GAME FACTS – The Emory women's basketball team opens the program's 31st season of University Athletic Association competition on Saturday (Jan. 5) when it plays at the University of Rochester. The Louis Alexander Palestra on the Rochester campus will serve as the venue for the 60th meeting between the schools and tip is slated for noon.
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.
She enters play this weekend with a school and career mark of 22-14.
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.
Jim Scheible (Clarkson, '88) is in his 20th year as the head coach of the Rochester program and posts a school ledger of 374-160. He has guided the Yellowjackets to 12 trips to the NCAA D-III Tournament, which includes advancing the Final Four on three occasions. In 28 campaigns as a head coach, Scheible owns a career record of 515-231.
2018-19 RECORDS – Emory has won its last seven games, boosting its record to 9-2. The Eagles enjoyed a successful return to action following final exams and the holidays with a pair of road wins last week – topping Rhodes, 60-49, on Dec. 29 before coming away with a 68-52 New Year's Day verdict over Maryville.
Emory is 3-1 at home and 6-1 in road/neutral contests.
After dropping its first four games, Rochester has bounced back to capture six of its last seven outings. The Yellowjackets were victorious in both of their contests in last weekend's Otterbein Smokey Ballenger Classic, defeating Oberlin, 63-61, in overtime and Westminster, 70-55.
SERIES RECORDS – In a series that saw the first game played on Jan. 21, 1989, Rochester holds an all-time record of 35-24 vs. Emory. UR won both affairs last season, a 72-68 overtime verdict in Atlanta and a 66-52 decision at the Palestra. The Yellowjackets own a 20-8 mark and have won the last five games against the Eagles on their home floor.
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 55 or fewer and five to 50 or fewer points. The Eagles hold down the No. 1 spot in the UAA and rank 57th in the D-III ranks (through Jan. 2) in scoring defense at 53.9 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 eight contests. The Eagles enter the Rochester contest connecting at a 75.8 percent (138-of-182) clip, good for the No. 2 spot in the UAA. In the win at Rhodes, Emory converted a season-high 92.9 percent (13-of-14) from the stripe.
Allison Chernow stands as the team's top marksman from the foul line, connecting on 87.8 percent (36-of-41) of her attempts, good for third place on the UAA ladder. Ashley Oldshue is just a couple of spots behind Chernow at 79.3 percent (46-of-58).
THREE-POINT SHOOTING PICKING UP – After shooting just 28.5 percent (26-of-91) from three-point range in its first five contests, Emory has improved over the next six games, hitting at a 36.9 percent (34-of-92) clip. The Eagles slipped to a 21.4 percent mark (3-of-14) vs. Rhodes but bumped that up to 35 percent (7-of-20) against Maryville.
Emory is second among UAA squads with a 32.8 percent showing (60-of-183) 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.
Career-wise, she stands 10th on the school's all-time scoring derby with 1,049 points, 21 shy of tying Lynn Oberschmidt (2002-06) for the No. 9 spot.
RIPLEY GIVES BOOST OFF THE BENCH– Sophomore Blair Ripley has been a productive member of the Eagles' bench corps, averaging 17.1 minutes, 7.0 points and 5.0 rebounds over the team's first 11 games. Ripley is shooting 46.7 percent (28-of-60) from the field and has knocked down five-of-10 from beyond the arc. She is tied for second on the team with 10 blocked shots and has grabbed six or more boards on five occasions, leading or sharing for team honors in that department three times.
In her most recent performance, Ripley logged a 14-minute stint topped all reserves with nine points while chalking up game honors with a career-high 14 rebounds, the high-water mark by an Emory player this year and her first career double-figure total in that category.
OLDSHUE CONTINUES CONSISTENCY – Ashley Oldshue will head into the Rochester game having scored in double figures in her last seven and in a total of 10 contests. Oldshue tops the club in scoring with a 16.5 points-per-game average, good for the No. 3 spot on the UAA ladder, and her team-high 59.6 percent showing from the field (68-of-114) paces the league and ranks 14th in D-III (through Jan. 2). Oldshue has converted 50 percent or better from the floor in eight contests and is shooting 74.2 percent (25-of-36) over her last three games.
In addition to her scoring and field goal percentage rankings, Oldshue also finds herself among the UAA's top 10 in rebounding (t-6th, 7.4 rpg), free throw percentage (5th, .793), blocked shots (1st, 2.6 bpg) and offensive rebounds (5th, 2.8 orpg).
Career-wise, Oldshue has produced 55 double-figure scoring contests and has 14 performances of 20 or more points to her credit, most recently a career-high tying 28 in the win over Rhodes (Dec. 29). She 528 rebounds and stands 14th on the school's all-time ladder in that category. In the win over Maryville, she moved past her coach, Misha Jackson, and into the No. 2 position on the Eagles' career chart with 97 blocked shots (Alicia Moore is first with 104).
NOTES – Sophomore Molly Weiss recorded her third career double-figure scoring contest when she tallied a career-high tying 13 points vs. Maryville … Senior Azzairia Jackson-Sherrod came through with back-to-back double-digit outings against Rhodes and Maryville with 11 and 13 points, respectively, upping her total to six games this season (30 in her career) with 10 or more points … Jackson-Sherrod is 13th among UAA in field goal percentage (.447, 46-of-103) … Lindsey Tse has dished out 33 assists with just four turnovers over her last four outings and sits atop the UAA chart with a 6.5 assists-per-game average, good for 8th place among all D-III players (through Jan. 2) … Tse leads the D-III ranks with an outstanding 6.0 assist/turnover ratio … Tse has moved into 4th place on Emory's career chart with 335 assists …The Eagles have outshot their last 10 opponents from the floor … Emory has outrebounded seven foes, six by 10 or more boards … The Eagles are third in the league in rebound margin (+6.1) … Eight of Emory's wins have been by 10 or more points and it is No. 1 in the UAA and 37th nationally in scoring margin (+16.5) …The Eagles are doling out a conference-best 17.3 assists per game, with that effort ranking 29th among all D-III programs (through Jan. 2) … Sophomore Erin Lindahl's 10 points in the Rhodes encounter represented her fifth double-figure effort of the season … Allison Chernow, a double-figure scorer in four games stands second on the club and 12th on the UAA list in scoring average (12.5 ppg) … Emory reserves have scored 20 or more points on seven occasions ... Emory has won all eight games when leading at halftime (0-2 when trailing, 1-0 when tied).