Xavier, North Alabama Set for Sunday Matinee at Cintas Center

Sunday, December 2

Cincinnati, Ohio

2 p.m.

Xavier University

North Alabama

Xavier, North Alabama Set for Sunday Matinee at Cintas Center

11.30.18 | Women's Basketball

Watch Live Live Stats UNA Notes (PDF)XU Notes (PDF)

Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 2 against North Alabama. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Cintas Center.

THE MATCHUP VS NORTH ALABAMA

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (5-1) vs NORTH ALABAMA LIONS (7-0)
Game Info - Sunday, Dec. 2 - 2 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224)
Live Video - bit.ly/2Kx9M9E
Live Stats - bit.ly/2qqIPeu

ABOUT NORTH ALABAMA

2018-19 Record: 7-0
2017-18 Record: 24-5 (17-3 GSC)
2017-18 Postseason: NCAA Division II - First Round
Series History: First meeting

NOTABLES
• The contest between Xavier and North Alabama will be the first meeting in program history.
• The Lions posted a 24-5 (17-3 GSC) record last season at the NCAA DII level. North Alabama is transitioning to the NCAA DI level for the 2018-19 season and will be a member of the ASUN Conference.
• North Alabama returns its top two leading scorers in Emma Wallen (18.3) and Ivy Wallen (17.5). Ivy Wallen also added a team-high 9.4 assists per game.
• The Lions led the Gulf South Conference in scoring offense (80.9), while ranking third in scoring defense (59.3).
• North Alabama is averaging 82.6 points per game with a .489 field-goal percentage. Emma Wallen leads the team in scoring (15.6), while Brittany Panetti has chipped in 14.3 points per game.

BIG EAST HONORS

• A'riana Gray was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for her on-court performance last week. The sophomore forward helped the Musketeers post a 62-50 road win at Wake Forest on Nov. 21. She earns the honors for the second time this season.

• Gray scored a game-high 17 points on 6-for-17 shooting. She added three 3-pointers, six rebounds, one assist and three steals.

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier is coming off a 65-49 win over Bowling Green on Thursday afternoon in front of 3,628 fans on 'Field Trip Day'.

• Xavier forced 22 turnovers, converting the miscues into 24 points (season high). Bowling Green only scored two points off of turnovers.

• Xavier has held its opponents to 50 or fewer points three times season. The Musketeers held an opponent to 50 or fewer points three times during the 2017-18 season.

INDIVIDUAL NOTABLES

• Sophomore Aly Reiff scored a career-high 21 points on 6-for-9 shooting against Bowling Green. Reiff was also 5-for-8 from behind the arc. She added two rebounds, two steals and was 4-for-4 from the foul line. The guard's previous career high was eight points against No. 25 Minnesota earlier this season.

• Sophomore Aly Reiff ranks third in the BIG EAST in three-point field-goal percentage (.524). She is 11-for-21 from behind the arc.

• Sophomore A'riana Gray posted her fourth career double-double and third of the season against Bowling Green, scoring 16 points to go along with a game-high 18 rebounds - the most rebounds by a BIG EAST player in a game this season. She was 7-for-13 from the floor and added one steal.

• Sophomore A'riana Gray leads the team in scoring (15.2) and rebounding (10.5). The forward has connected on 53.6 percent (37-for-69) of her shot attempts to rank eighth in the BIG EAST. She also leads the BIG EAST in rebounding, while ranking fifth in scoring.

• Freshman Lauren Wasylson ranks 15th in the BIG EAST in three-point field-goal percentage (.375). She is 12-for-32 from behind the arc and leads all BIG EAST freshman in total three pointers made. The guard ranks third on the team in scoring (8.3).

• Sophomore Aaliyah Dunham has averaged 8.2 points and 4.5 assists per game this season. The guard ranks sixth in the BIG EAST in assists.

• Through six games, Xavier has had three players post 20-point performances in A'riana Gray (24 vs Tennessee Tech), Deja Ross (22 vs Chicago State) and Aly Reiff (21 vs Bowling Green). The Musketeers only had two 20-point performances last season.

TEAM NOTABLES

• Xavier ranks second in the BIG EAST in three-point field-goal percentage defense (.226), while ranking 22nd nationally. The Musketeers also rank fifth in steals (8.7) and fifth in scoring defense (54.8).

• Xavier has made 12 three pointers in a game twice this season, most recently at Wake Forest. The Musketeers had 10 or more three pointers in seven games last season.

• 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 posted a 48-35 win over Fairfield on Nov. 17. The 35 points allowed were the fewest since a 67-27 win over Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 25, 2015 at Cintas Center.

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).

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.

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 39 non-conference games over the last four seasons with a 32-5 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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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

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.

UP NEXT

• Xavier returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 9 against Delaware State. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Cintas Center.