Musketeers Play Host to Providence on Senior Day

Sunday, February 26

Cincinnati, Ohio

11:30 a.m.

Xavier University

Providence

Musketeers Play Host to Providence on Senior Day

02.25.17 | Women's Basketball

Live Stats Watch Live - BEDN Live Audio XU Notes (PDF)

Xavier takes on the Friars at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday at Cintas Center

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Xavier women's basketball closes out regular-season action on Sunday, Feb. 26 against Providence. Tip-off is slated for 11:30 a.m. with the game being aired on the BIG EAST Digital Network.

The Musketeers have lost four straight and bring an 11-17 (3-14 BIG EAST) record into Sunday's game. The Friars 12-16 (4-13 BIG EAST) have won two straight games, most recently defeating Butler, 64-58, at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Prior to tip-off, the Musketeers will recognize four seniors in Maddison Blackwell, Raeshaun Gaffney, Martha Thompson and Leah Schaefer.

THE MATCHUP VS PROVIDENCE

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (11-17, 3-14) vs PROVIDENCE FRIARS (12-16, 4-13)
Game Info: Sunday, Feb. 25 - 7 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,250)
Live Stats: http://bit.ly/1lYmT6d
Live Video - BEDN: http://bit.ly/2llU4B5
Live Audio: http://bit.ly/2kXwVZq

ABOUT THE FRIARS

2016-17 Record: 12-16 (4-13 BIG EAST)
Series History: Xavier leads, 6-1

NOTABLES
• The Friars are 4-10 in road games this season with a 1-7 mark in BIG EAST games.
• Providence leads the BIG EAST in free throw percentage (.748) and three-point field goal percentage (.383).
• Jovana Nogic leads the team in scoring (14.9), steals (37) and three pointers made (88).

SERIES HISTORY

• The Musketeers are 6-1 all-time against the Friars. Xavier has won five straight in the series.

FIRST MEETING VS PROVIDENCE

• Xavier won the first meeting between the two schools earlier this season, 54-51, on Dec. 28. The Musketeers trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half before pulling off the comeback, engineered by 13 points from Maddison Blackwell.

• Maddison Blackwell paced the Musketeers with 15 points and nine rebounds. She was 7-for-13 from the floor with 13 points in the second half.

• Senior Raeshaun Gaffney added 11 points and six rebounds. Classmate Leah Schaefer chipped in nine points on 4-for-6 shooting to go along with seven rebounds.

• Kindell Fincher scored nine points on 3-for-8 shooting with all nine points coming in the second half. The sophomore guard was 3-for-5 from the floor in the second half with two 3-pointers.

CAREER STATS VS PROVIDENCE

• Leah Schaefer has averaged 5.3 points and rebounds in six career games versus the Friars. The senior forward has added a .667 field-goal percentage (12-for-18) in those games.

• Maddison Blackwell has averaged 10.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in seven career games against the Friars. She has hit 56.9 percent (29-for-51) of her shot attempts in those games.

• Raeshaun Gaffney has averaged 10.5 points per game in four career meetings with Providence. She has hit 50 percent (6-for-12) of her three pointers in those outings.

LAST TIME OUT: VS CREIGHTON

• Xavier dropped a 67-57 home contest to RV/No. 25 Creighton on Friday night.

• Marquia Turner matched her career high in scoring with 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting. She was also 3-for-5 from behind the arc. She previously scored 18 points on Dec. 1, 2016 against Delaware State.

• Maddison Blackwell was the only other Musketeer in double figures with 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting. The senior forward added three rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals.

FROM BEHIND THE ARC

• Xavier has made 150 three-pointers this season, 42 more than its total from all of last season. The Musketeers are averaging 5.4 three pointers per game, while hitting 32.8 percent of their shots from behind the arc – ranking fourth in the BIG EAST.

• Xavier finished ninth in the BIG EAST in three-point field-goal percentage (.276) last season.

TALE OF TWO HALVES

• Xavier has shot four percent better in the first half of games this season versus the second half (42.6% vs. 38.6%). The Musketeers have also hit 38.5 percent of their three pointers in the first half compared to a .261 clip in the second half.

PLAYING AT CINTAS CENTER

• Xavier is 7-7 at home this season with a 1-7 mark in BIG EAST games. The Musketeers' lone conference home win was against Seton Hall, 72-64, on Jan. 4.

FASTBREAK POINTS

• Imani Partlow has averaged nine points per game in her last three outings with a .667 field-goal percentage. Raeshaun Gaffney has added 10.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game over that span.

• Anniina Äijänen has averaged 7.7 points per game in her last three outings with a .571 field-goal percentage (8-for-14).

• Xavier has played three teams ranked in the top-25 this season. The Musketeers are 0-4 in those outings.

• Raeshaun Gaffney ranks 10th in the BIG EAST in scoring (14.1 ppg) and ninth in free-throw percentage (.754).

• Raeshaun Gaffney has hit 38 three-pointers this season, 24 more than she posted all of last season. She has drained 38.4 percent (38-for-99) of her shot attempts from behind the arc.

• Marquia Turner ranks sixth in the conference in assists per game (3.8), while Maddison Blackwell ranks 10th in rebounds per game (6.0).

• Xavier ranks third in the BIG EAST in field-goal percentage defense (.388), third in three-point field-goal percentage defense (.304) and sixth in scoring defense (64.4).

• Over the last two seasons, Xavier has held an opponent under 50 points 10 times.

• The win over Michigan marked the 200th program victory at Cintas Center. Xavier has compiled a 201-72 record since the building opened for the 2000-01 season.

RECORD WATCH: LEAH SCHAEFER

• Leah Schaefer has 89 career blocks to rank fourth all-time at Xavier. The forward has also pulled down 579 career rebounds, 26 rebounds shy of entering the career top-10 in the statistical category.

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 225-99 in 11 years as a head coach.

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.

UP NEXT

• Xavier will play in the opening round of the BIG EAST Tournament on March 4 in Milwaukee, Wis. Tournament seeding will be announced on Sunday night.