GAME FACTS – After winning its final two regular-season home contests this past weekend, the Emory men's basketball team gears up for three straight road tilts to close out the year, starting this Friday with a match-up against Carnegie Mellon, followed by a Sunday affair vs. Case Western Reserve.
Skibo Gymnasium on the Carnegie Mellon campus will serve as the site of the 65th meeting between the Tartans and Eagles and that game is scheduled for an 8:00 pm tip. On Sunday, the scene will shift to CWRU's Horsburgh Gymnasium where the noon tip will represent the 56th time that Emory and the Spartans have squared off.
Live Stats and video will be provided for both games with the links as follows.
Carnegie Mellon
Live Stats: https://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/mbkb/2019-20/boxscores/20200221_smzd.xml
Video - https://athletics.cmu.edu/sports/mbkb/live
Case Western Reserve
Live Stats https://athletics.case.edu/sports/mbkb/2019-20/boxscores/20200223_1jv0.xml
Video - https://case.edu/livestream/athletics/
THE COACHES – Jason Zimmerman (Davidson, 1994) is in his 13th year of patrolling the Emory sideline. Named head coach in April of 2007, Zimmerman came to Emory after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Evansville (2003-04 through 2006-07). Prior to his stint with the Aces, Zimmerman was an assistant at Davidson College for seven years (1996-97 through 2002-03).
During his tenure with the Eagles he ranks as the program's winningest coach, compiling a
school and career record of 233-106. In games played at the Woodruff PE Center, Zimmerman posts a 135-31 ledger and claims a 98-75 mark in road/neutral settings.
He has guided Emory to 11 straight winning seasons and seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), tying the longest streak in the history of the University Athletic Association.
After going 17-33 his first two years at Emory, Zimmerman has amassed a won-lost slate of 216-73 (.747) since the 2009-10 season.
Zimmerman stands 19-6 vs. Carnegie Mellon and 20-5 against Case Western.
Tony Wingen (Springfield, '82) is in his 30th season as head coach of the Carnegie Mellon program and heads into the weekend with a school record of 333-415. In 32 campaigns as a head coach Wingen has compiled a career mark of 354-443.
Now in his fourth year calling the shots at Case Western is Todd McGuinness (Bethany, 02). McGuinness brings a school ledger of 40-57 into a Friday encounter at Rochester and an 11-year career record of 154-129. Prior to his current post, he served as the head coach at Hartwick College for seven seasons (2009-10 through 2015-16).
2019-20 RECORDS – Emory, ranked No. 8 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, sports an overall record of 19-3 and is tied with Washington University for first place in the UAA with a 9-2 mark. The Eagles are coming off a productive weekend, sweeping New York University (99-81) and Brandeis (93-65) in the final two home games of the regular season.
Emory employed a balanced scoring attack in the two wins with five players averaging double-digit scoring led by juniors Romin Williams and Lawrence Rowley, both of whom averaged 17.5 points per outing. Williams knocked down a team-high seven three-pointers and was successful on 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from beyond the arc, while Rowley connected on 60 percent (12-of-20) from the field and 62.5 percent (5-of-8) from distance. The two combined for 46 points (Williams 25, Rowley 21) in the decision over Brandeis.
Emory is 11-2 on its home floor this season, 8-1 in away/neutral contests. The Eagles' record is the best 22-game mark during Zimmerman's tenure as head coach and the program's second best in history (20-2 by 1989-90 team).
Carnegie Mellon hosts Emory with an overall record of 10-12, 3-8 in the UAA. The Tartans split road games last weekend, defeating Chicago, 84-73, before losing to Washington University, 99-68. CMU is 7-4 on its home floor, 3-8 in road contests.
Case Western stands 11-11 overall, 4-7 in UAA outings, as it prepares for a Friday home date against Rochester. The Spartans came out on the short end of 77-71 and 80-61 verdicts against Wash U and Chicago, respectively, this past weekend. CWRU has won eight of 10 home dates and is 3-9 on enemy courts.
SERIES RECORDS – In a series that dates from November of 1987, Emory holds an all-time record of 42-22 vs. Carnegie Mellon. The Eagles have won the last 12 meetings between the schools including a 91-72 outcome earlier this year (Jan. 24) in Atlanta. Romin Williams and Matt Davet each tallied 20 points in that game that saw Emory post a 41-21 scoring advantage in the second half. The Tartans have won 17 of the 32 games vs. the Eagles that have been played on their home court, though Emory has come out on top in the last six visits to Pittsburgh.
Emory has won the last seven match-ups against Case Western, pushing its all-time mark against the Spartans to 35-20. In the initial game of this year, the Eagles saw six players log double-figure scoring, led by Mason Johnson's 18 points, to earn a 106-70 triumph at the Woodruff PE Center. Aiding in Emory's successful result was 55.2 percent shooting from three-point range with the squad knocking down 16 triples.
EMORY SOLID FROM RANGE FROM DISTANCE – Emory shot a keen 44.4 percent (27-of-54) from three-point range in this past weekend's games against NYU and Brandeis. In Sunday's outing against the Judges of BU, the Eagles shot 50 percent (14-of-28) from beyond the arc, the third time this year it had reached or surpassed that mark.
Through games played Feb. 17, Emory leads the UAA and stands 39th in the D-III ranks with an average of 10.1 treys per contest. The Eagles hold down the No. 1 position on the conference ladder and stand 22nd nationally with a 39.0 percent showing (222-of-569) from downtown. Emory's 222 three-pointers rank 7th on the program's seasonal ladder.
Emory has 10 or more three-pointers to its credit on 13 occasions this year, including a pair of 16-trey barrages, tying the school's sixth-highest game total, vs. Pfeiffer (Nov. 30) and Case Western Reserve (Jan. 26).
Romin Williams holds down the No. 3 position on the conference chart with an average of 2.6 treys per contest. Williams has multiple treys in 14 games and his five makes from distance vs. Brandeis on Sunday represented his 12th game this year with three or more. Matt Davet is fifth among UAA players with an effort of 2.3 three-pointers per outing while Matt Schner is tied for seventh at 2.1. Davet has 14 multi-trey outings to his credit this year, including 10 with three or more. Matt Schner still stands No. 1 in the UAA in three-point percentage (49.5%, 46-of-93).
GET A REBOUND!! – Emory's 41-37 edge in the rebounding department against Brandeis this past Sunday upped its record to 16-0 this year when finishing with the advantage in that category.
The Eagles have outboarded nine foes by 10 or more caroms and find themselves second among UAA squads and 30th nationally (through Feb. 17) in rebound margin (6.9).
The Eagles are pulling down an average of 12.5 rebounds on the offensive end of the floor, good for second in the league, which has aided them in registering 292 second-chance points (13.3 scppg). A check at the UAA stats show that junior Lawrence Rowley sits No. 3 on the UAA ladder in rebound average (8.2 rpg) while Matthew Schner stands fifth (7.8 rpg).
Schner has led or tied for team honors in rebounding on 12 occasions this season while Rowley has earned that distinction in 10 games.
EMORY UAA LEADER IN SCORING AVERAGE – The Eagles are averaging 87.9 points per outing in overall contests, good for the No. 1 spot among UAA schools and 16th (through Feb. 17) in D-III. Emory has tossed in 85.4 points over their 13 home dates and 91.6 in nine away/neutral affairs.
In breaking down scoring by halves, Emory is putting up 41.8 points during the opening 20 minutes of play and 46.1 in the second half. The Eagles have totaled 50 or more points in 11 halves of action.
Emory has four of the top 13 UAA scoring leaders in overall play, led by Romin Williams who is averaging 17.4 points per contest, good for the No. 2 position. Williams has logged 20 performances of double-figure scoring including nine of 20 or more points. Matt Schner holds down the No. 3 spot at 15.3 points per game while Matt Davet's showing of 13.7 points per game ties for 10th. Lawrence Rowley rounds out the quartet with his 13.4 per-game effort slotting him 13th.
SCHNER'S ALL-AROUND PLAY A BOOST FOR EMORY – Matt Schner stands as one of the UAA's most versatile performers with the 6-foot-4 native of Boca Raton, Florida, ranking among the league's top-10 in 13 categories.
In addition to his No. 1 position in three-point shooting (.495, 46-of-93), Schner is playing a league-high 33.5 minutes per contest. No. 2 on the squad and third in the UAA in scoring, Schner, who has 19 double-figure scoring contests to his credit, is connecting on 54.1 percent (120-of-227) of his field goal attempts, good for second on the team and fourth on the league list. Schner has converted 50 percent or better of his floor attempts on 17 occasions this season.
Schner's play on the glass can't be overlooked as he has either led or tied for team honors in six of the last seven and in a total of 12 games, most recently in this past Sunday's encounter vs. Brandeis when he registered nine boards. Second on the club with an average of 7.8 caroms per outing, he has snatched 55 offensive rebounds and his average of 2.5 offensive rebounds per game is third among UAA cagers.
He has shown the ability to distribute the ball with his average of 3.2 assists per game second on the team and fifth on the UAA leader board. His 29 steals pace Emory while his 1.3 thefts-per-game average slots him fifth in the conference.
Matt Schner's UAA Rankings
1st – Minutes (33.5 mpg)
1st – 3pt FG% (.496, 46-of-93)
3rd – Scoring (15.3 ppg)
3rd – Offensive Rebounds (2.5)
4th – FG% (.541, 120-of-222)
5th – Assists (3.2 apg)
5th – Steals (1.3 spg)
5th – Rebounds (7.8 rpg)
6th – Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.1)
7th – FT% (.785, 51-of-65)
7th – 3pt FG per game (2.1)
t-7th – Defensive Rebounds (5.3)
6th – Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.1)
MOVING UP THE LADDER – Matt Schner currently stands No. 2 on the Eagles' all-time list in field goal shooting at 56.5 percent (259-of-458) while Lawrence Rowley ranks third in that category with an effort of 56.0 percent (270-of-482) … Romin Williams has 57 three-point field goals through 22 contests and a career total of 198, good for third place on the school's all-time ladder and 11 shy of tying Adam Gigax (2014-18) for the No. 2 position … Williams has cracked the school's all-time Top-10 in scoring with his 1,240 points placing him ninth on that list … Matt Davet has totaled 140 career three-point field goals and is tied with Alex Foster (2011-15) for 10th on the Eagles' all-time ladder … In addition, Davet has logged a total of 968 points during his Emory tenure (19th all-time in program history) … Junior Nick Stuck stands 9th all-time at Emory with 264 assists … Lawrence Rowley has moved into the ranks of the school's all-time top 20 rebounders with his 426 boards ranking 18th.
ROWLEY SCORING AND BOARDING – Lawrence Rowley has been a consistent performer for the Eagles, scoring in double figures on 17 occasions while snatching 10 or more rebounds in six outings. Heading into the weekend, Rowley ranks 13th among UAA players and fourth on the team's score sheet with an average of 13.4 points per contest. His 8.2 per-game effort in rebounding is third in the conference, and he has finished as the Eagles' top performer on the glass in 10 games this year. He has four double-doubles to his credit this season (nine in career), most recently an 11-point, career-high 16-rebound performance in the 87-80 win over UW-Oshkosh (Dec. 29).
The 6-foot-5 Rowley stands as the squad's most accurate shooter, converting 56.1 percent (111-of-198) from the field, good for the No. 3 spot on the UAA ladder. He opened the season by shooting 50 percent or better from the floor in 12 straight games and now has 16 to his credit.
EMORY PICKED AS TEAM TO BEAT IN UAA – Emory was picked as the team to beat in the University Athletic Association in a preseason poll conducted by the league coaches, picking up seven of the eight first-place votes cast. Washington University nabbed the other first-place ballot and was picked for second. Brandeis and Chicago were slotted in third and fourth place, respectively.
WILIAMS TABBED AS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN -- Romin Williams was selected as a Preseason Honorable Mention All-American by D3hoops.com. Williams was the lone UAA player to be recognized by D3hoops.com. Chosen to all-region teams by both the National Association of Basketball Coaches and D3hoops.com a year ago, Williams ranked as the Eagles' top scorer on eight occasions and rang up 450 points, the fourth-highest total by an Emory sophomore.
NOTES & NUGGETS – Emory saw six players post double-figure scoring in the 99-81 win over NYU, the third time this season it had that many finish in double digits … The Eagles' 71.4 percent (20-of-28) effort from the floor during the second half of the Brandeis game this past Sunday tied the second-highest mark by a Zimmerman-coached team, with the top mark at 75.0 percent (21-of-28) in the second half vs. Greensboro on Dec. 17, 2009 … Matt Schner owns a team-high six contests of 10 or more rebounds, five of which have come over the past seven games … In his last seven games Schner is averaging 10.7 rebounds per effort …Nick Stuck's 11 points against NYU represented his 11th double-figure performance of the season …Mason Johnson is averaging 13.3 points and shooting 61 percent (36-of-59) from the field in his last seven games … Johnson has shot 50 percent or better from the floor in his last seven and in nine of the past 10 contests … Emory leads the UAA and ranks 69th nationally in free throw percentage (.741) … The Eagles have attempted more charity tosses than the opposition on 16 occasions this year … In its 13 home games, Emory has converted 70.7 (200-of-283) of its foul shots while draining 79.2 percent (152-of-192) in nine away/neutral contests … In 11 UAA games, Emory has scored 170 points (15.5 ppg) off opponent turnovers while the opposition has totaled 96 points (8.7 ppg) … Emory has held the edge in points-off-turnovers category in 13 contests …Emory reserves scored a season-high 52 points in the 106-70 win over Case Western … Emory has finished with single digits in turnovers in 10 games this season … The Eagles are No. 2 in the UAA and 44th among D-III programs (through Feb. 17) with an average of 16.7 assists per game … Romin Williams has played in 75 games during his Emory career and registered 64 double-figure scoring performances … Williams has logged 20 or more points on nine occasions this year and 25 during his career … Nick Stuck is second among UAA players and 30th (through games played Feb. 17) in D-III in assists (5.5 apg) … Stuck's 2.11 assist/turnover ratio is third in the UAA … Emory has outscored the opposition in 32 halves, been outpointed in nine and been tied in three … Emory has held eight opponents to less than 40 percent from the field … The Eagles have had players tally 20 or more points 20 times vs. 16 for opponents … Emory has made 20 or more free throws in four contests this year … When Romin Williams notched his 1,000th career point in the LaGrange game (Dec. 4), he became the second-fastest player in school history to reach that plateau (61 games), trailing only Jake Davis who accomplished it in 60 contests … Emory's school-record 124 points against Pfeiffer bettered the previous mark of 116 set twice – vs. Carnegie Mellon on Jan. 20, 2019, and Trinity University (TX) on Dec. 1, 2018 … Emory's back-to-back 62-point halves vs. Pfeiffer tied the fifth-highest point totals by a Zimmerman-coached Eagle squad.
DID YOU KNOW -- Since the 2010-11 season, Emory has the No. 1 record among UAA teams in overall (201-63) play and the second-best mark in league action (100-37) .… Washington University has the conference's second-best overall ledger (191-66) and the top slate in conference play (102-35) … That Emory has at least one three-point field goal in its last 593 games -- The last time the Eagles failed to convert from beyond the arc came on Feb. 14, 1997, vs. Washington University (0-of-6) … Emory was won 61 of its last 62 games when allowing 69 or fewer points (9-0 in '19-20, 5-0 in '18-19, 11-0 in '17-18, 7-1 in '16-17, 13-0 in '15-16, 16-0 in '14-15) … Emory posts a 43-6 ledger in games since the 2016-17 season when it has converted 10 or more three-pointers in a contest (11-2 in '19-20, 11-2 in '18-19, 11-0 in 2017-18, 10-2 in '16-17 … The Eagles have won 47 of their last 49 games at the Woodruff PE Center against non-league foes … Emory is 117-15 (.886) over its last 132 home contests … The Eagles have recorded 100 or more points 56 times in program history and own a 50-6 won-lost record in those affairs … During Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach, Emory has 25 contests of 100 or more points and stands 23-2 in such games … Since the 2012-13 season, the Eagles are 130-8 when outshooting the opposition from the floor (15-1 in '19-20, 16-1 in 2018-19, 16-1 in '17-18, 17-1 in '16-17, 12-3 in '15-16, 18-0 in '14-15) … During Jason Zimmerman's tenure as head coach, Emory stands 190-22 when leading at halftime (14-1 in '19-20, 20-2 in 2018-19, 19-1, in '17-18, 13-0 in '16-17; 18-3 in 2015-16).