Xavier University Athletics
Sunday, January 3
Cincinnati, Ohio
1 p.m.
Xavier University
vs
Creighton
Women's Basketball Closes Homestand on Sunday vs Creighton
01.01.21 | Women's Basketball
Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. from Cintas Center
CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball ends a three-game homestand on Sunday, Jan. 3 vs Creighton. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. from Cintas Center with the game being aired on FloHoops/BEDN.
A win over the Bluejays would give the Musketeers back-to-back BIG EAST wins for the first time since Feb. 5-7, 2016. Those wins were vs Providence on Feb. 5 (W, 72-47) and Creighton on Feb. 7 (W, 57-55).
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (4-3, 1-2) vs CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS (2-6, 1-3 BIG EAST)
Game Info - Sunday, Jan. 3 - 1 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224)
Live Video ($) - bit.ly/3pzoKiK
Live Stats - bit.ly/2qqIPeu
2020-21 Record: 2-6 (1-3 BIG EAST)
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 leads the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage (.762), while ranking 32nd in the NCAA. The Bluejays also rank third in the conference in three pointers made per game (9.1), ranking 22nd the NCAA. Creighton's 73 total three pointers rank 11th in the nation.
• Freshman Emma Ronsiek was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Dec. 28 after posting her first career double-double (28 points, 10 rebounds) vs No. 18 DePaul on Dec. 22. The 28 points and 10 rebounds are the most points and rebounds by a BIG EAST rookie in a game this season.
• Senior Temi Carda leads the team in scoring (14.0), assists (3.5) and free-throw percentage (.842). The guard dished out a career-high 14 assists in the team's last game vs No. 18 DePaul, the second-most assists in single-game school 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.)
• Xavier is coming off a 64-50 win over Providence on Jan. 31. The 50 points allowed were a season-low for the Musketeer defense and the fewest points allowed since Feb. 21, 2020 (W, 62-42 vs Providence).
• Sarah Leyendecker posted her second career double-double, matching her career high in scoring with 18 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. She was 6-for-13 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the foul line.
• Kae Satterfield posted a career-high 17 points on 8-for-15 shooting. She grabbed four rebounds and dished out a career-high seven assists.
• Xavier dished out a season-high 19 assists in the win. The Musketeers also went 11-for-12 from the foul line. Xavier has now made 20 of its last 22 free throws.
• Aaliyah Dunham pulled down a career-high seven rebounds. She added six points, four assists and two steals. Lauren Wasylson chipped in eight points, three assists, three blocks and two rebounds.
• Both teams pulled down 35 rebounds in the game. The Musketeers forced 20 turnovers, converting the miscues into 24 points. Xavier also scored 20 more bench points (25-5) than the Friars.
• Kae Satterfield is averaging 8.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game this season with a .510 field-goal percentage (26-for-51). She ranks 13th in the BIG EAST in rebounding and 12th field-goal percentage.
• Nia Clark leads the Musketeers in scoring with 15.2 points per game, ranking 12th in the conference. The freshman guard also leads the BIG EAST in steals per game (3.0), while ranking second in total steals (18). She ranks 29th in the NCAA in steals per game.
• Xavier ranks second in the BIG EAST in steals (11.3) and fourth in blocks (4.9). The Musketeers rank 24th in the NCAA in steals, while ranking 51st in blocks.
• Lauren Wasylson leads the team in total blocks (10) and three pointers made (7). She has hit 57.1 percent (4-for-7) of her three pointers in BIG EAST action. The junior guard ranks ninth in the conference in blocks this year after only have seven total blocks during the 2019-20 season.
• A'riana Gray is averaging 7.0 rebounds per game, ranking seventh in the BIG EAST. She also ranks 21st in scoring (12.7) and ninth in steals (2.0).
• Aaliyah Dunham ranks second in the BIG EAST in assist/turnover ratio, while ranking 29th in the NCAA. The senior guard also ranks fourth in assists (4.1).
• The Musketeers have hit 40.6 percent of their shot attempts this season, up from their .361 field-goal percentage in 2019-20. Xavier is also averaging 69.3 points per game, up from their 60.1 points per game a year ago.
• Xavier pulled down 56 rebounds vs Wofford on Dec. 13, the most rebounds in a game by a BIG EAST team this season. The 56 rebounds are the most by the Musketeers since pulling down 64 (2nd in school history) on Nov. 25, 2015 vs Southeastern Louisiana (W, 67-27).
• Xavier had 22 steals at Detroit Mercy, the most steals in a game by a BIG EAST team this season. The Musketeers also forced 28 turnovers, the most in a game by Xavier since Nov. 7, 2018 vs Chicago State (26 turnovers). Nia Clark paced Xavier with 10 steals vs Detroit, the most by a BIG EAST player this season.
• Aaliyah Dunham matched her career high in assists with nine at Valparaiso on Dec. 16. The nine assists are the second most by a BIG EAST player this season.
Dec. 28 - Nia Clark - Weekly Honor Roll
Dec. 14 - Kae Satterfield - Weekly Honor Roll
Nov. 30 - Nia Clark - Freshman of the Week
• Senior forward A'riana Gray became the 25th member of the 1,000-point club at Xavier in the team's win over Wofford on Dec. 13. She currently has 1,058 career points. The last Xavier player to score 1,000 points in their career was Raeshaun Gaffney (1,074 points - 2014-17).
• Senior A'riana Gray has 792 career rebounds, raking seventh in career rebounding at Xavier. She is 61 rebounds away from moving into sixth place ahead of Taru Tuukkanen (852 - 1997-01). Her 8.7 rebounds per game career average ranks fourth in program history.
• Senior Aaliyah Dunham has 343 career assists to rank ninth all-time at Xavier in assists. She is eight assists away from moving into eighth place (351 - Judy Smith - 1980-84). Her 3.5 assists per game career average ranks 10th in program history.
• Ayanna Townsend has 53 career blocks, two blocks away from moving into the career top-10 rankings at Xavier. Briana Glover (2012-16) ranks 10th with 55 career blocks.
• 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.
• 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.
A'riana Gray - rebounds - 792 - 1st
A'riana Gray - double doubles - 27 - 1st
A'riana Gray - scoring - 1,058 - 2nd
A'riana Gray - steals - 141 - 2nd
A'riana Gray - blocks 47 - 7th
Aaliyah Dunham - assists - 343 - 1st
Aaliyah Dunham - steals - 123 - 3rd
Ayanna Townsend - blocks - 53 - 9th
Sarah Leyendecker - blocks - 46 - 10th
• Xavier postponed three games on Dec. 4-10 due to COVID-19 issues. The Musketeers have rescheduled both the Creighton (Jan. 3) and DePaul (Feb. 17) games. The Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout vs Cincinnati is in the process of being rescheduled.
• The Musketeers have won 47 non-conference games over the last six seasons with a 39-9 mark at Cintas Center.
• 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.
• Xavier travels to Georgetown on Saturday, Jan. 9. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from McDonough Arena.
A win over the Bluejays would give the Musketeers back-to-back BIG EAST wins for the first time since Feb. 5-7, 2016. Those wins were vs Providence on Feb. 5 (W, 72-47) and Creighton on Feb. 7 (W, 57-55).
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THE MATCHUP VS CREIGHTON |
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (4-3, 1-2) vs CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS (2-6, 1-3 BIG EAST)
Game Info - Sunday, Jan. 3 - 1 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224)
Live Video ($) - bit.ly/3pzoKiK
Live Stats - bit.ly/2qqIPeu
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ABOUT CREIGHTON |
2020-21 Record: 2-6 (1-3 BIG EAST)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 leads the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage (.762), while ranking 32nd in the NCAA. The Bluejays also rank third in the conference in three pointers made per game (9.1), ranking 22nd the NCAA. Creighton's 73 total three pointers rank 11th in the nation.
• Freshman Emma Ronsiek was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Dec. 28 after posting her first career double-double (28 points, 10 rebounds) vs No. 18 DePaul on Dec. 22. The 28 points and 10 rebounds are the most points and rebounds by a BIG EAST rookie in a game this season.
• Senior Temi Carda leads the team in scoring (14.0), assists (3.5) and free-throw percentage (.842). The guard dished out a career-high 14 assists in the team's last game vs No. 18 DePaul, the second-most assists in single-game school history.
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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.)
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LAST TIME OUT |
• Xavier is coming off a 64-50 win over Providence on Jan. 31. The 50 points allowed were a season-low for the Musketeer defense and the fewest points allowed since Feb. 21, 2020 (W, 62-42 vs Providence).
• Sarah Leyendecker posted her second career double-double, matching her career high in scoring with 18 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. She was 6-for-13 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the foul line.
• Kae Satterfield posted a career-high 17 points on 8-for-15 shooting. She grabbed four rebounds and dished out a career-high seven assists.
• Xavier dished out a season-high 19 assists in the win. The Musketeers also went 11-for-12 from the foul line. Xavier has now made 20 of its last 22 free throws.
• Aaliyah Dunham pulled down a career-high seven rebounds. She added six points, four assists and two steals. Lauren Wasylson chipped in eight points, three assists, three blocks and two rebounds.
• Both teams pulled down 35 rebounds in the game. The Musketeers forced 20 turnovers, converting the miscues into 24 points. Xavier also scored 20 more bench points (25-5) than the Friars.
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NOTABLES |
• Kae Satterfield is averaging 8.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game this season with a .510 field-goal percentage (26-for-51). She ranks 13th in the BIG EAST in rebounding and 12th field-goal percentage.
• Nia Clark leads the Musketeers in scoring with 15.2 points per game, ranking 12th in the conference. The freshman guard also leads the BIG EAST in steals per game (3.0), while ranking second in total steals (18). She ranks 29th in the NCAA in steals per game.
• Xavier ranks second in the BIG EAST in steals (11.3) and fourth in blocks (4.9). The Musketeers rank 24th in the NCAA in steals, while ranking 51st in blocks.
• Lauren Wasylson leads the team in total blocks (10) and three pointers made (7). She has hit 57.1 percent (4-for-7) of her three pointers in BIG EAST action. The junior guard ranks ninth in the conference in blocks this year after only have seven total blocks during the 2019-20 season.
• A'riana Gray is averaging 7.0 rebounds per game, ranking seventh in the BIG EAST. She also ranks 21st in scoring (12.7) and ninth in steals (2.0).
• Aaliyah Dunham ranks second in the BIG EAST in assist/turnover ratio, while ranking 29th in the NCAA. The senior guard also ranks fourth in assists (4.1).
• The Musketeers have hit 40.6 percent of their shot attempts this season, up from their .361 field-goal percentage in 2019-20. Xavier is also averaging 69.3 points per game, up from their 60.1 points per game a year ago.
• Xavier pulled down 56 rebounds vs Wofford on Dec. 13, the most rebounds in a game by a BIG EAST team this season. The 56 rebounds are the most by the Musketeers since pulling down 64 (2nd in school history) on Nov. 25, 2015 vs Southeastern Louisiana (W, 67-27).
• Xavier had 22 steals at Detroit Mercy, the most steals in a game by a BIG EAST team this season. The Musketeers also forced 28 turnovers, the most in a game by Xavier since Nov. 7, 2018 vs Chicago State (26 turnovers). Nia Clark paced Xavier with 10 steals vs Detroit, the most by a BIG EAST player this season.
• Aaliyah Dunham matched her career high in assists with nine at Valparaiso on Dec. 16. The nine assists are the second most by a BIG EAST player this season.
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BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS |
Dec. 28 - Nia Clark - Weekly Honor Roll
Dec. 14 - Kae Satterfield - Weekly Honor Roll
Nov. 30 - Nia Clark - Freshman of the Week
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1,000 CAREER POINTS - ARI GRAY |
• Senior forward A'riana Gray became the 25th member of the 1,000-point club at Xavier in the team's win over Wofford on Dec. 13. She currently has 1,058 career points. The last Xavier player to score 1,000 points in their career was Raeshaun Gaffney (1,074 points - 2014-17).
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ARI GRAY CAREER WATCH |
• Senior A'riana Gray has 792 career rebounds, raking seventh in career rebounding at Xavier. She is 61 rebounds away from moving into sixth place ahead of Taru Tuukkanen (852 - 1997-01). Her 8.7 rebounds per game career average ranks fourth in program history.
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AALIYAH DUNHAM CAREER WATCH |
• Senior Aaliyah Dunham has 343 career assists to rank ninth all-time at Xavier in assists. She is eight assists away from moving into eighth place (351 - Judy Smith - 1980-84). Her 3.5 assists per game career average ranks 10th in program history.
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AYANNA TOWNSEND CAREER WATCH |
• Ayanna Townsend has 53 career blocks, two blocks away from moving into the career top-10 rankings at Xavier. Briana Glover (2012-16) ranks 10th with 55 career blocks.
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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.
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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.
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BIG EAST ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS |
A'riana Gray - rebounds - 792 - 1st
A'riana Gray - double doubles - 27 - 1st
A'riana Gray - scoring - 1,058 - 2nd
A'riana Gray - steals - 141 - 2nd
A'riana Gray - blocks 47 - 7th
Aaliyah Dunham - assists - 343 - 1st
Aaliyah Dunham - steals - 123 - 3rd
Ayanna Townsend - blocks - 53 - 9th
Sarah Leyendecker - blocks - 46 - 10th
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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 |
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SCHEDULE NOTES |
• Xavier postponed three games on Dec. 4-10 due to COVID-19 issues. The Musketeers have rescheduled both the Creighton (Jan. 3) and DePaul (Feb. 17) games. The Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout vs Cincinnati is in the process of being rescheduled.
• The Musketeers have won 47 non-conference games over the last six seasons with a 39-9 mark at Cintas Center.
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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.
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UP NEXT |
• Xavier travels to Georgetown on Saturday, Jan. 9. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from McDonough Arena.
Players Mentioned
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