2017-18 Emory Women's Basketball Season Recap

2017-18 Emory Women's Basketball Season Recap

Under the direction of coach Misha Jackson, the 2017-18 edition of the Emory women’s basketball team compiled an overall record of 13-12, the program’s sixth winning campaign over the past season seasons.

Jackson, who had been on the Emory staff as an assistant since 2013, assumed the Interim Head Coach title in early October following the resignation of Christy Thomaskutty, who had overseen the program for 13 seasons. Shortly after the conclusion of this past year, the interim tag was removed. 

Picked to finish seventh in the University Athletic Association Coaches Pre-Season Poll, the Eagles posted a fifth-place effort in the league standings with a 7-7 ledger, with the victory total the program's highest since 2013 and tying the school's third-highest mark over the past 18 years. Emory won a total of seven true road games over the course of the campaign, the best showing in that category since 2012-13 when that squad went 8-2 on enemy courts. Emory battled to four road wins in UAA action, the best showing in that department since 2012-13 (6-1), and surpassing the combined victory total the three previous campaigns.

The Eagles ranked second among conference squads in assists average (14.5 apg) in league play and stood third in scoring defense (63.8 ppg), rebound margin (+3.9) and field goal percentage.  Emory enjoyed an edge in rebounding in 14 contests, six of which saw the team finish with a double-digit edge.  In addition, the Eagles held 14 foes to less than 40 percent field goal shooting, with three of those shooting less than 30 percent.

Emory played nine games against six teams that advanced to the NCAA D-III Tournament, non-conference opponents Texas-Dallas, Piedmont College and Oglethorpe, and UAA members, Rochester, Chicago and Washington University.

Under Jackson's tutelage, three Eagles landed conference acclaim, highlighted by Ashley Oldshue's first-team nod.  Azzairia Jackson-Sherrod garnered second-team recognition while Erin Lindahl rounded out the group with an honorable-mention spot.

After dropping its season opener, the Eagles rattled off four straight wins, topping UTD and Belhaven at the Emory Tip Off Classic, before claiming decisions in their first two road tests, a 12-point verdict over Covenant College, followed by an 84-80 overtime outcome over Sewanee.  After a pair of setbacks, Emory played its final game before finals and the holidays, notching a 53-40 triumph at Agnes Scott. After returning from the break, the Eagles hosted their final two games of 2017, dropping a tough one-point battle to Maryville before rolling to a 78-65 victory over Berry.

Rochester was the opening UAA opponent and the Eagles gave the No. 10 Yellowjackets all they could handle before succumbing in overtime.  Emory shook off the disappointment of the Rochester result and proceeded to play its way to four straight wins, starting with a home sweep of Carnegie Mellon and Case Western Reserve, followed by two road wins at New York University and Brandeis, the first time since 2013 that the Eagles had won both East coast outings. The Eagles then hit a rough patch dropping a pair of games to both Chicago (eventual UAA champ) and Washington University. Sitting at 4-5 in conference play, the Eagles won three of their final five contests, beginning with road triumphs over Carnegie Mellon and Case Western.  Emory’s other win in that stretch came on its final home date of the season, 57-50 vs. Brandeis.

The 6-foot-2 Oldshue closed out her junior season by capturing First Team All-UAA recognition while earning a spot on the D3hoops.com All-South Region Third Team.  A double-figure scorer in 19 of her 23 appearances, Oldshue tossed in a team-high 15.9 points per game, good for fifth place in the conference. She ranked the Eagles' top scorer in 14 games and tallied 20 or more points on six occasions, including a career-high 28 in a 68-62 win over Carnegie Mellon (Jan. 12).  She paced all UAA performers with a 54.3 percent (140 258) mark from the floor, placing her 23rd in the Division III.  The squad's top rebounder in 14 outings, her per-game average of 8.4 ranked third in the league. She turned in eight contests with 10 or more boards, which included a career best of 17 against Carnegie Mellon, tying the school's 10th-highest individual game total. She finished with seven double-doubles (pts./rebs.), one of which was a 16-point, 16-rebound effort at New York University. Career-wise, she is 15th all-time at Emory in points (857), ninth in scoring average (12.2 ppg), third in field goal percentage (.533), fifth in free throws (217) and 15th in rebounds (447).

Jackson-Sherrod, a 5-foot-9 junior, was one of two Eagles to have drawn starting assignments in all 25 games and produced 18 double-figure scoring contests, scoring at a 12.2 points-per-game clip which tied for second on the team and  14th on the UAA score sheet. One of the team's more efficient shooters, she was successful on 48.7 percent (145 of 298) of her field goal opportunities, with that mark fifth in the league. She shot 50 percent or better from the floor in 16 games and ended up leading the team in scoring on six occasions, one of which was a career-high 22-point afternoon in a 53-39 decision at Brandeis. No. 2 on the team in minutes (30.1 mpg), she closed out the season No. 2 on the club and tied for 11th in the conference in rebounding (6.0 rpg).

Lindahl, wrapped up her second season starting 20 of the squad's 25 contests. She closed the year with a flourish, scoring in double figures the last nine games, the longest streak by an Emory player during the campaign. She ended the season tied for second on the team and 14th in the conference in scoring average with a 12.2 points-per-game average. Tied with Ashley Oldshue for the team lead with 19 double-figure scoring performances, she paced the Eagles in scoring in six games. She was the team leader with 31 three-point field goals and tied for the team lead with 39 steals.

Sophomore Lindsey Tse directed the Emory attack from her point-guard post, leading the UAA and ranking sixth nationally with a 6.2 assists-per-game average, with that mark establishing a program record. A starter in all 25 games, she held down the No. 2 spot among UAA performers and stood eighth nationally with a 2.4 assist/turnover ratio. She averaged a team-high 33.4 minutes per outing, third most in the UAA, and chalked up a pair of 11-assists performances. After two seasons in the program, she stands first on Emory’s career ladder in assists average (5.3 apg) and is sixth with 263 assists.



Honors and Awards

All-University Athletic Association

Ashley Oldshue

First Team

Glenview, IL

Azzairia Jackson-Sherrod

Second Team

New Hope, MN

Erin Lindahl

Honorable Mention 

Yardley, PA

 
D3Hoops.com All-South Region Team
Ashley Oldshue Third Team Glenview, IL