GAME FACTS – After breaking for final exams and the holidays, the Emory women's basketball team returns to action Dec. 29-30 when it closes out the calendar year with home contests against South Region opposition. The Eagles will battle Maryville College on the 29th before clashing with Berry College on the 30th. Both games are scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm.
Next week's games start a stretch that will see the Eagles play five of their next six contests at the Woodruff PE Center.
THE COACHES – Interim Head Coach Misha Jackson (Emory, '13) was appointed to her current post in October of this year, following the resignation of Christy Thomaskutty. Jackson had served as an assistant on the Eagles' staff since the 2013-14 season. She played three seasons in an Eagle uniform (2010-11 through 2012-13), seeing action in a total of 78 games, 69 in a starting capacity. She closed out her career ranked among the program's top-10 all-time performers in 11 categories.
Jackson is assisted by Lauren Rothfeld and Chuck Melito.
Darrin Travillian (Kentucky, '96) is in his eighth season at the helm of the Maryville program. Heading into the Emory game, he has posted a school and career record of 167-43, which includes seven campaigns of 20 or more wins and five trips to the NCAA D-III Tournament.
In his first year as head coach at Berry College is Thomas Johnson. Appointed to his current post in March of 2017, Johnson had spent the previous four seasons as an assistant coach for the Berry men's program.
2017-18 RECORDS – Emory sports an overall record of 5-3. The Eagles last played on Dec. 5 when they came away with a 53-40 victory at Agnes Scott College. Junior Azzairia Jackson-Sherrod and sophomore Erin Lindahl paced the Eagles' scoring attack in that game with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Emory is 2-2 at the Woodruff PE Center and 3-1 in road contests.
Maryville comes to town with a ledger of 4-6. The Scots have won their last three endeavors, all of which have been at home, and are coming off an 88-79 triumph over Averett on Dec. 17. MC holds a 3-0 record in home games and is 1-6 in road/neutral outings.
Berry will bring a 4-4 won-lost mark into the D3 St. Pete Classic in Florida (Dec. 20-21) where it will play Elmira and Alverno before matching up with Emory. In their most recent action, the Vikings won at LaGrange College, 63-60, on Dec. 16.
SERIES RECORDS – In a series that began in February of 1995, Maryville holds an all-time record of 10-7 against Emory. The Scots won last season on their home floor by an 85-68 margin. Emory has won the last three games and stands 6-3 against MC in contests that have been played at the Woodruff PE Center.
Emory has won all three meetings against Berry College. Last year, the Eagles manufactured a 67-48 triumph on the Vikings' home court,
EMORY TRIO TO SERVE AS CAPTAINS – Serving as captains of the 2017-18 Emory women's basketball team are junior Ashley Oldshue (Glenview, IL), and sophomores Allison Chernow (Dresher, PA) and Erin Lindahl (Yardley, PA).
OLDSHUE AIMS FOR RETURN TO LINEUP – After missing the Birmingham Southern and Agnes Scott games, Ashley Oldshue hopes to return to the Emory lineup for next week's action.
Oldshue's presence would certainly boost the Eagles with her team-leading 19.3 points per game average second among University Athletic Association players. A double-figure scorer in all six of her appearances, she has produced three performances of 20 or more points while ranking as the team's leading scorer on four occasions. In addition, her 61.3 percent effort (49-80) from the floor paces the team and stands second on the UAA ladder.
Oldshue has been a force on the boards as well, pulling down a club-best 9.7 boards per game, good for third place in the league. The Eagles' top performer in rebounding in four contests, she has three outings of double figures in that category. Included in her rebounding stats, is a 3.0 per-game average on the offensive end of the floor, good for third place among UAA players.
Career-wise, she has registered 32 double-figure scoring performances and holds down the No. 1 spot on the program's all-time ladder in field goal percentage (.542, 232-of-428).
JACKSON-SHERROD OFF TO STRONG START – Azzairia Jackson-Sherrod has stepped up her game this season and finds herself No. 3 on the team and 14th on the UAA chart with a 12.0 points-per-game average. Jackson-Sherrod has totaled double-figure scoring on six occasions including a career-high tying 18 points at Birmingham Southern (Dec. 2).
Jackson-Sherrod has been one of the team's most efficient shooters, nailing 47.4 percent (45-95) of her field goal attempts, good for second place on the team and 10th in the conference. She has been successful on 50 percent or better from the floor in six contests and shot a combined 58.3 percent (14-24) in the BSC and Agnes Scott encounters.
TSE DIRECTING EMORY OFFENSIVE ATTACK – Sophomore Lindsey Tse has directed the Emory offensive attack from her point-guard position with a fair amount of precision, doling out 5.6 assists per game with that mark leading the University Athletic Association and placing 15th among all D-III players (through Dec. 17).
Tse has dished out seven or more assists in four contests and tied her career best with an 11-assists effort vs. Belhaven (Nov. 18) at the Emory Tip Off Tournament. In addition, her 2.3 assist/turnover ratio ranks second in the UAA and 31st nationally.
NUMBERS TO NOTE – Emory reserves have outscored the opposition subs in six games … Emory has won its last 22 games when scoring 80 or more points … Emory has won 43 of its last 58 and 59 of its last 77 home games … Sophomore Erin Lindahl has turned in six performances of double-digit scoring and ranks second on the club and 12th in the UAA in scoring average (12.4 ppg) … Lindahl has been excellent from the charity stripe, converting 93.1 percent (29-31) of her foul shots with that mark tops in the UAA and seventh nationally (through Dec. 17) … Freshman Blair Ripley has grabbed five or more rebounds in each of her last five games and her season average of 4.8 boards per game is fourth on the team and 22nd in the UAA … Ripley has 17 offensive caroms and her 2.1 per-game mark on that end of the floor stands 10th among UAA players … The third quarter has been kind to the Eagles as they own a 16.6-13.5 scoring advantage in that frame … The Eagles have outscored the opposition in 17 quarters while being outpointed in 14 (one quarter has been tied) … Both Emory and the opposition have scored 20 or more points in a quarter on seven occasions … Emory shows a 39.0-37.6 per-game edge in that category through four games … The Eagles have 12 or more offensive rebounds in seven contests … Oldshue has a 28-game streak of double-figure scoring.