First-Place Showdown Set for Sunday vs. No. 25 DePaul

Sunday, January 17

Cincinnati, Ohio

2 P.M.

Xavier University

DePaul University

Tickets

First-Place Showdown Set for Sunday vs. No. 25 DePaul

01.16.16 | Women's Basketball

Musketeers, Blue Demons are tied for first in the BIG EAST standings

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Xavier women's basketball returns to action on Sunday, Jan. 17 against No. 25 DePaul. The two teams enter the game tied for first place in the BIG EAST standings with St. John's as all three squads have a 5-1 mark in conference play.

The Musketeers moved to 14-3 (5-1 BIG EAST) on Friday night with a 71-66 win over Marquette. Xavier has now won seven straight at home, improving to 12-1 at Cintas Center this season.

DePaul is coming off a 61-54 win at Butler on Friday night. The Blue Demons (13-6, 5-1 BIG EAST) enter the game averaging 80.3 points per game to lead the conference, but have be limited to 61 or fewer points in back-to-back outings.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Musketeers had four players score in double figures for the second time this season against Marquette. Briana Glover led Xavier with 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting, the second straight game the senior forward has scored 20 or more points. She now has six career games with 20 or more points.

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier trails the all-time series with DePaul, 10-1. The Musketeers lone victory was on Jan. 23, 1984 in the first meeting between the two schools, 82-72.

LAST TIME OUT VS DEPAUL

• DePaul posted a 3-0 record vs. Xavier last year, including a BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinal win. Xavier averaged 59 points per game in the series, while the Blue Demons averaged 86 points per game.

• Briana Glover averaged 10.3 points per game in the series last year and hit 66.7 percent of her shot attempts (14-for-21). In five career games vs. the Blue Demons, the senior forward has posted a .657 field-goal percentage (23-for-35) and averaged 10.8 points per game.

XU VS THE TOP-25

• The Musketeers are 11-32 all-time against teams ranked in the top-25. The last time Xavier played a top-25 team was on Feb. 27, 2015 against No. 25 Seton Hall. The Musketeers lost a 77-66 contest at Cintas Center.

• The Musketeers last win over a top-25 team was on Nov. 26, 2009 over No. 18 Kansas, 76-71, at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas.

• The Musketeers last home win over a top-25 team was on Nov. 21, 2009 against No. 14 Arizona State, 59-46.

NOTABLES

• Xavier dished out a season-high 21 assists vs. Marquette, paced by Aliyah Zantt who matched her career-high with six.

• Xavier matched its career high in blocks with eight, led by Briana Glover who had a career-high four blocks.

• Xavier scored a season-high 44 points in the paint against Marquette, eclipsing its previous season-high of 38 points set at Providence.

• Briana Glover has averaged 15.8 points per game in her last four outings with a .564 field-goal percentage. She is 19-for-20 from the foul line during that stretch.

BIG EAST PLAY

• Briana Glover and Raeshaun Gaffney have combined to average 27.1 points per game during BIG EAST play. The two have also combined to go 46-for-51 from the foul line.

• Aliyah Zantt continues to pace the Musketeers on the glass during BIG EAST play, grabbing 6.8 rebounds per game. The senior point guard is adding 8.8 points per game.

• Leah Schaefer has hit 73.3 percent of her shot attempts (11-for-15) in BIG EAST play. She has added 10 assists and four steals.

• Maddison Blackwell is averaging 10.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in BIG EAST play with a .600 field-goal percentage. The junior forward entered conference play averaging 3.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

PLAY AT CINTAS CENTER

• The Musketeers are 12-1 at home this season and have compiled a 24-7 mark at Cintas Center over the last two seasons.

• Xavier is limiting its opponents to 54.5 points per game and a .341 field-goal percentage at Cintas Center this season.

The Musketeers have also posted a +7.2 rebounding margin at home.

UP NEXT

• Xavier returns to action Friday, Jan. 22 at Seton Hall. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.

CHARITY STRIPE SUCCESS

• The Musketeers were 17-for-22 from the foul line against Marquette. Xavier ranks first in the conference in free-throw percentage (.775).

• Individually, Raeshaun Gaffney leads the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage (.855), while Briana Glover ranks second (.839).

• Xavier has been able to put teams away late in the game due to its free-throw success. The Musketeers are 59-for-72 from the foul line in the final two minutes of play, while their opponents are 12-for-15. Raeshaun Gaffney is 29-for-33 from the foul line in the final two minutes of play.

DOMINATING DEFENSE

• Xavier leads the conference in scoring defense (58.4) and rebounding margin (+4.1), while ranking fourth in field-goal percentage defense (.374).

RECORD WATCH

• Senior Aliyah Zantt has 180 career steals, ranking tied for fourth all-time at Xavier. She is eight steals away from moving into third.

• Senior Briana Glover has 965 career points, needing only 25 more points to become the 24th member of the 1,000th point club at Xavier.

NCAA STAT RANKINGS

• Xavier ranks fifth in free-throw percentage (.775), 10th nationally in fewest personal fouls per game (13.8) and 75th in scoring defense (58.4). The Musketeers also rank 83rd in rebounding margin (+4.1).

• Individually, Raeshaun Gaffney ranks 45th in free-throw percentage (.855).

BIG EAST HONORS

• Senior forward Briana Glover was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday after helping the Musketeers post a 2-1 record in conference play last week. She picks up the honors for the third time this season.

• Xavier has had a player earn the weekly honors six times this year. Raeshaun Gaffney (Jan. 4) and Aliyah Zantt (Dec. 28, Nov. 23) have also been recognized. Glover also earned the honors on Dec. 7 and Dec. 14.

• Glover averaged 14.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last week. The Mason, Ohio, native hit 53.6 percent of her shot attempts (15-for-28) and was 13-for-14 from the foul line. She added three blocks and an assist.

• Glover finished the week by scoring a career-high 27 points in the team's 62-54 win at Providence on Sunday. She was 10-for-14 from the floor and 7-for-8 from the foul line. She also added a game-high eight rebounds.

NEAL RECORDS WIN NO. 200

• Head coach Brian Neal picked up his 200th career victory in the win over Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 25. He has compiled a 211-71 record in 10 years as a head coach.

NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCES

• Xavier committed a season-low five turnovers against Kennesaw State, the fewest in a game since the Musketeers had four miscues against Temple on March 4, 2007. The Musketeer backcourt had zero turnovers on the day.

• Xavier held Southeastern Louisiana to 27 points, the fewest allowed by the Musketeers since defeating Maryville, 67-21, on Dec. 5, 1980. The 40-point win is also the largest margin of victory since Nov. 30, 2010 when the Musketeers topped Mississippi Valley State, 85-40.

• Xavier also pulled down 64 rebounds in the win over Southeastern Louisiana, the second most in school history. The Musketeers had 68 rebounds against Wright State on Feb. 12, 1976. The 64 rebounds are the most by a BIG EAST team this season, while ranking ninth nationally.

• Maddison Blackwell scored a career-high 27 points on 11-for-15 shooting versus Villanova. The junior forward's 11 field goals are the most by a Xavier player since Tyeasha Moss hit 11 on Jan. 28, 2012 versus Rhode Island.

• Aliyah Zantt pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds against Villanova, the most in a game by a XU player since Jenna Crittendon's 17 rebounds against Wright State on Dec. 15, 2012.

• Sophomore Marquia Turner dished out a career-high eight assists in the win over Maryland Eastern Shore, the most by a Xavier player since Ty O'Neill had eight versus High Point on Nov. 19, 2012.

PRESEASON POLL

• Xavier was picked to finish sixth in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches Poll as announced at the conference's annual media day at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 14.

THE SCHEDULE

• Xavier will play 19 games at Cintas Center this season, the most in school history. The Musketeers previously set the record last year when they hosted 18 games, including two postseason tournament contests.

• Xavier has posted a 192-62 overall record at Cintas Center since the building opened in 2000.

• The Musketeers posted a 12-6 mark at home last year, the team's 10th season with 10 or more wins inside Cintas Center.

• Xavier faced four teams this season for the first time in school history (Maryland-Eastern Shore, Southeastern Louisiana, Tennessee Tech and Radford).

XU BASKETBALL HISTORY

• Xavier has made nine NCAA Tournament appearances, most recently advancing to the tournament's second round in 2011.

• The Musketeers' best NCAA Tournament finish was in 2001 and 2010 as XU advanced to the Elite Eight.

• The Musketeers have posted a .500 or better record 21 times since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1982-83.

BIG EAST DIGITAL NETWORK

• Every BIG EAST women's basketball game that will not be carried on FOX Sports 1 or FOX Sports 2 will be aired on the BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN).

• The BEDN launched in 2014-15 with its own branded channel on the FOX Sports GO app. The league is the first and only collegiate conference to be hosted on FOX's mobile platform, FOX Sports Go. The app provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content at home or on-the-go.

NATIONAL BROADCASTS

• Xavier will play four nationally broadcasts games this season via FOX. The Musketeers will play three games on FOX Sports 1 and one on FOX Sports 2.

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT

• DePaul's McGrath-Phillips Arena will serve as the host site of the 2016 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Tournament as voted on by the conference's athletic directors. The tournament will be held on March 5-8 in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of downtown Chicago.