Xavier, Providence Set for Friday Night Matchup on FS2

Friday, February 15

Cincinnati, Ohio

7 p.m.

Xavier University

Providence

Xavier, Providence Set for Friday Night Matchup on FS2

02.13.19 | Women's Basketball

Watch - FS2 Live Stats XU Notes (PDF)PC Notes (PDF)

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

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball plays the first of two home BIG EAST games on Friday, Feb. 15 against Providence. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center.

THE MATCHUP VS PROVIDENCE

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (11-12, 2-10) vs PROVIDENCE FRIARS (14-11, 6-7)
Game Info - Friday, Feb. 15 - 7 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224)
Live Video - FS2 - bit.ly/2I97ss4
Live Stats - bit.ly/2qqIPeu

ABOUT PROVIDENCE

2018-19 Record: 14-11 (6-7 BIG EAST)
2017-18 Record: 10-21 (3-14 BIG EAST)
2017-18 Postseason: None
Series History: Xavier leads, 8-3
Last Meeting: Providence 71, Xavier 58 (Alumni Hall - Providence, R.I.)

NOTABLES
• Mary Baskerville was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Monday, marking the fourth time this season the rookie forward has earned the honor.
• Providence ranks second in the the BIG EAST in three-point field-goal percentage (.370), third in field-goal percentage (.374) and fourth in free-throw percentage (.738). The Friars also rank third in blocked shots (3.6).
• Senior Jovana Nogic leads the conference in free-throw percentage (.895), while ranking 12th in scoring (13.4). Freshman Mary Baskerville ranks fourth in blocks (1.6), third in field-goal percentage (.543) and ninth in rebounding (7.4).

PROVIDENCE SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier leads the all-time series with Providence, 8-3. The Musketeers have dropped two in a row in the series, including a 71-58 setback on Sunday, Jan. 20 this season.

LAST TIME OUT VS THE FRIARS

• Sophomore forward A'riana Gray posted 13 points and 14 rebounds against Providence in the first meeting this season. 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 and forced 18 turnovers, converting the miscues into 23 points.

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier is coming off a 63-38 road loss at Butler on Friday, Feb. 8. The 38 points were a season low for the Musketeers. Xavier also posted a season-low 14 field goals (14-for-50).

• Sophomores Princess Stewart and A'riana Gray led the team in scoring with eight points each. Classmate Deja Ross added seven points, while Aaliyah Dunham and Lauren Wasylson both chipped in six. Dunham also dished out a team-high four assists.

• Sophomore A'riana Gray paced the team on the glass with a game-high 10 rebounds, her 16th game of the year with 10 or more rebounds. She added a team-high three steals. Sophomore Deja Ross added two steals and five rebounds.

• The Musketeers hit nine 3-pointers in the game with five different players making a shot from behind the arc. Deja Ross, Aaliyah Dunham and Lauren Wasylson each had two 3-pointers.

GRAY'S BREAKOUT SEASON

• Sophomore A'riana Gray leads the BIG EAST in rebounding (11.2), while ranking 13th in scoring (13.3). The forward's 11.2 rebounds per game also ranks 19th nationally.

• Sophomore A'riana Gray leads the BIG EAST in double-doubles with 12, while also ranking 20th nationally. She has 258 rebounds on the year to rank 13th in the NCAA.

• In 12 BIG EAST games, A'riana Gray is averaging 12.8 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. She also has a team-high 21 steals to go along with 13 assists in those games.

• A'riana Gray posted a career-high seven steals against Creighton on Jan. 18. She averages 2.0 steals per game, ranking seventh in the conference.

INDIVIDUAL NOTABLES

• Freshman Lauren Wasylson ranks sixth in the BIG EAST in three-point field-goal percentage (.393), while ranking 64th nationally. She is 48-for-122 from behind the arc and leads all BIG EAST freshmen in total three pointers made. The guard ranks 16th nationally among freshmen in three pointers made. Her 48 made three pointers are 16 more than Xavier's individual player total for made three pointers from last season (Aaliyah Dunham - 32).

• In 15 games this season, sophomore Princess Stewart is averaging 8.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. She has added 29 assists and 26 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 Aaliyah Dunham ranks ninth in the BIG EAST in assists (3.3) and sixth in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.9). The guard has also added 8.5 points per game this season. She averaged 2.5 assists per game last season as a freshman.

• Junior Na'Teshia Owens ranks eighth in the BIG EAST in assists (3.4). The guard ranks second on the team in scoring (12.2) and second in total steals (28).

• Sophomore A'riana Gray has averaged 10.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in three career meetings against Providence. Junior Na'Teshia Owens has averaged 8.0 points per game in five career meetings with the Friars. She has added a .556 field-goal percentage (15-for-27) in those games.

TEAM NOTABLES

• Xavier ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in steals (8.3) and fourth in three pointers made (8.7). The 8.7 three pointers made per game rank 21st in the NCAA.

• Xavier drained 13 three pointers at Seton Hall on Feb. 1, the team's seventh game of the season with 10 or more three pointers.

• Xavier is averaging 4.8 more points per game this season than a year ago (63.4 ppg vs 58.6 ppg). Xavier already has 16 more total blocks (71-55) than a year ago and is averaging 2.2 more steals per game (8.3 - 6.1).

• Xavier has had a player score 20 or more points in a game eight 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 five times this season. The Musketeers' season-high last season was 75 points against Furman on Dec. 17.

• The Musketeers have 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).

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 on Sunday, Feb. 17 against Creighton. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Cintas Center. The game is also the team's Play4Kay Pink game.