Gaffney’s Career Night Lifts Musketeers Over Pirates

Wednesday, January 4

Cincinnati, Ohio

7 p.m.

Xavier University

10-5,2-2BIGEAST

Seton Hall

8-6, 1-2BIGEAST

Seton Hall

Xavier

Gaffney’s Career Night Lifts Musketeers Over Pirates

01.04.17 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Season Stats (PDF)

Senior guard scored 33 points on 12-for-23 shooting vs Seton Hall

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Senior guard Raeshaun Gaffney scored a career-high 33 points on Wednesday night, leading the Xavier women's basketball team to a 72-64 win over Seton Hall at Cintas Center.

Xavier improved to 10-5 (2-2 BIG EAST), while Seton Hall dropped to 8-6 (1-2 BIG EAST). The win over the Pirates marked the first in program history for the Musketeers as they moved to 1-6 in the all-time series.

NOTABLES

• Raeshaun Gaffney became the first Xavier player to score 30 or more points in a game since Amber Harris in 2010. The senior guard finished the game going 12-for-23 from the floor and 4-for-11 from behind the arc. She was also 5-for-7 from the foul line.

• Marquia Turner added 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting. She matched her career high in assists with eight, while adding four rebounds and two steals.

• Kindell Fincher scored 12 points on 4-for-9 shooting from behind the arc. Xavier finished the game 9-for-23 from three-point range.

• Maddison Blackwell pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds, her 10th career game with 10 or more rebounds. The senior forward also had a career-high five steals, while scoring six points – all coming in the second half.

• Leah Schaefer added seven rebounds and two blocks. Both teams had 36 rebounds in the contest.

• Xavier posted 10 steals in the win, its third game of the year with 10 steals. The Musketeers also had five blocks, their sixth game with five or more blocks.

FIRST QUARTER

• Back-to-back baskets by Raeshaun Gaffney put the Musketeers up 5-0 to start the game. Xavier extended its lead to nine, 20-7, at the 1:48 mark before the Pirates made the score, 20-9, in the closing seconds with a layup by Kaela Hilaire.

• Raeshaun Gaffney led Xavier with nine points on 4-for-8 shooting. Xavier also forced seven turnovers and held a 10-9 advantage on the glass.

SECOND QUARTER

• Xavier maintained its double-figure lead for the remainder of the half, leading by as many as 22 (36-14) on a Marquia Turner layup with 5:56 on the clock. Seton Hall closed within 10 (37-27) with 48 seconds left in the half before Raeashaun Gaffney knocked down a three pointer on the ensuing possession to give Xavier a 40-27 halftime lead.

• Xavier was 9-for-16 from behind the arc, paced by Raeshaun Gaffney and Kindell Fincher who both hit four. The Musketeers were 5-for-7 from three-point range in the quarter.

• Raeshaun Gaffney led all scorers with 20 points in the first half on 8-for-14 shooting. Kindell Fincher added 12 points.

THIRD QUARTER

• Xavier went 5-for-7 from the floor to open the quarter and take a 50-33 advantage at the media timeout. The Musketeers kept up the strong shooting, finishing the quarter hitting 53.3 percent (8-for-15) of their shot attempts, to lead 59-40 at the end of the quarter.

• Maddison Blackwell scored six points in the quarter, while adding four rebounds.

FOURTH QUARTER

• Seton Hall got within eight, 62-54, with 4:29 left in regulation before the Musketeers went on a 9-5 run to take a 71-59 advantage with 48 seconds on the clock. Xavier held onto the lead in the closing seconds to capture its 10th win of the year.

• Xavier went 7-for-13 from the foul line with Raeshaun Gaffney going 5-for-7. She scored nine points in the final quarter.

UP NEXT

• Xavier concludes its three-game homestand on Sunday, Jan. 8 against Butler. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. on the BIG EAST Digital Network.

POSTGAME INTERVIEWS