Xavier University Athletics

BIG EAST Action Continues on Wednesday vs Butler
12.28.21 | Women's Basketball
Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Cintas Center
CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball continues BIG EAST action on Wednesday, Dec. 29 vs Butler. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Cintas Center.
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (5-6, 0-2) vs BUTLER BULLDOGS (1-10, 0-2)
Game Info - Wednesday, Dec. 29 - 2 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224)
Live Video - bit.ly/3Hop0KB
Live Stats - bit.ly/2qqIPeu
2021-22 Record: 1-10 (0-2 BIG EAST)
2020-21 Record: 3-17 (3-15 BIG EAST)
Series History: Xavier trails, 31-19
Last Meeting: Butler 73, Xavier 61 (Feb. 22, 2021 - Hinkle Fieldhouse)
NOTABLES
• Butler opened the season with 10 straight losses before picking up a 75-64 win over Evansville on Dec. 22. The Bulldogs are 0-2 in BIG EAST play with losses against Marquette and DePaul.
• Butler ranks eighth in the BIG EAST in scoring offense (63.2), 11th in scoring defense (79.0) and 11th in the scoring margin (-15.8). The Bulldogs also rank sixth in free-throw percentage (.713).
• Alex Richard leads the team in scoring (11.1), field-goal percentage (.537) and free-throw percentage (.719). She ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in field-goal percentage.
• Xavier trails the all-time series, 31-19. The Musketeers have lost five straight in the series and 2-5 when playing at Cintas Center since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14.
• Nine of the last 12 meetings have been decided by 10 or fewer points.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS VS BUTLER
Feb. 22, 2021 - Butler 73, Xavier 61 (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Jan. 31, 2020 - Butler 63, Xavier 61 (OT) (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Jan. 4, 2020 - Butler 78, Xavier 70 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Feb. 8, 2019 - Butler 63, Xavier 38 (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Jan. 11, 2019 - Butler 63, Xavier 41 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• Xavier is coming off an 65-58 win over Southeast Missouri in the team's non-conference finale on Dec. 19.
• Kae Satterfield finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, her fifth career double-double. The 17 points matched her career high in scoring. The guard scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half.
• Ayanna Townsend recorded a career-high 18 points and 15 rebounds, her third career double-double and first of the season. She added a game-high three blocks.
• Nia Clark added 16 points, three assists, two rebounds, two blocks and two steals. She now has a team-high 20 double-figure scoring games.
• Shaila Beeler rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points. She added three assists and two rebounds.
• Xavier had two players post a double-double in the same game for the first time since Dec. 13, 2020 vs Wofford (A'riana Gray and Kae Satterfield).
• SEMO won the battle on the glass, 47-44, and had one more second-chance point (13-12). Xavier forced 14 turnovers, converting the miscues into 19 points. The Musketeers committed a season-low nine turnovers.
• Xavier was 17-for-22 from the foul line, including a 10-for-12 mark in the fourth quarter. Shaila Beeler (4-for-4), Kae Satterfield (5-for-5) and Ayanna Townsend (4-for-4) were all perfect from the charity stripe.
• Xavier ranks second in the BIG EAST with seven newcomers, only trailing Providence (eight newcomers).
• Xavier is replacing over half of its points, rebounds and assists from players who departed the program in the offseason. The Musketeers lost 57.9 percent of their total points (549), 54.8 percent of their total rebounds (297) and 66.7 percent of their total assists (140).
• All told, the Musketeers five players who graduated in the offseason (A'riana Gray, Aaliyah Dunham, Sarah Leyendecker, Lauren Wasylson, Deja Ross) combined for the following career statistics: 406 games played, 2,933 points, 1,764 rebounds and 636 assists.
• Xavier ranks third the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage (.780), while ranking 15th in the NCAA. The Musketeers also rank fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring offense (69.6) and fifth in the field-goal percentage (.436).
• Xavier ranks second in the BIG EAST in blocks (4.5), while ranking 52nd in the NCAA. Mikayla Hayes and Ayanna Townsend both rank 10th in the conference with 10 blocks each. The Musketeers rank sixth in the BIG EAST in steals (7.3), with Nia Clark ranking 10th individually (16).
• Kae Satterfield leads the team in rebounding (7.0), while ranking fourth in scoring (10.0). She has hit 89.7 percent (26-for-29) of her free throws, ranking second in the BIG EAST. She also ranks eighth in the conference in rebounding.
• Nia Clark ranks eighth in the BIG EAST in scoring (14.1), seventh in the free-throw percentage (.793), 10th in steals (1.5) and 11th in assists (3.4).
• Freshman Aanaya Harris ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.1 points per game. She has hit 50 percent (46-for-92) of her shot attempts this season, ranking eighth in the BIG EAST. She ranks fourth on the team in total blocks (7) and third in total assists (32).
• Xavier returns two of its top three scorers from last season in Nia Clark and Kae Satterfield. The Musketeers finished the season with a 5-10 (2-8 BIG EAST) record.
• Nia Clark averaged 11.5 points per game last season, ranking second on the team. She also led the team in three pointers made (16) and total steals (26). The Indianapolis, Ind., native averaged 2.0 steals per game, ranking sixth in the BIG EAST and 126th in the NCAA.
• Kae Satterfield averaged 9.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. She ranked second on the team in rebounding, while ranking 14th in the BIG EAST. The New York, N.Y., native also posted a team-best .468 field-goal percentage (58-for-124).
• The Musketeers welcome seven newcomers to the team this season, comprised of four transfers and three true freshmen. The four transfers are Shelby Calhoun (Virginia Tech), Mikayla Hayes (Florida/Clemson), Taylor Smith (Ole Miss) and Shaila Beeler (Indiana/Vincennes). The true freshman are Kaysia Woods (Lincoln, Neb.), Kaybriana Hallman (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Aanaya Harris (Omaha, Neb.).
• Ayanna Townsend has 69 career blocks, ranking eighth all-time at Xavier. She is nine blocks away from moving into seventh place with Carol Madsen (1991-94).
• Xavier will play nine non-conference games (five on the road, four at home). The Musketeers will play teams from eight different conferences (AAC, Pac-12, MAC, MVC, Horizon, ASUN, MAAC, OVC). The contest with Niagara on Dec. 8 will be the first meeting between the two schools.
• Xavier plays six teams that advanced to postseason action last season: Wright State (NCAA), Marquette (NCAA), UConn (NCAA), Villanova (WNIT), DePaul (WNIT), Creighton (WNIT).
• The Musketeers will play four games on national television: Jan. 15 at UConn (SNY), Jan. 23 vs DePaul (CBS Sports Network), Feb. 13 at Providence (FS1) and Feb. 18 vs UConn (SNY). Xavier's remaining 16 conference games will be aired BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN) presented by SoFi. FloSports will serve as the digital home for conference women's basketball for the second straight season.
• The conference season begins on Dec. 3 at Marquette and concludes on Feb. 27 at Cintas Center vs Villanova. The Musketeers will play four BIG EAST games before the start of 2022.
• The BIG EAST Tournament will be held at Mohegan Sun Arena for the second straight year. The tournament will be held on March 5-7.
• The Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout returns after the game was canceled last season due to COVID-19 issues. Xavier has won four of the last six meetings between the two teams and 11 of the last 16 meetings. The game will be played at Fifth Third Arena on Sunday, Dec. 12.
• The Musketeers have won 52 non-conference games over the last six seasons with a 42-10 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 continues BIG EAST action on Sunday, Jan. 2 vs Creighton. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. ET from Cintas Center.
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THE MATCHUP VS BUTLER |
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (5-6, 0-2) vs BUTLER BULLDOGS (1-10, 0-2)
Game Info - Wednesday, Dec. 29 - 2 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224)
Live Video - bit.ly/3Hop0KB
Live Stats - bit.ly/2qqIPeu
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ABOUT BUTLER |

2020-21 Record: 3-17 (3-15 BIG EAST)
Series History: Xavier trails, 31-19
Last Meeting: Butler 73, Xavier 61 (Feb. 22, 2021 - Hinkle Fieldhouse)
NOTABLES
• Butler opened the season with 10 straight losses before picking up a 75-64 win over Evansville on Dec. 22. The Bulldogs are 0-2 in BIG EAST play with losses against Marquette and DePaul.
• Butler ranks eighth in the BIG EAST in scoring offense (63.2), 11th in scoring defense (79.0) and 11th in the scoring margin (-15.8). The Bulldogs also rank sixth in free-throw percentage (.713).
• Alex Richard leads the team in scoring (11.1), field-goal percentage (.537) and free-throw percentage (.719). She ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in field-goal percentage.
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SERIES HISTORY |
• Xavier trails the all-time series, 31-19. The Musketeers have lost five straight in the series and 2-5 when playing at Cintas Center since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14.
• Nine of the last 12 meetings have been decided by 10 or fewer points.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS VS BUTLER
Feb. 22, 2021 - Butler 73, Xavier 61 (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Jan. 31, 2020 - Butler 63, Xavier 61 (OT) (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Jan. 4, 2020 - Butler 78, Xavier 70 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Feb. 8, 2019 - Butler 63, Xavier 38 (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Jan. 11, 2019 - Butler 63, Xavier 41 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
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LAST TIME OUT |
• Xavier is coming off an 65-58 win over Southeast Missouri in the team's non-conference finale on Dec. 19.
• Kae Satterfield finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, her fifth career double-double. The 17 points matched her career high in scoring. The guard scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half.
• Ayanna Townsend recorded a career-high 18 points and 15 rebounds, her third career double-double and first of the season. She added a game-high three blocks.
• Nia Clark added 16 points, three assists, two rebounds, two blocks and two steals. She now has a team-high 20 double-figure scoring games.
• Shaila Beeler rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points. She added three assists and two rebounds.
• Xavier had two players post a double-double in the same game for the first time since Dec. 13, 2020 vs Wofford (A'riana Gray and Kae Satterfield).
• SEMO won the battle on the glass, 47-44, and had one more second-chance point (13-12). Xavier forced 14 turnovers, converting the miscues into 19 points. The Musketeers committed a season-low nine turnovers.
• Xavier was 17-for-22 from the foul line, including a 10-for-12 mark in the fourth quarter. Shaila Beeler (4-for-4), Kae Satterfield (5-for-5) and Ayanna Townsend (4-for-4) were all perfect from the charity stripe.
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NOTABLES |
• Xavier ranks second in the BIG EAST with seven newcomers, only trailing Providence (eight newcomers).
• Xavier is replacing over half of its points, rebounds and assists from players who departed the program in the offseason. The Musketeers lost 57.9 percent of their total points (549), 54.8 percent of their total rebounds (297) and 66.7 percent of their total assists (140).
• All told, the Musketeers five players who graduated in the offseason (A'riana Gray, Aaliyah Dunham, Sarah Leyendecker, Lauren Wasylson, Deja Ross) combined for the following career statistics: 406 games played, 2,933 points, 1,764 rebounds and 636 assists.
• Xavier ranks third the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage (.780), while ranking 15th in the NCAA. The Musketeers also rank fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring offense (69.6) and fifth in the field-goal percentage (.436).
• Xavier ranks second in the BIG EAST in blocks (4.5), while ranking 52nd in the NCAA. Mikayla Hayes and Ayanna Townsend both rank 10th in the conference with 10 blocks each. The Musketeers rank sixth in the BIG EAST in steals (7.3), with Nia Clark ranking 10th individually (16).
• Kae Satterfield leads the team in rebounding (7.0), while ranking fourth in scoring (10.0). She has hit 89.7 percent (26-for-29) of her free throws, ranking second in the BIG EAST. She also ranks eighth in the conference in rebounding.
• Nia Clark ranks eighth in the BIG EAST in scoring (14.1), seventh in the free-throw percentage (.793), 10th in steals (1.5) and 11th in assists (3.4).
• Freshman Aanaya Harris ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.1 points per game. She has hit 50 percent (46-for-92) of her shot attempts this season, ranking eighth in the BIG EAST. She ranks fourth on the team in total blocks (7) and third in total assists (32).
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ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS |
• Xavier returns two of its top three scorers from last season in Nia Clark and Kae Satterfield. The Musketeers finished the season with a 5-10 (2-8 BIG EAST) record.
• Nia Clark averaged 11.5 points per game last season, ranking second on the team. She also led the team in three pointers made (16) and total steals (26). The Indianapolis, Ind., native averaged 2.0 steals per game, ranking sixth in the BIG EAST and 126th in the NCAA.
• Kae Satterfield averaged 9.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. She ranked second on the team in rebounding, while ranking 14th in the BIG EAST. The New York, N.Y., native also posted a team-best .468 field-goal percentage (58-for-124).
• The Musketeers welcome seven newcomers to the team this season, comprised of four transfers and three true freshmen. The four transfers are Shelby Calhoun (Virginia Tech), Mikayla Hayes (Florida/Clemson), Taylor Smith (Ole Miss) and Shaila Beeler (Indiana/Vincennes). The true freshman are Kaysia Woods (Lincoln, Neb.), Kaybriana Hallman (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Aanaya Harris (Omaha, Neb.).
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AYANNA TOWNSEND CAREER WATCH |
• Ayanna Townsend has 69 career blocks, ranking eighth all-time at Xavier. She is nine blocks away from moving into seventh place with Carol Madsen (1991-94).
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SCHEDULE NOTES |
• Xavier will play nine non-conference games (five on the road, four at home). The Musketeers will play teams from eight different conferences (AAC, Pac-12, MAC, MVC, Horizon, ASUN, MAAC, OVC). The contest with Niagara on Dec. 8 will be the first meeting between the two schools.
• Xavier plays six teams that advanced to postseason action last season: Wright State (NCAA), Marquette (NCAA), UConn (NCAA), Villanova (WNIT), DePaul (WNIT), Creighton (WNIT).
• The Musketeers will play four games on national television: Jan. 15 at UConn (SNY), Jan. 23 vs DePaul (CBS Sports Network), Feb. 13 at Providence (FS1) and Feb. 18 vs UConn (SNY). Xavier's remaining 16 conference games will be aired BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN) presented by SoFi. FloSports will serve as the digital home for conference women's basketball for the second straight season.
• The conference season begins on Dec. 3 at Marquette and concludes on Feb. 27 at Cintas Center vs Villanova. The Musketeers will play four BIG EAST games before the start of 2022.
• The BIG EAST Tournament will be held at Mohegan Sun Arena for the second straight year. The tournament will be held on March 5-7.
• The Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout returns after the game was canceled last season due to COVID-19 issues. Xavier has won four of the last six meetings between the two teams and 11 of the last 16 meetings. The game will be played at Fifth Third Arena on Sunday, Dec. 12.
• The Musketeers have won 52 non-conference games over the last six seasons with a 42-10 mark at Cintas Center.
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BIG EAST COACHES' POLL |
1. | UConn (10) | 100 |
2. | DePaul (1) | 90 |
3. | Seton Hall | 80 |
4. | Marquette | 74 |
5. | Villanova | 62 |
6. | Creighton | 54 |
7. | St. John's | 51 |
8. | Providence | 32 |
9. | Georgetown | 27 |
10. | Xavier | 18 |
11. | Butler | 17 |
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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 continues BIG EAST action on Sunday, Jan. 2 vs Creighton. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. ET from Cintas Center.
Players Mentioned
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Denise Neves
Saturday, September 20
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Payton Richards
Friday, September 19
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Penda Dieng
Monday, September 08
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Audia Young
Thursday, September 04