Musketeers Travel to No. 11 Marquette for Final BIG EAST Road Game

Sunday, February 24

Milwaukee, Wis.

3 p.m.

Xavier University

Marquette

Musketeers Travel to No. 11 Marquette for Final BIG EAST Road Game

02.23.19 | Women's Basketball

Live Stats Watch Live - BEDN XU Notes (PDF)

Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. ET from the Al McGuire Center

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

MILWAUKEE - Xavier women's basketball travels to No. 11 Marquette for the team's final BIG EAST regular-season game on Sunday, Feb. 24. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. ET from the Al McGuire Center.

THE MATCHUP VS MARQUETTE

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (11-15, 2-13) at No. 11 MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES (22-5, 13-2)
Game Info - Sunday, Feb. 24 - 3 p.m. ET - Al McGuire Center (3,700)
Live Video - BEDN - bit.ly/2SLH4JL
Live Stats - bit.ly/2Ei4mxU

ABOUT MARQUETTE

2018-19 Record: 22-5 (13-2 BIG EAST)
2017-18 Record: 24-10 (15-3 BIG EAST)
2017-18 Postseason: NCAA - Second Round
Series History: Xavier trails, 13-7
Last Meeting: Marquette 90, Xavier 44 - (01/25/19 - Cincinnati, Ohio - Cintas Center)

NOTABLES
• Marquette leads the BIG EAST in scoring offense (84.3), scoring margin (+22.8) and field-goal percentage (.469). The Golden Eagles also rank first in rebounding margin (+9.7) and assist/turnover ratio (1.4), while ranking second in assists (17.9).
• The Golden Eagles rank fifth nationally in scoring margin, ninth in rebounding margin and 10th in assists. Individually, Natisha Hiedeman ranks 73rd in scoring (17.4), while Erica Davenport 49th in rebounding (9.4).
• Marquette won 12 straight games from Dec. 29 - Feb. 10 before having its win streak snapped at St. John's on Feb. 15. The Golden Eagles are 1-2 in their last three games and are coming off a 61-57 home loss to Butler on Friday night.

MARQUETTE SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier trails the all-time series with Marquette, 13-7. The Musketeers have dropped six 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.

LAST TIME OUT VS MARQUETTE

• Xavier dropped the first meeting between the two schools, 90-44, on Jan. 25 at Cintas Center.

• Sophomore Aaliyah Dunham matched her career high in scoring with 16 points. She was 6-for-15 from the floor and 4-for-8 from behind the arc. The guard added two steals and two assists.

• Sophomore forward A'riana Gray added six points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Na'Teshia Owens added seven points and four assists, while Maddy Johnson posted four points and four rebounds.

• Marquette won the battle on the glass, 60-26, and scored 20 more points off of turnovers (25-5).

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier is coming off an 81-48 road loss at DePaul on Friday night. The Musketeers have now dropped five straight games.

• Junior Na'Teshia Owens led the Musketeers with 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting. The guard has now scored in double figures 14 times this season.

• Sophomore A'riana Gray nearly missed her 14th double-double of the year, scoring eight points and grabbing 10 rebounds. The forward added two steals. She now has 21 career games with 10 or more rebounds.

• Sophomore Princess Stewart added seven points and freshman Lauren Wasylson chipped in six. Sophomore Deja Ross added four points and eight rebounds.

GRAY'S BREAKOUT SEASON

• Sophomore A'riana Gray leads the BIG EAST in rebounding (11.2), while ranking 13th in scoring (13.2). The forward's 11.2 rebounds per game also ranks 18th nationally.

• Sophomore A'riana Gray leads the BIG EAST in double-doubles with 13, while also ranking 21st nationally. She has 292 rebounds on the year to rank 11th in the NCAA and ninth place at Xavier in single-season rebounds. She is three rebounds away from moving into eighth place with Amber Harris (2007-08).

• In 15 BIG EAST games, A'riana Gray is averaging 12.7 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. She also has a team-high 27 steals to go along with 16 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 fourth in the conference.

INDIVIDUAL NOTABLES

• Freshman Lauren Wasylson ranks eighth in the BIG EAST in three-point field-goal percentage (.382) and 11th in three pointers made 50 - the most three pointers by a freshman in the conference this season. Her 50 made three pointers are 18 more than Xavier's individual player total for made three pointers from last season (Aaliyah Dunham - 32).

• In 18 games this season, sophomore Princess Stewart is averaging 7.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. She has added 33 assists and 29 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 seventh in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.9). The guard has also added 8.3 points per game this season. She averaged 2.5 assists per game last season as a freshman.

• Junior Na'Teshia Owens has posted a .583 field-goal percentage (7-for-12) in four career games against Marquette. She has added 4.3 points per game and 11 assists.

• Sophomore Aaliyah Dunham has averaged 12.3 points per game in three career meetings with Marquette. She has added 11 assists, six rebounds and five steals in those outings.

TEAM NOTABLES

• Xavier ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in steals (8.2) and sixth in three pointers made (8.1). The 8.1 three pointers made per game rank 43rd 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 3.5 more points per game this season than a year ago (62.1 ppg vs 58.6 ppg). Xavier already has 21 more total blocks (76-55) than a year ago and is averaging 2.1 more steals per game (8.2 - 6.1).

• Xavier has had a player score 20 or more points in a game nine 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 Friday, March 1 against Villanova. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. with the game being aired on FS2.