The Emory University women's basketball team concludes the 2019-20 regular season Saturday afternoon with a road tilt at the University of Rochester. Tip-off for the finale is scheduled for 12:05 PM.
Coverage
Emory Eagles (18-6, 9-4 UAA)
With three consecutive wins, the Eagles head into the final weekend with a chance to clinch a share of the University Athletic Association title for the first time since the 2012-13 season. Despite Chicago clinching the league's NCAA automatic qualifier, the Eagles can still grab a share of the UAA crown with a win over Rochester and a loss by Chicago at home against WashU.
Junior Blair Ripley has led the Eagles during their current winning streak, averaging 19.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks across the three games. On Saturday, Ripley scored a career-high 25 points in a four-point win at Case Western Reserve and collected her 56th block of the year, setting the new program record for rejections in a single-season. Ripley enters the final regular season weekend with 117 total blocks in her career, five shy of Ashley Oldshue's program record of 122.
Junior Molly Weiss is third on the team in scoring over the past three games, posting 8.3 points per game and knocking down a team-leading seven trays during the span. In three of the past four games where she has appeared in the starting lineup, Weiss has sank at least three three-pointers and for the season, ranks third in the UAA and 48th nationally with her 39.1 percentage from distance.
The Eagles, under the leadership of Head Coach Misha Jackson, has compiled an overall record of 50-25 since Jackson began her tenure at the start of the 2017-18 season. She is joined on staff by Sammi Goldsmith and Chuck Melito.
Rochester Yellowjackets (12-12, 6-7 UAA)
A weekend sweep of Case Western Reserve and Carnegie Mellon to give UR five wins out of their last six games has the Yellowjackets at the .500 mark with one game remaining in their season. Hannah Lindemuth and Julianna Okoniewski headline the Yellowjackets with Lindemuth checking with a team-best 13.1 PPG while ranking second on the team with 51 assists and third with 19 blocks. Okoniewski checks in with 12.6 points per game and leads UR with 6.9 rebounds per game to go along with 33 blocks. Guard Tessa Ludwick is lone Yellowjacket to appear in all 24 starting lineups, posting team-highs with 83 assists, 33 steals and chipping in with 9.4 PPG. Shannon Loiseau has been equally impressive on the defensive end with a UAA-leading 61 blocks and ranks second on the team with 6.1 rebounds per contest.
UR is patrolled on the sidelined by Head Coach Jim Scheible who is in his 21st season with the team, compiling an overall record 390-182 during his tenure. He is joined on staff by Lindsey Burke and Kelsey Poplawski.
Series Record
Emory has now won three straight in the series following its 86-65 win at home on January 11th, bringing the all-time ledger to 35-27 in favor of the Yellowjackets. In the series history, Rochester maintains a 20-10 edge in games played at the Palestra in upstate New York.