Xavier Opens BIG EAST Tournament Action Against Seton Hall

Saturday, March 3

Chicago, Ill.

7:30 p.m.

Xavier University

Seton Hall

Xavier Opens BIG EAST Tournament Action Against Seton Hall

03.01.18 | Women's Basketball

Tournament Central Live Stats Watch Live XU Notes (PDF)

Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET from Wintrust Arena

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Xavier women's basketball opens BIG EAST Tournament play on Saturday, March 3 against Seton Hall. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET from Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill.

The No. 10 seed Musketeers enter the game with a 10-19 (3-15 BIG EAST) record, while the No. 7 seed Pirates are 15-14 (7-11 BIG EAST). Seton Hall won both meetings between the two schools this season.

The winner of Saturday's game will take on No. 2 seed DePaul - the BIG EAST Co-Champions - on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.

THE MATCHUP VS SETON HALL

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (10-19, 3-15) vs SETON HALL PIRATES (15-14, 7-11)
Game Info - Saturday, March 3 - 7:30 p.m. ET - Wintrust Arena (10,367)
Live video (BEDN) - bit.ly/2F7fbke
Live stats - bit.ly/2CRudZm

ABOUT SETON HALL

2017-18 Record: 15-14 (7-11)
2017 Postseason: None
Series History: Xavier trails, 9-1

NOTABLES
• The Pirates have lost five straight games, most recently a 72-68 loss to DePaul on Feb. 25. Prior to the losing streak, Seton Hall had won five of its previous six games.
• Seton Hall leads the BIG EAST in steals per game (10.6). The Pirates have 307 steals on the year, ranking 24th nationally. Seton Hall also ranks fifth in the conference in scoring offense (67.1) and scoring defense (65.3).

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT HISTORY

• Since the conference reconfiguration to 10 teams in 2014, the No. 10 seed has posted a 1-4 record in the opening round and a 1-5 overall record. Last season, No. 10 seed Butler defeated No. 7 seed Xavier in the opening round, 68-66, in Milwaukee, Wis.

• Xavier is 1-4 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament action. The Musketeers lone BIG EAST Tournament win was over Georgetown, 70-67, on March 7, 2015.

• Since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14, the Musketeers have never been higher than the No. 7 seed (twice). Xavier has also been the No. 8 and No. 9 seed once.

• All told, Xavier is 36-23 in conference tournament history. The Musketeers posted a 28-12 record in Atlantic 10 Tournament action (1996-2013) with six championships.

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier trails the all-time series with the Pirates, 9-1. The Musketeers have dropped three straight in the series. The last five meetings have been decided by 10 or fewer points.

• The Musketeers lone victory in the series was on Jan. 4, 2017 at Cintas Center. Xavier defeated Seton Hall, 72-64.

• Saturday's meeting with Seton Hall will be the first meeting between the two schools in conference tournament play.

2017-18 VS SETON HALL

• Xavier averaged 52.0 points per game in the series versus the Pirates this season. Xavier posted a .393 field-goal percentage and Seton Hall recorded a .409 field-goal percentage. Both teams averaged 31.5 rebounds per game.

• Deja Ross averaged 10.0 points per game, going 6-for-12 from the floor with five 3-pointers. Anniina Äijänen added 9.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

DUNHAM - ALL BIG EAST HONORS

• Aaliyah Dunham was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team on Wednesday as voted on by the conference's head coaches. The freshman guard has averaged 6.2 points and 2.5 assists per game this season.

• Her 72 total assists leads all Xavier players and ranks fifth in XU single-season history by a freshman. Dunham also leads the team with 31 made three pointers, while her .397 three-point field-goal percentage ranks eighth in the BIG EAST.

• The South Charleston, W.Va., native is the first Musketeer to earn the honors since Maddison Blackwell in 2013. Xavier has had 12 players earn all-freshman team honors in program history.

BYRD BIG EAST HONORS

• Jada Byrd was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday afternoon for her performance in Xavier's 57-54 win over Butler on Feb. 25. She earns the weekly honors for the third time this season.

• The senior guard scored 12 points to go along with a game-high four assists and five steals. She was also 6-for-9 from the foul line and added one rebound.

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

• Xavier has had a player earn BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll honors six times this season, paced by Jada Byrd who has earned the recognition three times. Aaliyah Dunham, Kindell Fincher and Anniina Äijänen have all earned the honors once this season.

• Deja Ross also earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors on Dec. 23.

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier snapped a nine-game losing streak on Feb. 25 with a 57-54 win over Butler on Senior Day. Three Musketeers scored in double figures, led by Kindell Fincher who had 13 points.

• Jada Byrd added 12 points and a game-high four assists and five steals. Na'Teshia Owens also scored 12 points.

BREAKOUT SENIOR SEASONS

• Jada Byrd leads the team in scoring (9.7). The senior guard entered the year averaging 2.1 points per game over her first three seasons. She also ranks sixth in the conference in field-goal percentage (.485).

• Anniina Äijänen ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 8.1 points per game. The senior forward entered the year averaging 3.0 points per game over her first three seasons. She also ranks 14th in the conference in field-goal percentage (.448).

BIG EAST PLAY

• Imani Partlow ranks second on the team in scoring during BIG EAST action, averaging 8.5 points per game. She has added a .509 field-goal percentage – the sixth best percentage in the conference – and 5.2 rebounds per game.

• Anniina Äijänen has added 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game during conference action. Her .455 field-goal percentage ranks tied 15th in the BIG EAST.

• Na'Teshia Owens ranks second in the conference in three-point field-goal percentage (.429), going 15-for-35 from behind the arc. She also ranks fifth in field-goal percentage (.511).

NOTABLES

• Jada Byrd has averaged 11.4 points per game in her last seven outings. The senior guard has posted a .585 field-goal percentage (31-for-53) with 12 assists and 12 rebounds.

• A'riana Gray has averaged 8.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in her last five outings. She has gone 12-for-15 from the foul line during that span.

• Na'Teshia Owens has averaged 11.6 points per game in her last five outings with a .629 field-goal percentage (22-for-35). The sophomore guard has added 10 rebounds, 13 assists and six steals.

• Princess Stewart has hit 50.0 percent (9-for-18) of her shot attempts in her last five outings. She has scored 4.6 points per game in those games with nine rebounds, five assists and two steals.

• Xavier has had nine different leading scorers through 29 games this season. Jada Byrd has led the team in scoring eight times.

• A'riana Gray has averaged 5.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season. Gray's 5.6 rebounds per game leads all BIG EAST freshmen, while ranking 14th overall. She posted her first career double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) at Minnesota on Nov. 22.

• Xavier ranks 21st nationally in fewest fouls committed per game (14.2). The Musketeers also rank 67th in total three pointers made (208).

NOTABLES TEAM PERFORMANCES

• Xavier posted a season-high .600 field-goal percentage (27-for-45) against DePaul, the team's highest field-goal percentage since hitting 62.7 percent (32-for-51) of its shot attempts versus Richmond on Feb. 15, 2012.

• Xavier attempted a school record 35 three pointers against Cincinnati. The previous record was 34 attempts at Richmond on Jan. 20, 2002. The Musketeers also had 35 attempts against FAMU on Dec. 22.

• Xavier held Cincinnati to only 50 points on Dec. 10, the seventh time in the last two seasons the Musketeers have held an opponent to 50 or fewer points.

• The overtime win against New Hampshire was the first overtime victory for the Musketeers since a 74-67 win against Villanova on Dec. 31, 2015. Xavier went 0-3 in overtime games last season and is 1-1 in overtime games this season.

XU FROM THREE POINT RANGE

• Xavier has made 10 three pointers in a game seven times this season. The Musketeers haven't scored 10 or more three pointers on more than one occasion in a season since the 2013-14 campaign.

• Xavier is averaging 7.2 three pointers per game to rank fourth in the BIG EAST. The Musketeers averaged 5.4 three pointers per game last season. The Musketeers have made 208 three pointers this season, 47 more than all of last season (161).

• Na'Teshia Owens ranks third in the conference in three-point field-goal percentage (.411), while Aaliyah Dunham ranks eighth (.397).

RECORD WATCH

• Xavier has made 208 three pointers this season to rank tied for third in single-season school history. The Musketeers are three 3-pointers away from moving into second place.

YOUNG MUSKETEERS

• Xavier enters the season with one of the youngest teams in the BIG EAST. The Musketeers have the second most underclassmen (9) in the conference behind Villanova (10).

• The Musketeers also have six true freshmen, the most of any team in the conference.

• Xavier's underclassmen have played in 56.9 percent of the team's minutes this season.

• Xavier returns four upperclassmen (two seniors, two juniors) who entered the season with 42 combined career starts. Those four players (Jada Byrd, Anniina Äijänen, Imani Partlow and Kindell Fincher) combined to average 21.7 points per game last season.

PRESEASON POLL

• The Musketeers were picked to finish 10th in the preseason coaches' poll as voted on by conference head coaches. Xavier was the only team in the BIG EAST without a player on the preseason all-conference team.

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Xavier played 16 games at Cintas Center this season (seven non-conference; nine BIG EAST games). The non-conference home schedule was highlighted by the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout on Sunday, Dec. 10 against Cincinnati. Xavier has won three straight in the series, including 10 of the last 13 meetings.

• The Musketeers opened the BIG EAST season with three-straight road games before playing back-to-back home contests against St. John's (Jan. 7) and Seton Hall (Jan. 10).

• Xavier opened and closed the season against Butler. The Musketeers traveled to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Dec. 29 for a nationally televised matchup on FS2 and hosted the Bulldogs on Feb. 25.

• The Musketeers have won 33 non-conference games over the last four seasons with a 28-4 mark at Cintas Center.

OPPONENT BREAKDOWN

• Xavier took on three opponents for the first time in school history in Mount St. Mary's, Furman and FAMU. The contests with New Hampshire, Minnesota and Grambling were only the second meetings with each opponent in program history.

• Xavier's non-conference opponents combined to post a 186-192 overall record a year ago. Five teams posted winning records, while four teams advanced to postseason play (3 - WNIT; 1 - NCAA).

• All told, Xavier took on an opponent from 11 different conferences.

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.

FOX SPORTS

• FOX Sports will nationally televise 15 regular-season games, while the BIG EAST Digital Network will carry an additional 74 conference matchups for a third consecutive season.

• The BEDN, launched in September 2014, is its own dedicated section within FOX Sports GO, the mobile app that provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content at home or on-the-go. FOX Sports GO is currently available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones, select Windows devices, and on desktops through FOXSportsGO.com. Streaming on FOX Sports GO is also now available on several connected devices, including Apple TV, Roku and Chromecast. Fans can download the mobile app for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store and Windows Store.