Musketeers Play Host to No. 9/10 Marquette on Friday Night

Friday, January 25

Cincinnati, Ohio

7 p.m.

Xavier University

Marquette

Musketeers Play Host to No. 9/10 Marquette on Friday Night

01.23.19 | Women's Basketball

Watch Live - BEDN Live Stats XU Notes (PDF)

Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball continues BIG EAST action against No. 9/10 Marquette on Friday, Jan. 25. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center.

THE MATCHUP VS MARQUETTE

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (10-8, 1-6) vs No. 9/10 MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES (16-3, 7-0)
Game Info - Friday, Jan. 25 - 7 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224)
Live Video - BEDN - bit.ly/2RH5T8U
Live Stats - bit.ly/2qqIPeu

ABOUT MARQUETTE

2018-19 Record: 16-3 (7-0 BIG EAST)
2017-18 Record: 24-10 (15-3 BIG EAST)
2017-18 Postseason: NCAA - Second Round
Series History: Xavier trails, 12-7
Last Meeting: Marquette 80, Xavier 63 (02/09/18 - Cincinnati, Ohio - Cintas Center)

NOTABLES
• Marquette leads the BIG EAST in scoring offense (84.9), field-goal percentage (.470), three-point field-goal percentage defense (.268) and scoring margin (+23.9). The Golden Eagles rank fourth in the NCAA in scoring, sixth in scoring margin and eighth in assists.
• Senior Natisha Hiedeman leads the conference in scoring (18.6), while ranking second in assists (5.2). Classmate Erika Davenport ranks second in field-goal percentage (.616) and fourth in rebounding (8.4).
• The Golden Eagles rank 10th in the AP Top-25 Poll and ninth in the USA Today Coaches' Poll. Both rankings are program bests for Marquette.

MARQUETTE SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier trails the all-time series with Marquette, 12-7. The Musketeers have dropped five straight in the series.

• The Musketeers last win over the Golden Eagles was on Jan. 15, 2016 at Cintas Center. Xavier defeated Marquette, 71-66.

XAVIER VS THE TOP-25

• The Musketeers are 11-41 all-time against teams ranked in the top-25. The last time Xavier played a top-25 team was earlier this season on Nov. 14 against No. 25 Minnesota (L, 78-53).

• 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.

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier is coming off 71-58 road loss at Providence on Sunday, the Musketeers third straight loss.

• Sophomore forward A'riana Gray led the Musketeers with 13 points and 14 rebounds. She was 3-for-7 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the foul line. She added three steals and two assists.

• Sophomore Princess Stewart scored nine points, while juniors Na'Teshia Owens and Tierra Floyd both chipped in eight points. Sophomore Aaliyah Dunham and freshman Carrie Gross both finished with seven points.

• Xavier hit 10 three pointers in the game, the team's second straight game with 10 or more three pointers. The Musketeers have made 10 or more three pointers in six games this season.

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

• A'riana Gray was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday for her on-court performance last week. The sophomore forward averaged 18.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game in two contests last weekend.

GRAY'S BREAKOUT SEASON

• Sophomore A'riana Gray leads the BIG EAST in rebounding (11.4), while ranking seventh in scoring (14.3). The forward's 11.4 rebounds per game also ranks 16th nationally.

• A'riana Gray posted a career-high seven steals against Creighton. She averages 2.3 steals per game, ranking third in the conference.

• Sophomore A'riana Gray leads the BIG EAST in double-doubles with 10, while also ranking 15th nationally. She has 205 rebounds on the year to rank 10th in the NCAA.

• In her last five games, sophomore A'riana Gray has averaged 17.2 points and 15.0 rebounds per game. She has added a .475 field-goal percentage (29-for-61) with eight assists, 14 steals and five blocks.

INDIVIDUAL NOTABLES

• Freshman Lauren Wasylson ranks sixth in the BIG EAST in three-point field-goal percentage (.402), while ranking 63rd nationally. She is 39-for-97 from behind the arc and leads all BIG EAST freshmen in total three pointers made. The guard ranks 12th nationally among freshmen in three pointers made. Her 39 made three pointers are seven more than Xavier's individual player total for made three pointers from last season (Aaliyah Dunham - 32).

• In 10 games this season, sophomore Princess Stewart is averaging 8.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. She has added 24 assists and 23 steals in those games. The guard averaged 4.2 points and 2.1 rebounds per game last year (30 games) and totaled 10 steals.

• Sophomore Deja Ross pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds against Seton Hall. She ranks second on the team in rebounding (4.5), while adding 5.7 points per game.

• Sophomore Aaliyah Dunham ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in assists (3.5) and seventh in assists-to-turnover ratio (2.0). The guard has also added 8.1 points per game this season. She averaged 2.5 assists per game last season as a freshman.

• Sophomore Aaliyah Dunham averaged 10.5 points per game against Marquette last year. The guard posted a .600 field-goal percentage (6-for-10) with four 3-pointers. She added a team-high nine assists and three steals.

TEAM NOTABLES

• Xavier ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in steals (9.2) and and three pointers made (8.9). The 8.9 three pointers made per game rank 25th in the NCAA.

• The Musketeers have now matched last year's win total (10-20). The win over New Orleans gave Xavier nine non-conference wins, the most non-conference wins since the 2015-16 season (9-3 record; finished 17-13 overall).

• Xavier is averaging 7.2 more points per game this season than a year ago (65.8 ppg vs 58.6 ppg). Xavier already has four more total blocks (59-55) than a year ago and is averaging 3.1 more steals per game (9.2 - 6.1).

• Xavier has had a player score 20 or more points in a game seven times this season. The Musketeers only had one player score 20 or more points in a game twice last season.

• Xavier has scored 80 or more points in a game four times this season. The Musketeers' season-high last season was 75 points against Furman on Dec. 17.

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.

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS

• Xavier has had a player named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll five times this season. Lauren Wasylson was also named Freshman of the Week on Nov. 19 and A'riana Gray earned Player of the Week Honors on Dec. 3, the first Xavier player to earn the honors since joining the BIG EAST in 2013.

Jan. 21	A'riana Gray	Weekly Honor Roll
Jan. 7	A'riana Gray	Weekly Honor Roll
Dec. 17	Na'Teshia Owens	Weekly Honor Roll
Dec. 3	A'riana Gray	Player of the Week
Nov. 26	A'riana Gray	Weekly Honor Roll
Nov. 19	Lauren Wasylson	Freshman of the Week
Nov. 12	A'riana Gray	Weekly Honor Roll

2018 SIGNING CLASS

• Head Coach Brian Neal announced the addition of Hannah Noveroske and Courtney Prenger to the 2019-20 roster on Nov. 15.

• Noveroske is a 6-foot-4 center from Michigan City, Ind. She averaged 20.6 points, 15.7 rebounds and 6.9 blocks per game as a junior. She recently earned all-state honors in volleyball after helping her team to a sectional title.

• Prenger helped her team win the 2018 OHSAA Division IV State Title, averaging 10.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-1 forward from Minster, Ohio, is a three-time all-conference first-team selection. She is also a standout track and field athlete, participating in the 4x200 and 4x400 meter relays at the 2016 and 2017 OHSAA State Championships.

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).

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 43 non-conference games over the last five seasons with a 36-5 mark at Cintas Center.

• The Musketeers took on three opponents for the first time in school history in Fairfield, North Alabama and Alabama State.

• Xavier played 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.

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

• The Musketeers return to action against DePaul on Sunday, Jan. 27. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Cintas Center with the game being aired nationally on FS2.