GAME FACTS – The Emory women's basketball team will close out its season on Saturday (Feb. 25) when it hosts the University of Rochester in a scheduled 2:00 pm tip. Prior to the game against the Yellowjackets, Senior Day festivities will be held, recognizing the contributions of four-year veterans Michelle Bevan, Shellie Kaniut, and Fran Sweeney.
THE COACHES – Emory head coach Christy Thomaskutty (Tulane, '96) is in her 14th season in charge of the Eagles. She assumed her current duties prior to the start of the 2003-04 campaign and enters the weekend with a school and career mark of 186-166. Thomaskutty is assisted by Misha Jackson, Kim Coleman and Savannah Morgan.
Jim Scheible (Clarkson, '88) is in his 18th campaign at the helm of the Rochester program and will enter Saturday's fray with a school record of 343-148. He has directed the Yellowjackets to 10 seasons of 20 or more wins and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. In 26 years as a head coach, Scheible posts a career ledger of 484-219.
2016-17 RECORDS – Emory posts an overall record of 14-10, 5-8 in the UAA. The Eagles split a pair of home contests last weekend, defeating Case Western Reserve by 79-67 margin before falling short to Carnegie Mellon, 82-60.
Junior Ashley Oldshue topped the team in scoring in both affairs, closing out the weekend with a team-high 18.0 points-per-game average that saw her connect on 48.3 percent (14 of 29) from the floor and 80 percent (8 of 10) from the charity stripe. Oldshue tallied 21 points in the win over Case Western, sinking eight-of-15 field goals along with all five free throws she attempts, before producing 15 points against Carnegie Mellon. Oldshue also ranked as the team's top rebounder (7.5 rpg). Senior Shellie Kaniut averaged 14.5 points, notching 16 points against CWRU and 13 against Carnegie Mellon.
So far this year, the Eagles are 7-2 at home while finishing with a 6-8 ledger in road/neutral settings.
Rochester will meet Emory with an overall mark of 17-7 and stands 8-5 in conference action. The Yellowjackets played their final two home games of the regular season last weekend, defeating both Carnegie Mellon (86-79) and Case Western (79-70). UR has complied an 8-4 record in road/neutral games.
SERIES RECORDS – Rochester leads the all-time series, which began in January of 1989, by a 33-23 margin. The Yellowjackets won the first meeting of this year, 84-75, in the UAA opener for both squads. Ashley Oldshue highlighted the Emory effort by recording team highs of 23 points and nine rebounds while senior Michelle Bevan added 11 points and six boards. Emory has won 15 of the 29 battles against Rochester that have been played at the Woodruff PE Center.
EMORY TRIO SERVE AS CAPTAINS – Serving as captains of the 2016-17 Emory women's basketball team are seniors Michelle Bevan (Houston, TX), and Shellie Kaniut (Vienna, VA) and Fran Sweeney (Germantown, PA).
OLDSHUE CONTINUES STEADY PLAY – Ashley Oldshue ran her double-figure scoring streak to 21 games this past weekend, registering 21 points against Case Western before totaling 15 against the Tartans of CMU. She was successful on 48.3 percent (14 of 29) from the floor and eight-of-10 free throws over the two games. In addition, she topped the squad in rebounds in both outings, pulling down eight boards vs. Case and seven against CMU.
The team's top scorer in nine games this year, she has produced a total of 23 outings with 10 or more points, which has helped result in her pacing the club and ranking fifth among UAA performers in overall scoring average with a 16.5 per-game average, good for sixth place on the Eagles' seasonal ladder. She has sank a team-leading 55.4 percent (143 of 258) from the floor with that mark third in the UAA and 29th among all D-III players (through Feb. 19). She has hit 50 percent or higher of her field goal tries in 17 games. One of the UAA's top free throw shooters, her 80.6 percent (108 of 134) effort from the stripe is tops on the team and fifth in the UAA. In conference action, she heads into the final game of the year fourth on the league's scoring ladder (16.9 ppg), and is third in field goal percentage (.567, 80 of 141).
She has 395 points this year and holds down eighth place on the school's seasonal chart, just eight points from moving past Mandy Jackson (402 pts., '93-94) and into the No. 7 spot.
She has been consistent on the boards, pulling down 7.2 caroms per contest, good for sixth on the league list. She has finished with seven or more rebounds in 15 games, and her per-game average of 3.6 offensive rebounds is second in the UAA. Her six O-boards in last Friday's Case Western affair represented her eighth game this season with five or more offensive caroms.
KANIUT CLOSING WITH A FLOURISH – Shellie Kaniut will head into the final game of her Emory career with double-figure scoring in her last four outings, averaging 19.7 points per contest over that stretch. Kaniut ranked as the team's No. 2 scorer in both the Case Western and Carnegie games last weekend, picking up 16 points in the former before chipping in 13 against CMU.
The owner of 17 double-figure scoring performance of the season, including five with 20 or more points, Kaniut is second on the Eagles' score sheet and eighth among UAA players in overall scoring average (14.3 ppg). She has converted 44.6 percent from the floor (139 of 312), placing her 9th on the conference chart. In league play, she is 10th in the conference in scoring (15.0 ppg).
Her output from last weekend upped her career total to 926 points, good for 10th place on the program's all-time list.
SWEENEY A LONG-RANGE THREAT – Fran Sweeney scored a total of 20 points last weekend, 18 coming on the strength of six three-point field goals. Sweeney knocked down three-of-four triples against Case Western and followed that with a three-of-eight performance against Carnegie Mellon.
Heading into the season closer vs. Rochester, Sweeney has triples to her credit in 13 straight contests, tying the program's 10th-longest effort. She has chalked up 16 performances with two or more three pointers this year, 48 in her career.
Sweeney holds down the No. 2 position on the UAA list in three-point shooting with a 40.9 percent (52 of 127) mark, good for 17th place in the D-III ranks (through Feb. 19). Her 52 treys ties for 5th on the Emory's seasonal chart.
Her 2.2 treys per contest is good for the No. 3 spot on the UAA ladder. Career-wise, her 149 three-point field goals ranks fourth all-time in program history, just one shy of tying Beth Bergmann (2003-07) for third.
DID YOU KNOW?? – That Ashley Oldshue's eight makes from the charity stripe last weekend added to her school season record, and she will enter the Rochester game with 108 free throws -- Oldshue topped the previous standard of 98 that was set by Beth Bergmann during the 2004-05 season … Michelle Bevan ranks 12th on Emory's all-time ladder with a 72.5 percent effort in free throw shooting (108 of 149) …. Ashley Oldshue's current career mark of 52.5 percent (176 of 335) from the floor is the program's No. 3 all-time mark … The senior trio of Kaniut, Bevan and Sweeney have combined for 2,122 points, 850 rebounds and 228 steals.
NUMBERS TO NOTE – Freshman Lindsey Tse continues to lead the UAA in overall assists average (4.3 apg) and is tied for fourth in conference action (3.3 apg) … Tse's 102 assists rank 14th on the school's seasonal chart … Tse has eight games with five or more assists, and her 2.4 assist/turnover ratio is first in the conference and 14th nationally (through Feb. 19) … Michelle Bevan has 12 outings this year with six or more caroms … Bevan is second on the team and 15th on the league ladder in overall rebound average (5.9 rpg) … In league action, Bevan is at 6.5 boards per game, placing her 10th on the conference chart … Freshman Allison Chernow has produced six double-digit scoring games this year … Freshman Erin Lindahl claims 10 contests with six or more boards and ranks 20th among UAA players in overall rebound average (4.7 rpg) … Fran Sweeney has 23 career double-figure scoring contests … Emory is No. 3 in the UAA and 72nd in the D-III ranks in rebound margin (+6.0) … The Eagles have finished 11 games with a double-digit advantage on the glass, three of which have come during UAA play … The Eagles rank third in the UAA in overall field goal percentage (.434, 678 of 1561) … Shellie Kaniut has 46 career contests of double-figure scoring to her credit … Kaniut has totaled 92 career treys and is 10th all-time at the school … In addition, Kaniut has been a force at the defensive end of the floor with her 44 steals leading the team, while her 1.9 per-game average in that department is sixth in the UAA … Kaniut has two or more thefts to her credit in 12 games this season … Career-wise, Kaniut is No. 8 all-time at Emory with 163 steals … Michelle Bevan has four double-doubles during her career (three in '16-17) and 26 double-figure scoring performances … Emory has held four opponents to less than 30 percent field goal shooting … After grabbing what was then a season-high 16 offensive boards against Wash U on Feb. 1, the Eagles snatched 17 caroms at that end of the floor against Case Western last Friday … Emory has recorded 22 games with 10 or more offensive boards this season and is fourth in the conference in O-boards with a 14.1 per-game average … Emory has doled out 20 or more assists in six games this season … The Eagles are No. 2 in the UAA and 19th in the D-III ranks in assists (17.3 apg) … The Eagles have totaled 415 assists this year, the sixth-highest mark in program history … Emory has enjoyed an edge in field goal shooting in 14 games and stands 13-1 in those affairs … The Eagles are averaging 71.8 points and surrendering 62.3 points in their 10 home games … In its 14 road/neutral contests, Emory averaged 74.5 points and allowed 64.7 points … Emory is connecting at 33.7 percent (122 of 362) from three-point range in overall play, good for third in the league and 47thamong all D-III programs (through Feb. 19) … Emory is averaging 78.5 points and shooting 45.5 percent (429 of 943) from the floor in its 14 victories vs. 66.2 points and 40.3 percent from the field in its 10 setbacks … Emory has outscored the opposition in 52 quarters while being outpointed in 37 – seven quarters have been tied … The Eagles have attempted more free throws than their opposition in 15 games … The Eagles have won their last 22 and are 46-4 during Thomaskutty's tenure as head coach when scoring 80 or more points (4-0 in '16-17; 2-0 in '15-16; 1-0 in '14-15; 5-0 in 2013-14; and 7-0 in 2012-13) ... Emory has won 40 of its last 53 and 56 of its last 72 home games … Emory has finished with an advantage in second-chance points in 15 games.