Xavier, Providence Slated for Sunday Matinee

Sunday, January 10

Providence, R.I.

1 P.M.

Xavier University

Providence College

01.09.16 | Women's Basketball

Musketeers look to move to 4-1 in BIG EAST play

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – The Musketeers conclude a three-game BIG EAST road trip at Providence on Sunday, Jan. 10. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. with the game being aired on the BIG EAST Digital Network.

Xavier enters the contest with 12-3 (3-1 BIG EAST) record following a road loss at Creighton on Friday night. The Musketeers had their seven-game win streak snapped.

Providence is 4-11 (0-5 BIG EAST) on the year and is coming off a home loss to Butler on Friday night. The Friars have dropped five in a row and are 3-6 in when playing at home this season.

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier is 3-1 all-time against the Friars with a 1-1 mark in road games. The Musketeers went 2-0 against Providence in the series last year.

LAST TIME OUT VS THE FRIARS

• Xavier averaged 69.5 points per game in the series last year with a .400 field-goal percentage, while limiting the Friars to 58 points per game. The Musketeers also made 24 more free throws (44-20).

• Briana Glover averaged 17.5 points per game last year against the Friars and hit 68.8 percent of her shot attempts (11-for-16). She was also 13-for-14 from the foul line.

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS

• Junior guard Raeshaun Gaffney was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. Xavier has had a player earn the weekly honors five times this season. Aliyah Zantt (Dec. 28, Nov. 23) and Briana Glover (Dec. 7, Dec. 14) have both earned the honors twice.

• Gaffney averaged 22 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last week, while connecting on 53.3 percent of her shot attempts. The Fairfield, Ohio, native was also 3-for-4 from behind the arc and 9-for-11 from the foul line. She added five assists and two steals.

STRONG START TO BIG EAST PLAY

• In BIG EAST only action, Raeshaun Gaffney ranks eighth in the conference in scoring with 15.8 points per game. The junior guard has added five rebounds per game and has hit 46.8 percent of her shot attempts. She is also 16-for-19 from the foul line.

• Maddison Blackwell has averaged 13 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in BIG EAST play, while adding a .553 field-goal percentage. The junior forward entered conference play averaging 3.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

• Aliyah Zantt is nearly averaging 8.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in BIG EAST play. The senior guard is also 11-for-13 from the foul line.

NOTABLES

• Briana Glover has averaged 14.3 points per game in four career outings versus the Friars. She is also 20-for-21 from the foul line.

• Maddison Blackwell has averaged 9.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in four career meetings against Providence. The junior forward has hit 52.2 percent (12-for-23) shot attempts in the series.

• Leah Schaefer scored a team-high eight points on 4-for-6 shooting at Creighton. The junior forward is 8-for-12 from the floor in BIG EAST play this season.

• Xavier has hit 81.7 percent of its free throws in conference play, going 58-for-71 from the charity stripe.

• The Musketeers were held to a season-low 47 points at Creighton. Xavier also posted a season-low .291 field-goal percentage.

• Xavier did not have a player in double figures for the first time this season at Creighton. The Musketeers previously had four players score in double figures at Butler for the first time this season.

AMONG THE NATION'S BEST

• At a combined 26-4, Xavier men's and women's basketball rank tied for third nationally in combined wins. South Carolina's basketball programs have combined to go 28-0 this season.

CHARITY STRIPE SUCCESS

• The Musketeers were 14-for-18 from the foul line in the loss at Creighton. Xavier ranks second in the conference in free-throw percentage (.771).

• Individually, the Musketeers have three players ranked in the top-10 in free-throw percentage: Raeshaun Gaffney (.836 - 1st), Briana Glover (.810 - 5th) and Aliyah Zantt (.780 - 7th).

• Xavier has been able to put teams away late in the game due to its free-throw success. The Musketeers are 48-for-58 from the foul line in the final two minutes of play, while their opponents are 12-for-14.

DOMINATING DEFENSE

• Xavier leads the conference in scoring defense (58.1) and rebounding margin (+4.3), while ranking fourth in field-goal percentage defense (.370).

RECORD WATCH

• Senior Aliyah Zantt has 172 career steals, ranking sixth all-time at Xavier. She is two steals away from moving into fifth.

• Senior Briana Glover has 928 career points, needing only 72 more points to become the 24th member of the 1,000th point club at Xavier.

NCAA STAT RANKINGS

• Xavier ranks eighth in free-throw percentage (.771), 10th nationally in fewest personal fouls per game (13.5) and 69th in scoring defense (58.1). The Musketeers also rank 84th in rebounding margin (+4.3).

• Individually, Raeshaun Gaffney ranks 70th in free-throw percentage (.836).

UP NEXT

• Xavier returns to action on Friday, Jan. 15 against Marquette. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. with the game being aired on the BIG EAST Digital Network.

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 209-71 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 191-62 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.