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Xavier University Athletics
Wednesday, November 14
Cincinnati, Ohio
7 p.m.
Xavier University
vs
Minnesota
Musketeers, No. 25 Golden Gophers Set for Wednesday Night Matchup
11.13.18 | Women's Basketball
Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center
CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball takes on No. 25 Minnesota on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. from Cintas Center. The Musketeers are 2-0 on the year, while the Golden Gophers are 1-0.
Minnesota enters the game ranked No. 25 in the AP Poll, the first time the Golden Gophers have been ranked since Jan. 19, 2015.
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (2-0) vs MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (1-0)
Game Info - Wednesday, Nov. 14 - 7 p.m. ET - Cintas Center
Live Video - bit.ly/2RUCxQh
Live Stats - bit.ly/2qqIPeu
2018-19 Record: 1-0
2017-18 Record: 24-9 (11-5 Big Ten)
2017-18 Postseason: NCAA Tournament - Second Round
Series History: Xavier leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: UM 74, XU 62 - 11/22/17
NOTABLES
• Minnesota is led by first-year head coach Lindsay Whalen ('04). The WNBA standout was a three-time All-American for the Gophers. Minnesota's previous head coach took the same position at Texas Tech following the conclusion of the season.
• The Golden Gophers posted a 24-9 (11-5 Big Ten) record last season. Minnesota advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before being defeated by Oregon.
• The Golden Gophers return All-Big Ten First Team performer Kenisha Bell who led the team in scoring (20.0), assists (223) and steals (85). Minnesota also returns Big Ten 'Freshman of the Year' in Destiny Pitts. The forward averaged 13.3 points per game to go along with a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game.
• The Golden Gophers are 1-0 on the year after picking up a 70-47 win over New Hampshire in their season opener on Nov. 9.
• The series between Xavier and Minnesota is tied, 1-1. The Golden Gophers defeated the Musketeers, 74-62, last season on Nov. 22 at Williams Arena.
• Xavier led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter in last year's meeting before the Golden Gophers pulled off the come-from-behind victory. Then-freshman A'riana Gray posted her first career double-double, posting 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
ALL-TIME RESULTS
11/22/17 - Minnesota 74, Xavier 62
11/28/09 - Xavier 71, Minnesota 56
• The Musketeers are 11-40 all-time against teams ranked in the top-25. The last time Xavier played a top-25 team was on Jan. 25 at No. 21 Villanova with the Wildcats pulling off the 75-57 victory.
• 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.
• Sophomore A'riana Gray was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday afternoon for her on-court performance last week. The forward helped the Musketeers open the season with a 2-0 record.
• Gray averaged a team-best 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game with a .737 field-goal percentage (14-for-19). She was also 2-for-4 from three point range and 5-for-6 from the foul line. Gray added two assists and two steals.
• The Cleveland, Ohio, native had 11 point and five rebounds against Chicago State. She also scored a career-high 24 points with 10 rebounds against Tennessee Tech, her second career double-double.
• Xavier posted a 70-60 win over Tennessee Tech on Sunday night at Cintas Center. A'riana Gray led three Musketeers in double figures with a career-high 24 points on 9-for-11 shooting.
• Sophomore Aaliyah Dunham scored 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting, while Na'Teshia Owens added 12 points on 4-for-9 shooting. Dunham also dished out a game-high seven assists.
• Freshman Ayanna Townsend chipped in six points on 2-for-3 shooting in 12 minutes of action off the bench. She added six rebounds, three blocks and one steal.
• Xavier held a 40-37 advantage on the glass. The Musketeers also forced 13 turnovers, converting the miscues into 20 points. Xavier also held a 13-0 advantage in fastbreak points.
• Through two games, Xavier has had two players post 20-point performances in A'riana Gray (24 vs Tennessee Tech) and Deja Ross (22 vs Chicago State). The Musketeers only had two 20-point performances last season.
• A'riana Gray posted her second career double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds) against Tennessee Tech on Sunday night. Her first career double-double was at Minnesota last season with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
• Freshman Ayanna Townsend has averaged 9.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game this season with a .889 (8-for-9) field goal percentage. She also leads the team in blocks with seven. Her field-goal percentage ranks third in the BIG EAST, while her blocks ranks first.
• Sophomore Aaliyah Dunham has averaged 11.0 points and 5.0 assists per game this season. She also had a team-high five steals. The guard ranks third in the BIG EAST in assists.
• Sophomore Deja Ross is averaging 14.5 points per game this season with a .550 field-goal percentage (11-for-20). The forward averaged 4.5 points per game a year ago.
• Xavier defeated Chicago State, 91-57, on Wednesday, Nov. 7. The Musketeers moved to 19-0 in season openers at Cintas Center following the win. The 91 points were the most points in a game for Xavier since scoring 91 against Marquette on Feb. 16, 2015. Xavier won 91-72 at Cintas Center.
• The 34 point win over Chicago State was Xavier's largest margin of victory since an 86-53 win over Delaware State on Dec. 1, 2016.
• The Musketeers forced 26 turnovers against Chicago State. The 26 forced turnovers are the most in a game since Wofford committed 27 against the Musketeers on Nov. 15, 2014 at Cintas Center.
• Xavier ranks third in the BIG EAST in scoring offense (80.5), while ranking second in blocks (6.5) and fifth in field-goal percentage (.468).
• Xavier returns point guard Na'Teshia Owens who played and started in 27 games last season. She averaged 7.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, while adding 59 assists and 24 steals. The junior also hit 40 percent (30-for-75) of her three pointers to rank eighth in the BIG EAST.
• The Musketeers also return Aaliyah Dunham who was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. The guard led the team in assists (74) and three pointers made (32). She finished the year ranked fourth in Xavier single-season history in assists by a freshman.
• Aaliyah Dunham also connected on 39 percent of her three pointers (32-for-82), the ninth best percentage in the conference.
• Xavier finished the year ranked second all-time in program history in made three pointers with 214. The 700 attempted three pointers rank first in school history.
• Xavier returns its top rebounder from last season in A'riana Gray. The sophomore forward pulled down 5.5 rebounds per game last year, leading all BIG EAST freshmen in the category. She also led the Musketeers in steals (30).
• Xavier is the only team in the BIG EAST without a graduate student or senior on its roster. The Musketeers only have three upperclassmen (juniors), and have 10 underclassmen – ranked with Georgetown and Providence for the most underclassmen in the BIG EAST.
• Xavier will play 18 games at Cintas Center this season, including nine BIG EAST games.
• The Musketeers open and close BIG EAST play against Georgetown. Xavier travels to Washington, D.C., on Dec. 29 to open conference play and host the Hoyas on March 3 at Cintas Center.
• The Musketeers have won 36 non-conference games over the last four seasons with a 30-4 mark at Cintas Center.
• The Musketeers will take on three opponents for the first time in school history in Fairfield, North Alabama and Alabama State.
• Xavier will be playing nine home non-conference games, the second most in program history. The Musketeers played 10 non-conference games at Cintas Center during the 2015-16 campaign.
• The Musketeers travel to crosstown rival Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 16. Xavier has won 11 of the last 14 meetings between the two schools, including four in a row.
• Xavier defeated Cincinnati, 53-50, in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout last season at Cintas Center.
• Xavier's non-conference opponents combined to post a 142-192 (.425) record last season. Three teams posted winning records in Minnesota, North Alabama and Cincinnati.
• Minnesota and Cincinnati both participated in postseason tournaments last season. The Golden Gophers advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before being defeated by Oregon. Cincinnati participated in the WNIT and was defeated in the opening round at Michigan State.
• Five of Xavier's non-conference opponents will be under the direction of a new head coach: Chicago State, Minnesota, Bowling Green, Delaware State and Cincinnati. Most notably, Minnesota is coached by former Gopher All-American, Lindsay Whalen.
• The Musketeers will take on an opponent from 11 difference conferences this season.
• Xavier will play three games on national television with each game being aired on FS2. The Musketeers will play all three of those games at Cintas Center (Jan. 27 vs DePaul; Feb. 15 vs Providence; March 1 vs Villanova).
• Xavier's remaining 15 conference games will be aired on the BIG EAST Digital Network.
• BEDN, launched in September 2014, is its own dedicated channel within the FOX Sports app, the mobile app that provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content at home or on-the-go. Streaming on the FOX Sports app is now available on several connected devices, including Apple TV, Roku and Chromecast.
• Xavier takes on Fairfield in the Fourth Annual Lauren Hill Tipoff Classic on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. Mount St. Joseph University will face UC-Clermont at 5 p.m.
First-place votes in parentheses
• Season tickets are on sale now through the Xavier Athletics Ticket Office. For more information on ticket options, call the ticket office at 513-745-3411 ext. 7 or CLICK HERE for additional information.
• Xavier takes on Fairfield in the Fourth Annual Lauren Hill Tipoff Classic on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.
Minnesota enters the game ranked No. 25 in the AP Poll, the first time the Golden Gophers have been ranked since Jan. 19, 2015.
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THE MATCHUP VS MINNESOTA |
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (2-0) vs MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (1-0)
Game Info - Wednesday, Nov. 14 - 7 p.m. ET - Cintas Center
Live Video - bit.ly/2RUCxQh
Live Stats - bit.ly/2qqIPeu
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ABOUT MINNESOTA |
2018-19 Record: 1-02017-18 Record: 24-9 (11-5 Big Ten)
2017-18 Postseason: NCAA Tournament - Second Round
Series History: Xavier leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: UM 74, XU 62 - 11/22/17
NOTABLES
• Minnesota is led by first-year head coach Lindsay Whalen ('04). The WNBA standout was a three-time All-American for the Gophers. Minnesota's previous head coach took the same position at Texas Tech following the conclusion of the season.
• The Golden Gophers posted a 24-9 (11-5 Big Ten) record last season. Minnesota advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before being defeated by Oregon.
• The Golden Gophers return All-Big Ten First Team performer Kenisha Bell who led the team in scoring (20.0), assists (223) and steals (85). Minnesota also returns Big Ten 'Freshman of the Year' in Destiny Pitts. The forward averaged 13.3 points per game to go along with a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game.
• The Golden Gophers are 1-0 on the year after picking up a 70-47 win over New Hampshire in their season opener on Nov. 9.
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SERIES HISTORY - MINNESOTA |
• The series between Xavier and Minnesota is tied, 1-1. The Golden Gophers defeated the Musketeers, 74-62, last season on Nov. 22 at Williams Arena.
• Xavier led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter in last year's meeting before the Golden Gophers pulled off the come-from-behind victory. Then-freshman A'riana Gray posted her first career double-double, posting 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
ALL-TIME RESULTS
11/22/17 - Minnesota 74, Xavier 62
11/28/09 - Xavier 71, Minnesota 56
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XU VS THE TOP-25 |
• The Musketeers are 11-40 all-time against teams ranked in the top-25. The last time Xavier played a top-25 team was on Jan. 25 at No. 21 Villanova with the Wildcats pulling off the 75-57 victory.
• 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.
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BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS |
• Sophomore A'riana Gray was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday afternoon for her on-court performance last week. The forward helped the Musketeers open the season with a 2-0 record.
• Gray averaged a team-best 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game with a .737 field-goal percentage (14-for-19). She was also 2-for-4 from three point range and 5-for-6 from the foul line. Gray added two assists and two steals.
• The Cleveland, Ohio, native had 11 point and five rebounds against Chicago State. She also scored a career-high 24 points with 10 rebounds against Tennessee Tech, her second career double-double.
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LAST TIME OUT |
• Xavier posted a 70-60 win over Tennessee Tech on Sunday night at Cintas Center. A'riana Gray led three Musketeers in double figures with a career-high 24 points on 9-for-11 shooting.
• Sophomore Aaliyah Dunham scored 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting, while Na'Teshia Owens added 12 points on 4-for-9 shooting. Dunham also dished out a game-high seven assists.
• Freshman Ayanna Townsend chipped in six points on 2-for-3 shooting in 12 minutes of action off the bench. She added six rebounds, three blocks and one steal.
• Xavier held a 40-37 advantage on the glass. The Musketeers also forced 13 turnovers, converting the miscues into 20 points. Xavier also held a 13-0 advantage in fastbreak points.
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INDIVIDUAL NOTABLES |
• Through two games, Xavier has had two players post 20-point performances in A'riana Gray (24 vs Tennessee Tech) and Deja Ross (22 vs Chicago State). The Musketeers only had two 20-point performances last season.
• A'riana Gray posted her second career double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds) against Tennessee Tech on Sunday night. Her first career double-double was at Minnesota last season with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
• Freshman Ayanna Townsend has averaged 9.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game this season with a .889 (8-for-9) field goal percentage. She also leads the team in blocks with seven. Her field-goal percentage ranks third in the BIG EAST, while her blocks ranks first.
• Sophomore Aaliyah Dunham has averaged 11.0 points and 5.0 assists per game this season. She also had a team-high five steals. The guard ranks third in the BIG EAST in assists.
• Sophomore Deja Ross is averaging 14.5 points per game this season with a .550 field-goal percentage (11-for-20). The forward averaged 4.5 points per game a year ago.
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TEAM NOTABLES |
• Xavier defeated Chicago State, 91-57, on Wednesday, Nov. 7. The Musketeers moved to 19-0 in season openers at Cintas Center following the win. The 91 points were the most points in a game for Xavier since scoring 91 against Marquette on Feb. 16, 2015. Xavier won 91-72 at Cintas Center.
• The 34 point win over Chicago State was Xavier's largest margin of victory since an 86-53 win over Delaware State on Dec. 1, 2016.
• The Musketeers forced 26 turnovers against Chicago State. The 26 forced turnovers are the most in a game since Wofford committed 27 against the Musketeers on Nov. 15, 2014 at Cintas Center.
• Xavier ranks third in the BIG EAST in scoring offense (80.5), while ranking second in blocks (6.5) and fifth in field-goal percentage (.468).
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ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS |
• Xavier returns point guard Na'Teshia Owens who played and started in 27 games last season. She averaged 7.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, while adding 59 assists and 24 steals. The junior also hit 40 percent (30-for-75) of her three pointers to rank eighth in the BIG EAST.
• The Musketeers also return Aaliyah Dunham who was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. The guard led the team in assists (74) and three pointers made (32). She finished the year ranked fourth in Xavier single-season history in assists by a freshman.
• Aaliyah Dunham also connected on 39 percent of her three pointers (32-for-82), the ninth best percentage in the conference.
• Xavier finished the year ranked second all-time in program history in made three pointers with 214. The 700 attempted three pointers rank first in school history.
• Xavier returns its top rebounder from last season in A'riana Gray. The sophomore forward pulled down 5.5 rebounds per game last year, leading all BIG EAST freshmen in the category. She also led the Musketeers in steals (30).
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YOUNG MUSKETEERS |
• Xavier is the only team in the BIG EAST without a graduate student or senior on its roster. The Musketeers only have three upperclassmen (juniors), and have 10 underclassmen – ranked with Georgetown and Providence for the most underclassmen in the BIG EAST.
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SCHEDULE NOTES |
• Xavier will play 18 games at Cintas Center this season, including nine BIG EAST games.
• The Musketeers open and close BIG EAST play against Georgetown. Xavier travels to Washington, D.C., on Dec. 29 to open conference play and host the Hoyas on March 3 at Cintas Center.
• The Musketeers have won 36 non-conference games over the last four seasons with a 30-4 mark at Cintas Center.
• The Musketeers will take on three opponents for the first time in school history in Fairfield, North Alabama and Alabama State.
• Xavier will be playing nine home non-conference games, the second most in program history. The Musketeers played 10 non-conference games at Cintas Center during the 2015-16 campaign.
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RIVALRY GAME |
• The Musketeers travel to crosstown rival Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 16. Xavier has won 11 of the last 14 meetings between the two schools, including four in a row.
• Xavier defeated Cincinnati, 53-50, in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout last season at Cintas Center.
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OPPONENT BREAKDOWN |
• Xavier's non-conference opponents combined to post a 142-192 (.425) record last season. Three teams posted winning records in Minnesota, North Alabama and Cincinnati.
• Minnesota and Cincinnati both participated in postseason tournaments last season. The Golden Gophers advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before being defeated by Oregon. Cincinnati participated in the WNIT and was defeated in the opening round at Michigan State.
• Five of Xavier's non-conference opponents will be under the direction of a new head coach: Chicago State, Minnesota, Bowling Green, Delaware State and Cincinnati. Most notably, Minnesota is coached by former Gopher All-American, Lindsay Whalen.
• The Musketeers will take on an opponent from 11 difference conferences this season.
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NATIONAL TV BROADCASTS |
• Xavier will play three games on national television with each game being aired on FS2. The Musketeers will play all three of those games at Cintas Center (Jan. 27 vs DePaul; Feb. 15 vs Providence; March 1 vs Villanova).
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BIG EAST DIGITAL NETWORK |
• Xavier's remaining 15 conference games will be aired on the BIG EAST Digital Network.
• BEDN, launched in September 2014, is its own dedicated channel within the FOX Sports app, the mobile app that provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content at home or on-the-go. Streaming on the FOX Sports app is now available on several connected devices, including Apple TV, Roku and Chromecast.
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LAUREN HILL TIPOFF CLASSIC |
• Xavier takes on Fairfield in the Fourth Annual Lauren Hill Tipoff Classic on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. Mount St. Joseph University will face UC-Clermont at 5 p.m.
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PRESEASON COACHES POLL |
| 1. | DePaul (5) | 77 |
| Marquette (5) | 77 | |
| 3. | Villanova | 57 |
| 4. | Creighton | 53 |
| 5. | Georgetown | 52 |
| 6. | St. John's | 48 |
| 7. | Butler | 34 |
| 8. | Seton Hall | 23 |
| 9. | Providence | 17 |
| 10. | Xavier | 12 |
First-place votes in parentheses
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SEASON TICKET INFORMATION |
• Season tickets are on sale now through the Xavier Athletics Ticket Office. For more information on ticket options, call the ticket office at 513-745-3411 ext. 7 or CLICK HERE for additional information.
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UP NEXT |
• Xavier takes on Fairfield in the Fourth Annual Lauren Hill Tipoff Classic on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
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