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Xavier University Athletics
Wednesday, December 28
Providence, R.I.
7 p.m.
Xavier University
at
Providence
Women’s Basketball Opens BIG EAST Play at Providence
12.26.16 | Women's Basketball
Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Alumni Hall
CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball opens BIG EAST play with a road trip to Providence on Wednesday, Dec. 28. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Alumni Hall.
Xavier and Providence both enter the game with 8-3 records.
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (8-3, 0-0) at PROVIDENCE (8-3, 0-0)
Game Info: Wednesday, Dec. 28 - 7 p.m. ET - Alumni Hall (2,620)
Live Stats: http://bit.ly/2hInjft
Live Video: http://bit.ly/1sjW14c
2016-17 Record: 8-3 (0-0 BIG EAST)
Series History: Xavier leads, 5-1
NOTABLES
• The Friars already have three more wins than all of last season (5-24 vs 8-3).
• Providence was picked to finish 10th in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Friars return four starters from last year's squad.
• Providence is coached by Jim Crowley who is in his first season with the Friars. He has a 305-271 record in 20 years as a head coach.
• Providence leads the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage (.767), field-goal percentage (.457) and three-point field-goal percentage (.415).
• The Musketeers are 5-1 all-time against the Friars. Xavier has won four straight in the series.
• Xavier won both meetings last season, averaging 67 points per game in the two wins. Xavier limited the Friars to 50.5 points per game a .377 field-goal percentage.
• Xavier went 1-2 at the Puerto Rico Classic - Las Vegas to wrap up non-conference action.
• Marquia Turner averaged 12.0 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game in Las Vegas. The junior guard hit 60 percent (15-for-25) of her shot attempts and hit four 3-pointers (4-for-9).
• Imani Partlow averaged 8.0 points per game and a team-leading 5.3 rebounds per game last week. The sophomore forward posted her second career double-double (10 pts., 10 reb.) in the win over Kennesaw State.
• Raeshaun Gaffney led the team in scoring with 12.7 points per game. She added 4.0 rebounds per game and hit 53.8 percent of her three pointers (7-for-13).
• Anniina Äijänen averaged 8.0 points per game last week, while knocking down 60 percent (9-for-15) of her shot attempts. She posted a career-high 13 points against Kennesaw State.
• Xavier is 1-2 in BIG EAST openers with a 0-2 mark in BIG EAST openers on the road.
• The Musketeers defeated Georgetown, 59-54, at Cintas Center last season on Dec. 29.
• Maddison Blackwell averaged 10.5 points per game with a .667 field-goal percentage (10-for-15) against the Friars last season. Raeshaun Gaffney added 12.5 points per game.
• Raeshaun Gaffney ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in scoring (15.0 ppg) and sixth in free-throw percentage (.792). The senior guard also ranks fourth in three-point field-goal percentage (.438).
• Raeshaun Gaffney has hit 21 three-pointers this season, seven more than she posted all of last season. She has drained 43.8 percent (21-for-48) of her shot attempts from behind the arc.
• Imani Partlow ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in field-goal percentage (.521). Marquia Turner ranks sixth in assists per game (4.3), while Maddison Blackwell ranks 13th in rebounds per game (5.6).
• Over the last two seasons, Xavier has held an opponent under 50 points nine times. The Musketeers' scoring defense currently ranks second in the BIG EAST (56.8 ppg).
• Xavier ranks second in the BIG EAST in four statistical categories: scoring defense (56.8), field-goal percentage defense (.351) and three-point field-goal percentage defense (.295). The Musketeers also rank third in rebounding margin (+4.0) and fourth in scoring margin (+9.5).
• The win over Michigan marked the 200th program victory at Cintas Center. Xavier has compiled a 200-66 record since the building opened for the 2000-01 season.
Xavier vs North Florida (Nov. 22, 2016)
• The 13 three pointers by the Musketeers were the most in a game since March 22, 2011. Xavier hit 14 in an 85-75 loss to Louisville in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Cintas Center. Xavier posted a .616 (13-for-21) three-point field-goal percentage, the highest percentage in the BIG EAST this year and the 12th highest mark in the NCAA.
• The Musketeers hit 51.7 percent of their shot attempts (31-for-60), their highest field-goal percentage since posting a .549 field-goal percentage at Marquette on Dec. 30, 2014.
• Xavier dished out 24 assists in the win, the most assists by a Xavier team since Feb. 1, 2011. The Musketeers had 27 in a 102-51 win over La Salle.
• Leah Schaefer ranks second in the BIG EAST in blocks (1.8 bpg), while ranking seventh in rebounding (6.7 rpg). The senior forward has already blocked 20 shots this season, one more than her total from each of the previous three seasons. She also ranks 69th nationally in blocked shots.
• Leah Schaefer has 77 career blocks to rank seventh all-time at Xavier. The forward has also pulled down 512 career rebounds, 97 rebounds shy of entering the career top-10 in the statistical category.
• Leah Schaefer is also averaging 2.8 more rebounds per game this season than she did a year ago (6.7-3.9). She has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game three times this season, increasing her career double-figure rebounding games to seven.
• The Musketeers posted a winning record last season, the 22nd winning record for Xavier since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1982-83.
• Xavier returns two starters in seniors Raeshaun Gaffney and Maddison Blackwell. Gaffney led the team in scoring (11.1 ppg) and rebounding (4.8) last year, while Blackwell added 9.2 points per game in BIG EAST play with a .516 field-goal percentage – the fourth highest in the conference.
• Brian Neal returns to the bench for his fourth season as head coach. Last season, he picked up his 200th career victory as a head coach. He now has a 222-85 in 11 years as a head coach.
• 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.
• Xavier continues BIG EAST action at Creighton on Friday, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. EST.
Xavier and Providence both enter the game with 8-3 records.
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THE MATCHUP VS PROVIDENCE |
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (8-3, 0-0) at PROVIDENCE (8-3, 0-0)
Game Info: Wednesday, Dec. 28 - 7 p.m. ET - Alumni Hall (2,620)
Live Stats: http://bit.ly/2hInjft
Live Video: http://bit.ly/1sjW14c
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ABOUT THE FRIARS |
2016-17 Record: 8-3 (0-0 BIG EAST)Series History: Xavier leads, 5-1
NOTABLES
• The Friars already have three more wins than all of last season (5-24 vs 8-3).
• Providence was picked to finish 10th in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Friars return four starters from last year's squad.
• Providence is coached by Jim Crowley who is in his first season with the Friars. He has a 305-271 record in 20 years as a head coach.
• Providence leads the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage (.767), field-goal percentage (.457) and three-point field-goal percentage (.415).
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SERIES HISTORY |
• The Musketeers are 5-1 all-time against the Friars. Xavier has won four straight in the series.
• Xavier won both meetings last season, averaging 67 points per game in the two wins. Xavier limited the Friars to 50.5 points per game a .377 field-goal percentage.
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LAST TIME OUT: LAS VEGAS |
• Xavier went 1-2 at the Puerto Rico Classic - Las Vegas to wrap up non-conference action.
• Marquia Turner averaged 12.0 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game in Las Vegas. The junior guard hit 60 percent (15-for-25) of her shot attempts and hit four 3-pointers (4-for-9).
• Imani Partlow averaged 8.0 points per game and a team-leading 5.3 rebounds per game last week. The sophomore forward posted her second career double-double (10 pts., 10 reb.) in the win over Kennesaw State.
• Raeshaun Gaffney led the team in scoring with 12.7 points per game. She added 4.0 rebounds per game and hit 53.8 percent of her three pointers (7-for-13).
• Anniina Äijänen averaged 8.0 points per game last week, while knocking down 60 percent (9-for-15) of her shot attempts. She posted a career-high 13 points against Kennesaw State.
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BIG EAST OPENERS |
• Xavier is 1-2 in BIG EAST openers with a 0-2 mark in BIG EAST openers on the road.
• The Musketeers defeated Georgetown, 59-54, at Cintas Center last season on Dec. 29.
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FASTBREAK POINTS |
• Maddison Blackwell averaged 10.5 points per game with a .667 field-goal percentage (10-for-15) against the Friars last season. Raeshaun Gaffney added 12.5 points per game.
• Raeshaun Gaffney ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in scoring (15.0 ppg) and sixth in free-throw percentage (.792). The senior guard also ranks fourth in three-point field-goal percentage (.438).
• Raeshaun Gaffney has hit 21 three-pointers this season, seven more than she posted all of last season. She has drained 43.8 percent (21-for-48) of her shot attempts from behind the arc.
• Imani Partlow ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in field-goal percentage (.521). Marquia Turner ranks sixth in assists per game (4.3), while Maddison Blackwell ranks 13th in rebounds per game (5.6).
• Over the last two seasons, Xavier has held an opponent under 50 points nine times. The Musketeers' scoring defense currently ranks second in the BIG EAST (56.8 ppg).
• Xavier ranks second in the BIG EAST in four statistical categories: scoring defense (56.8), field-goal percentage defense (.351) and three-point field-goal percentage defense (.295). The Musketeers also rank third in rebounding margin (+4.0) and fourth in scoring margin (+9.5).
• The win over Michigan marked the 200th program victory at Cintas Center. Xavier has compiled a 200-66 record since the building opened for the 2000-01 season.
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NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCES |
Xavier vs North Florida (Nov. 22, 2016)
• The 13 three pointers by the Musketeers were the most in a game since March 22, 2011. Xavier hit 14 in an 85-75 loss to Louisville in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Cintas Center. Xavier posted a .616 (13-for-21) three-point field-goal percentage, the highest percentage in the BIG EAST this year and the 12th highest mark in the NCAA.
• The Musketeers hit 51.7 percent of their shot attempts (31-for-60), their highest field-goal percentage since posting a .549 field-goal percentage at Marquette on Dec. 30, 2014.
• Xavier dished out 24 assists in the win, the most assists by a Xavier team since Feb. 1, 2011. The Musketeers had 27 in a 102-51 win over La Salle.
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SCHAEFER'S BREAKOUT SEASON |
• Leah Schaefer ranks second in the BIG EAST in blocks (1.8 bpg), while ranking seventh in rebounding (6.7 rpg). The senior forward has already blocked 20 shots this season, one more than her total from each of the previous three seasons. She also ranks 69th nationally in blocked shots.
• Leah Schaefer has 77 career blocks to rank seventh all-time at Xavier. The forward has also pulled down 512 career rebounds, 97 rebounds shy of entering the career top-10 in the statistical category.
• Leah Schaefer is also averaging 2.8 more rebounds per game this season than she did a year ago (6.7-3.9). She has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game three times this season, increasing her career double-figure rebounding games to seven.
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ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS |
• The Musketeers posted a winning record last season, the 22nd winning record for Xavier since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1982-83.
• Xavier returns two starters in seniors Raeshaun Gaffney and Maddison Blackwell. Gaffney led the team in scoring (11.1 ppg) and rebounding (4.8) last year, while Blackwell added 9.2 points per game in BIG EAST play with a .516 field-goal percentage – the fourth highest in the conference.
• Brian Neal returns to the bench for his fourth season as head coach. Last season, he picked up his 200th career victory as a head coach. He now has a 222-85 in 11 years as a head coach.
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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.
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UP NEXT |
• Xavier continues BIG EAST action at Creighton on Friday, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. EST.
Players Mentioned
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