Xavier Opens BIG EAST Action on Friday vs Creighton

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball opens BIG EAST action on Friday, Dec. 4 vs Creighton. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. from Cintas Center with the game being aired on the BIG EAST Digital Network/FloSports.

THE MATCHUP VS CREIGHTON

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (1-0, 0-0) vs CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS (0-3, 0-0)
Game Info - Friday, Dec. 4 - 6 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224)
Live Video - BEDN/FloSports ($) - bit.ly/3ohuiOl
Live Stats - bit.ly/2qqIPeu

ABOUT CREIGHTON

2020-21 Record: 0-3
2019-20 Record: 19-11 (11-7 BIG EAST)
Series History: Xavier trails, 12-2
Last Meeting: Creighton 76, Xavier 62 (Cincinnati, Ohio - Feb. 23, 2020)

NOTABLES
• Creighton is averaging 53.7 points per game with a .307 field-goal percentage through three games this season. Defensively, the Bluejays are allowing 65.3 points per game with a .407 field-goal percentage defense.

• Temi Carda leads the team in scoring (15.3), while ranking second in rebounding (5.7). She also has a team-high nine assists.

• Emma Ronsiek has added 10.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. She leads the team in three pointers made (6) and field-goal percentage (.429).

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier trails the all-time series with Creighton, 12-2. Xavier has dropped eight straight in the series and is 2-5 vs the Bluejays when playing at Cintas Center.

• The Musketeers last win in the series was on Feb. 7, 2016 at Cintas Center. Xavier won the game, 57-55.

LAST FIVE MEETINGS VS CREIGHTON
Feb. 23, 2020 - Creighton 76, Xavier 62 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jan. 24, 2020 - Creighton 62, Xavier 55 (Omaha, Neb.)
Feb. 17, 2019 - Creighton 53, Xavier 52 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jan. 18, 2019 - Creighton 66, Xavier 62 (Omaha, Neb.)
Feb. 16, 2018 - Creighton 65, Xavier 54 (Omaha, Neb.)

CAREER STATS VS CREIGHTON

• A'riana Gray has averaged 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in six career meetings with the Bluejays. She has added nine steals nd seven blocks in those games.

• Aaliyah Dunham has averaged 7.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in six career games vs Creighton. The guard has added 11 assists, four steals and three blocks in those meetings.

XAVIER IN HOME OPENERS

• Xavier is 20-0 in home openers at Cintas Center. Last season, the Musketeers opened the year with a 70-63 win over Utah on Nov. 7 - the first head coaching win for Melanie Moore.

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS

• Nia Clark was name BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Monday. In her first game in a Xavier uniform, Clark scored a team-high 14 points and registered a game-high 10 steals – the second-highest total by a Division I player this season – as the Musketeers scored an 81-73 win at Detroit Mercy on Nov. 25. The 10 steals are also the second most in single-game school history.

• The Indianapolis, Ind., native was 6-of-13 from the field, while adding four assists and three rebounds.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Musketeers are coming off an 81-73 season-opening victory at Detroit Mercy on Nov. 25.

• Kae Satterfield nearly missed a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds. She added three steals and two assists.

• Carrie Gross scored 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting, her 15th career game in double figures. The guard added four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

• A'riana Gray added eight rebounds, six points and four steals. Ayanna Townsend and Shaulana Wagner both added eight points.

• Xavier finished the game with 22 steals, tied for the second most in single-game school history.

• The Musketeers held a 44-34 advantage on the glass and scored 31 points off of turnovers. Xavier also had 30 fastbreak points in the win.

ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS

• Xavier returns nine letterwinners and all five starters from last season. The Musketeers have a three-person senior class, anchored by two-time All-BIG EAST selection A'riana Gray.

• Senior Aaliyah Dunham averaged 7.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game last year. She ranked fourth in the BIG EAST in assists (4.5), sixth in steals (1.9), sixth in three-point field-goal percentage (.388) and second in assist/turnover ratio (2.3). The guard ranked 25th in the NCAA in assist/turnover ratio and 72nd in total assists (135). she also finished the season ranked ninth in career assists at Xavier (314).

• Sophomore Morgan Sharps averaged 6.1 points per game with 43 assists and 18 steals last season. She led the team in three pointers made (48), while ranking ninth in the BIG EAST. The guard ranked third among BIG EAST freshman in three pointers made.

• After suffering a season-ending injury seven games into her freshman season, Ayanna Townsend bounced back to play in all 30 games (21 starts) in year two with the program. She averaged 5.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and led the team in blocks with 32, while ranking sixth in the BIG EAST.

ARI GRAY - PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST

• Senior forward A'riana Gray was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team on Oct. 29 as voted on by conference head coaches. The Cleveland, Ohio, native earned the preseason honors for the second time in as many seasons. Gray averaged a team-high 15.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game last year. She ranked first in the conference in rebounding and sixth in scoring. Gray also ranked 53rd in the NCAA in rebounding.

• She earned All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention Team honors at the end of the 2019-20 season, picking up the accolades for the second time in her career. The forward enters the season ranked eighth in program history in career rebounds (750) and fourth in career rebounding average (8.7).

CLOSING IN ON 1,000 POINTS

• Senior forward A'riana Gray enters the season with 988 career points. She is 12 points away from entering the 1,000-point club and becoming the 25th player at Xavier to eclipse the milestone. The last Xavier player to score 1,000 points in their career was Raeshaun Gaffney (1,074 points - 2014-17).

BIG EAST ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS

A'riana Gray - rebounds - 758 - 1st
A'riana Gray - double doubles - 26 - 1st
A'riana Gray - scoring - 988 - 2nd
A'riana Gray - steals - 132 - 2nd
A'riana Gray - blocks 46 - 7th

Aaliyah Dunham - assists - 315 - 1st
Aaliyah Dunham - steals - 112 - 3rd

Ayanna Townsend - blocks - 44 - 9th
Sarah Leyendecker - blocks - 43 - 10th

PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

Place	Team (First-Place Votes)	Points
1.	Connecticut (10)	100
2.	DePaul (1)	90
3.	Marquette	83
4.	St. John's	69
5.	Creighton	60
6.	Seton Hall	59
7.	Villanova	44
8.	Butler	37
9.	Xavier	31
10.	Providence	22
11.	Georgetown	10

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Three of Xavier's non-conference opponents posted a .500 or better record last season. Cincinnati posted a 22-10 (11-5 AAC) record in 2019-20, while Valparaiso went 17-12 (9-9 MVC). Wofford went 15-15 (8-6 SoCon) and Detroit finished with a 3-27 (3-15 Horizon) record.

• Xavier will play teams from four different conferences during non-conference action.

• Xavier plays Cincinnati in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout on Thursday, Dec. 10 at Fifth Third Arena. The Musketeers have won 11 of the last 16 meetings between the two schools.

• The Musketeers have won 45 non-conference games over the last six seasons with a 37-9 mark at Cintas Center.

DECEMBER BIG EAST SCHEDULE

Friday, Dec. 4 vs CREIGHTON - 6 PM
Sunday, Dec. 6 at DePaul - 4 PM
Saturday, Dec. 19 at UCONN - 1 PM
Tuesday, Dec. 22 vs MARQUETTE - 2 PM

HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS

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.

UP NEXT

• Xavier returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 6 at No. 20 DePaul. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. ET from Wintrust Arena.

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