the program to a 12-14 record.  Career-wise, Ruder stands at 215-60.  Prior to her current post, she was the head coach at UW-Oshkosh for nine seasons where she fashioned a record of 203-46 that included four trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Meredith College is led by third-year head coach David Zinn (West Virginia, '95). Heading into the weekend, Zinn claims a school record of 22-25.   Prior to taking over the reins of the Angels, Zinn served as the head coach at Salem International University (WV).   

ON THIS DAY -- On November 17, 1989, Emory recorded its first ever win in UAA play when it opened the season with a 72-68 win over NYU. The Eagles received 20 points from Gale Graham while Cathey Goodgame chipped in 19 points. Angela Warmer helped Emory to a 52-45 edge on the glass by grabbing a then school-record 17 rebounds.

2005-06 RECORDS - Emory recorded an overall record of 15-10 last season that included three wins over teams that were ranked among the Top 12 at the time the teams met.  Thomaskutty engineered wins over No. 11 Brandeis (Feb. 3) and a pair of triumphs over NYU when it was ranked No. 9 (Jan. 27) and No. 12 (Feb. 5).

Southwestern University, a member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, compiled an overall record of 12-14 last season.  The Pirates finished fifth in their league with a 7-7 mark.

Meredith is coming off 13-11 effort from last season.   

SERIES RECORDS - Emory stands 1-0 against Southwestern University.  The only previous meeting took place on Nov. 23, 1991, in the consolation game of the Millsaps Classic where Emory prevailed by a 64-62 margin. 

The meeting between Emory and Meredith College will represent the first time the schools have met in basketball.

EMORY NOTES  -- Friday will mark the beginning of the 19th season of intercollegiate play for the Emory women's basketball program ... The Eagles show an all-time record of 11-7 in season openers and post a 14-4 won-lost ledger in home openers ... In last year's season opener against Bridgewater College, Emory received 21 points and eight from the graduated Lynn Oberschmidt in recording a 68-58 win ... Senior guard Beth Bergmann (Oconomowoc, WI)  enters the upcoming campaign as the squad's leading returning scorer with a 9.8 points per game average ... Bergmann played in 22 of the team's 25 games a year ago and registered 13 games of double-figure scoring ... She either led or shared for the team's scoring lead on six occasions during the '05-06 campaign ... Sophomore forward Lora Turner (Florence, AL) returns as the team's No. 2 leading returning scorer (8.7 ppg) and No. 1 returning rebounder (5.4 rpg) ...The 5-foot-11 Turner either led or shared for the high in rebounding in eight games last season ... Emory registered a 10-1 record last year when holding the opposition to 60 or fewer points ... The Eagles were tabbed to finish in sixth place this season in the University Athletic Association Pre Season Coaches Poll ... The Eagles were 13-2 when outrebounding the opposition last season,  1-7 when outrebounded and 1-1 when the battle of the boards ended up tied ... Emory returns its top two leaders in steals this in Bergmann (46) and senior Katie Anding (Houston, TX) who registered 38 thefts.

Emory's Top Defensive Scoring Efforts Under Thomaskutty

WEB CASTING OF EMORY BASKETBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Basketball home games this season.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

Nov. 8

EMORY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SQUAD MAKING THE MOST OF PRESEASON DRILLS

A young and enthusiastic Emory University women's basketball team has been diligently preparing for what it hopes will be a successful 2006-07 campaign.  Since taking the floor for preseason practice on October 15, the Eagles have been focusing on the staples of a successful program - defense, rebounding, shot selection and taking care of the basketball.  And, according to fourth-year Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty, the team is making progress with the season opener on Nov. 17 just around the corner.

"I am encouraged by the progress of our young players and I believe that we have made some positive strides as a team," Thomaskutty said.  "Some of our younger players who didn't play that much last season are working hard as are the freshman.  I have really seen in the last four or five practices things jelling in a cohesive fashion."

Thomaskutty could lay claim to having one of the youngest squads in the nation with 13 of the 16-player roster being either freshmen or sophomores.  In addition, of the seven sophs on the roster, only two averaged 10 or more minutes per game last season.

Despite the inexperience, Thomaskutty is optimistic in what the team has shown so far in relation to focusing on some preseason objectives.

"We are working on becoming considerably more up-tempo on both ends on the floor, trying to get some offense off our defense, stressing half-court defense and improving our ball security," Thomaskutty stated.  "I have liked the team's work ethic and focus on improving.

"In some of the scrimmages that we have had so far, we have shot the ball well and have had pretty good shot selection.  If we continue to show consistency in those two areas, and not turn the ball over, then we should be able to produce more points than a year ago.  All in all, I think that there is tremendous upside for this group."

Emory will open its season on November 17 at home against Southwestern University starting at 6:00 p.m.

Q & A With Christy Thomaskutty

The 2006-07 season will represent Christy Thomaskutty's fourth year at the helm of the Emory University Women's Basketball program.  Recently, the coach sat down and answered some questions for the www.go.emory.edu web site.

Q:  Coach, you are heading into your fourth season at Emory. What are some of the important things that you have learned about being a head coach 

A: Communication amongst every entity of your program is vital.  Communication is the cornerstone of a trust, trust leads to healthy relationships, relationships are the glue of any organization.

Q:  What made you get into the coaching profession?  Was it something that you wanted to do early on or did it develop as your playing career evolved?

A: I still think that my high school coach is one of the best coaches that I have ever had the opportunity to associate with during my career as a player and as a coach. He was a wonderful role model.  I want to impact young lives the way that he impacted mine.

Q:  What are the key characteristics that you look for in a potential student-athlete? 

A: A quality student who is competitive and driven to excel on the court. They must also possess a team first mentality

Q:  What did you like most about Emory University and what made the heading coaching job  attractive for you to pursue 

A: I love the fact that a talented student-athlete can attend Emory and compete and excel in their sport without feeling like they must sacrifice one for the other

Q:  What did you feel Emory offers somebody, both athletically, academically, socially ,etc...  to somebody who wants to play for your program  

A: Emory offers the ability to achieve excellence academically and athletically.

Q:  What do you like most about your coaching?

A: There are so many aspects of coaching that I love, but I have to say that the two things that I love about coaching is the ability to watch a young lady grow and mature on and off the court and the ability to teach the technical aspects of the game.

Q: What are some of your hobbies or activities you enjoy doing away from coaching?

A: Running, reading, cooking, and gardening

Okay, we are going to shift gears somewhat.    Here are some quick hitters for you to answer

Favorite movie and why: Thomas Crown Affair. I loved the witty dialog between the two leading characters
 
Favorite food: crab cakes

Best advice you have ever been given and who gave it to you: "Control what you can control"---my dad

Most influential person: my dad

Biggest coaching influence: Jill Hutchison--head coach at Illinois State University

Pre-game rituals that you have: Go for a run

Favorite pro team: I'm not a big professional sports fan...I love to watch college athletics

Favorite place on the Emory campus: The top floor of Emory library. It gives a wonderful view of campus and of Atlanta.

Your most memorable moment as a player: Playing in front of 15,000 fans at Texas Tech in the first round of Tulane's first ever NCAA appearance

Your most memorable moment as a coach: Defeating UW-Oshkosh last season on a last second shot

Your strongest attribute: My determination

If you could have dinner with three people in history, they would be: John F. Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, Henry Ford

The people who have helped you most at Emory: Everyone. One of the things that drew me to Emory is that our campus is made up of individuals who want everyone to be successful. The support from Residence Life and Housing, Admissions, and Emory College has been amazing. Our university supports its students as is evident by the vast array of resources provided to enhance their collegiate experience.