GAME FACTS – After breaking for final exams and the holidays, the Emory women's basketball team returns to action when it closes out the 2018 portion of the schedule on Saturday (Dec. 29) with a road date at Rhodes College starting at 3:00 pm (EST). Following the battle against the Lynx, the Eagles wrap up the non-conference portion of the schedule when they venture to Maryville College for a Jan. 1 showdown starting at 3:00 pm.
THE COACHES – Head Coach Misha Jackson (Emory, '13) is in her second season at the helm of the Eagles' program. Named Interim Head Coach in October of 2017, she guided the Eagles to a 13-12 slate last season, which included a 7-7 mark in University Athletic Association play, the highest win total in league play since 2013. She then had the Interim tag removed in March of this year.
Jackson joined the Eagles' staff as an assistant prior to the start of 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 career ranked among the program's top-10 all-time performers in 11 categories.
Jackson is assisted by Sammi Goldsmith and Chuck Melito.
Lauren Sumski (Rhodes, '14) is in her second season as the head coach of the Rhodes College program and will bring a school and career record of 24-12 into Saturday's contest. Sumski directed the Lynx to an 18-9 mark last year.
In his ninth campaign as the head coach at Maryville College is Darrin Travillian (Kentucky, '96). Heading into a Dec. 30 home contest against Albion College, Travillian had recorded a school and career ledger of 184-53 that included seven 20-plus wins seasons.
2018-19 RECORDS – Emory has won its last five games, boosting its record to 7-2. In their last outing, the Eagles rolled to an 86-47 triumph over Agnes Scott on Dec. 11.
Emory is 3-1 at home and 4-1 in road/neutral contests.
Rhodes will entertain Emory looking to snap a three-game losing streak that has dropped its record to 6-3. The Lynx last played on Dec. 16 when they came out on the short end of a 73-66 outcome to Augustana College. Rhodes has won four of six home contests and stands 2-1 in road/neutral contests.
After dropping its first four games, Maryville has regrouped to capture wins in four of its last five encounters and will take on Albion with a mark of 4-6. The Scots last competed on Dec. 18 when they topped Averett, 71-57.
SERIES RECORDS – In a series that saw the first game played on Jan. 10, 1989, Emory holds a 7-6 all-time mark vs. Rhodes. The Lynx snapped a seven-game losing streak to Emory last year when they posted a 76-64 win at the Woodruff PE Center. The Eagles have captured three of the five meetings played on Rhodes' home floor.
Maryville enjoys an 11-7 edge in the all-time series with Emory. The Scots have captured the last two battles including a 56-55 verdict last year on the Eagles' home court.
EMORY TRIO TO SERVE AS CAPTAINS – Serving as captains of the 2018-19 Emory women's basketball team are senior Ashley Oldshue (Glenview, IL), and juniors Lindsey Tse (Calabasas, CA) and Erin Lindahl (Yardley, PA).
EMORY DEFENSE STINGY – Heading into the Rhodes game, Emory has held seven opponents to 62 or fewer and four to 50 or fewer points. The Eagles are tied for the No. 2 spot among UAA teams and 71st nationally in scoring defense at 54.1 points per game. In addition to that statistic, Emory is second in the conference in field goal percentage defense (.338).
EAGLES SHARP AT THE STRIPE – Emory has been consistent from the foul line this season, converting 70 percent or better of its free throw opportunities in six contests. The Eagles enter the Rhodes contest connecting at a 76 percent (114-of-150) clip, good for the No. 2 spot in the UAA.
Allison Chernow stands as the team's top marksman from the foul line, connecting on 89.2 percent (33-of-37) of her attempts, good for fifth place on the UAA ladder.
THREE-POINT SHOOTING PICKING UP – After shooting just 28.5 percent (26-of-91) from three-point range in its first five contests, Emory picked up the pace over the next four games, hitting at a 41.3 percent (24-of-58) rate. The Eagles shot over 40 percent in each of their final three games before break including a 43.8 percent effort (7-of-16) vs. Agnes, their second-highest mark of the campaign.
Emory tops the UAA with a 33.6 percent showing (50-of-149) from beyond the arc.
OLDSHUE REACHES 1,000 CAREER-POINT PLATEAU – Ashley Oldshue became the 10th player in program history to reach 1,000 points in a career when she finished the Agnes Scott contest with a game-high 14 points.
Needing nine points to reach 1,000, Oldshue joined that exclusive club when she converted a bucket with 7:15 in the second quarter. She closed out the night seven-of-11 from the floor en route to posting her eighth double-figure scoring performance of the season.
RIPLEY GIVES A BENCH BOOST – Sophomore Blair Ripley has been a productive member of the Eagles' bench corps, averaging 17.1 minutes, 7.3 points and 4.4 rebounds over the team's first nine games. Ripley is shooting 51.0 percent (25-of-49) from the field and has knocked down four-of-seven from beyond the arc. She is third on the team with six blocked shots and has grabbed six or more boards on four occasions, leading or sharing for team honors in that department twice.
OLDSHUE CONTINUES CONSISTENCY – Ashley Oldshue has enjoyed a solid non-conference season, scoring in double figures in her last five and in a total of eight contests. Oldshue tops the club in scoring with a 15.3 points-per-game average, good for the No. 4 spot on the UAA ladder, and her team-high 56.2 percent showing from the field (50-of-89) slots her in the No. 3 position on the conference chart.
In addition to her scoring and field goal percentage rankings in the league, Oldshue also finds herself among the UAA's top 10 in rebounding (t-6th, 7.4 rpg), free throw percentage (7th, .776), blocked shots (1st, 2.4 bpg) and offensive rebounds (3.2 orpg).
Career-wise, Oldshue has produced 53 double-figure scoring contests and has 13 performances of 20 or more points to her credit. She 514 rebounds and stands 14th on the school's all-time ladder in that category.
NOTES – Emory is tied with Washington University among UAA schools in assists (17.3 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (1.2) … The Eagles have outrebounded six opponents while being outboarded twice (one game ended in a tie) … Emory is fourth in the conference in rebound margin (+6.7) … Sophomore Erin Lindahl paced the team's scoring effort with a season-high 18 points in the 69-31 win over Birmingham Southern (Dec. 8) … Lindsey Tse has dished out 26 assists with just two turnovers over her last three outings and sits atop the UAA chart with a 6.6 assists-per-game average, good for 10th place among all D-III players (through Dec. 23) … Tse leads the D-III ranks with a stunning 7.4 assist/turnover ratio … Tse has moved into 4th place on Emory's career chart with 322 assists … Emory has outshot eight opponents from the floor … Junior Allison Chernow, a double-figure scorer in four games stands second on the club and seventh on the UAA list in scoring average (13.6 ppg) … Azzairia Jackson-Sherrod has produced four double-figure scoring contests thus far, raising her career total to 28 … Emory reserves have scored 20 or more points on six occasions.