
Xavier Continues BIG EAST Road Trip at Villanova
01.29.22 | Women's Basketball
Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Finneran Pavilion on Sunday
CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball continues its three-game BIG EAST road swing on Sunday, Jan. 30 at Villanova. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Finneran Pavilion.
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (7-11, 2-7) at VILLANOVA WILDCATS (12-6, 6-3)
Game Info - Sunday, Jan. 30 - 2 p.m. ET - Finneran Pavilion (6,501)
Live Video - bit.ly/3APyVXl
Live Stats - bit.ly/3u7kGMh
2021-22 Record: 12-6 (6-3 BIG EAST)
2020-21 Record: 17-7 (9-5 BIG EAST)
2021 Postseason: WNIT - Third Round
Series History: Xavier trails, 15-1
Last Meeting: Villanova 64, Xavier 56 (OT) (March 6, 2020 - Chicago, Ill.)
NOTABLES
• Villanova has won four straight games, most recently a 59-44 victory over Butler on Friday at Finneran Pavilion. The Wildcats are 7-2 at home this season.
• The Wildcats lead the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage (.793), while ranking fourth in scoring defense (62.5) and three-pointers made per game (6.8). Villanova ranks seventh in the NCAA in free-throw percentage.
• Maddy Siegrist leads the Wildcats in scoring (24.1) and rebounding (9.4). She has posted a .463 field-goal percentage (106-for-229) and has made 21 three pointers.
• Brianna Herlihy has added 11.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. The senior forward ranks tied for third in the BIG EAST in rebounding.
• Xavier trails the all-time series with Villanova, 15-1. The Musketeers lone win in the series was a 74-67 overtime victory on Dec. 31, 2015 at Cintas Center.
• The two teams did not play last season as both games were canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.
• The two teams played three times during the 2019-20 season with the Wildcats winning all three meetings. Villanova won the last meeting between the two teams, 64-56 in overtime in the BIG EAST Tournament on March 6 in Chicago, Ill. Ayanna Townsend posted a double-double in the loss, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS VS VILLANOVA
March 6, 2020 - Villanova 64, Xavier 56 (OT) (Chicago, Ill.)
Feb. 7, 2020 - Villanova 55, Xavier 54 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jan. 12, 2020 - Villanova 66, Xavier 54 (Villanova, Pa.)
March 1, 2019 - Villanova 68, Xavier 63 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Dec. 31, 2018 - Villanova 75, Xavier 71 (Villanova, Pa.)
WEEKLY HONOREES
Nov. 22 - Nia Clark - BIG EAST Player of the Week
Dec. 20 - Ayanna Townsend - BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Jan. 3 - Kae Satterfield - BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
• Xavier is coming off a 70-67 overtime win at Georgetown on Friday night, snapping the team's five-game losing streak. The Musketeers won their first game of the season when trailing at the half (entered the game 0-10).
• Xavier had four players in double figures for the ninth time this season, paced by Nia Clark's team-high 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting - her third career 20-point performance. She also matched her career high in three pointers made with four.
• Kae Satterfield posted sixth career double-double, scoring 16 points to go along with a game and career-high 15 rebounds. She was also 10-for-10 from the foul line. The New York, N.Y., native added two assists and two steals.
• Aanaya Harris chipped in 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Ayanna Townsend rounded out the double-figure scorers with 12 points on 6-for-12 shooting. She added six rebounds, two steals and a block.
• Xavier went 17-for-22 from the foul line in the contest. The Musketeers didn't miss a free throw in the fourth quarter and overtime, going 14-for-14.
• Xavier had a season-high 13 steals, the team's sixth game of the year with 10 or more steals. Five different players had two or more steals, paced by Shaila Beeler's three steals.
• Georgetown won the battle on the glass, 47-40, and scored one more point off of turnovers (23-22). The Hoyas also scored two more second-chance points (9-7).
• Sophomore Mackayla Scarlett has scored in double figures in four of her last seven games, averaging 10.3 points per game. She is 13-for-35 from behind the arc in those games. On the year, she has made 21 three pointers - nearly half of the team's total (47-for-180).
• The Bronx, N.Y., native has averaged 7.6 points per game this season after posting 0.6 points per game as a freshman.
• Xavier has had eight different players lead the team in scoring through 18 games. Nia Clark has led the team in scoring in six games, followed by Aanaya Harris (four times), Kae Satterfield (three times), Shaila Beeler (twice), Mackayla Scarlett (twice), Ayanna Townsend (twice), Shelby Calhoun (once) and Mikayla Hayes (once).
• All told, five players are averaging 7.9 points per game or more this season. Five different players have dished out 20 or more assists this season.
• 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 fourth the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage (.767), while ranking 25th in the NCAA. The Musketeers rank 62nd in the NCAA in free-throws made (243).
• Kae Satterfield leads the team in rebounding (7.4), while ranking third in scoring (10.1). She has hit 90.2 percent (46-for-51) of her free throws, ranking second in the BIG EAST and 15th in the NCAA. She also ranks fifth in the conference in rebounding.
• Nia Clark ranks 20th in the BIG EAST in scoring (12.4), ninth in steals (1.5) and 14th in assists (3.1).
• Freshman Aanaya Harris ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.3 points per game. She has hit 48.5 percent (64-for-132) of her shot attempts this season, ranking ninth in the BIG EAST. She ranks fourth on the team in total blocks (7) and fourth in total assists (37).
• Ayanna Townsend ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in field-goal percentage (.493) and 15th in rebounding (5.7).
• Xavier picked up its first BIG EAST win of the season on Dec. 29, defeating Butler, 77-55, at Cintas Center. The 22-point win was the third largest margin of victory for the Musketeers vs a BIG EAST opponent since joining the conference in 2013-14.
• 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 71 career blocks, ranking eighth all-time at Xavier. She is seven 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 concludes its three-game road trip at St. John's on Feb. 2. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. from Carnesecca Arena.
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THE MATCHUP AT VILLANOVA |
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (7-11, 2-7) at VILLANOVA WILDCATS (12-6, 6-3)
Game Info - Sunday, Jan. 30 - 2 p.m. ET - Finneran Pavilion (6,501)
Live Video - bit.ly/3APyVXl
Live Stats - bit.ly/3u7kGMh
![]() |
ABOUT VILLANOVA |

2020-21 Record: 17-7 (9-5 BIG EAST)
2021 Postseason: WNIT - Third Round
Series History: Xavier trails, 15-1
Last Meeting: Villanova 64, Xavier 56 (OT) (March 6, 2020 - Chicago, Ill.)
NOTABLES
• Villanova has won four straight games, most recently a 59-44 victory over Butler on Friday at Finneran Pavilion. The Wildcats are 7-2 at home this season.
• The Wildcats lead the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage (.793), while ranking fourth in scoring defense (62.5) and three-pointers made per game (6.8). Villanova ranks seventh in the NCAA in free-throw percentage.
• Maddy Siegrist leads the Wildcats in scoring (24.1) and rebounding (9.4). She has posted a .463 field-goal percentage (106-for-229) and has made 21 three pointers.
• Brianna Herlihy has added 11.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. The senior forward ranks tied for third in the BIG EAST in rebounding.
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SERIES HISTORY |
• Xavier trails the all-time series with Villanova, 15-1. The Musketeers lone win in the series was a 74-67 overtime victory on Dec. 31, 2015 at Cintas Center.
• The two teams did not play last season as both games were canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.
• The two teams played three times during the 2019-20 season with the Wildcats winning all three meetings. Villanova won the last meeting between the two teams, 64-56 in overtime in the BIG EAST Tournament on March 6 in Chicago, Ill. Ayanna Townsend posted a double-double in the loss, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS VS VILLANOVA
March 6, 2020 - Villanova 64, Xavier 56 (OT) (Chicago, Ill.)
Feb. 7, 2020 - Villanova 55, Xavier 54 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jan. 12, 2020 - Villanova 66, Xavier 54 (Villanova, Pa.)
March 1, 2019 - Villanova 68, Xavier 63 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Dec. 31, 2018 - Villanova 75, Xavier 71 (Villanova, Pa.)
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BIG EAST HONOREES |
WEEKLY HONOREES
Nov. 22 - Nia Clark - BIG EAST Player of the Week
Dec. 20 - Ayanna Townsend - BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Jan. 3 - Kae Satterfield - BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
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LAST TIME OUT |
• Xavier is coming off a 70-67 overtime win at Georgetown on Friday night, snapping the team's five-game losing streak. The Musketeers won their first game of the season when trailing at the half (entered the game 0-10).
• Xavier had four players in double figures for the ninth time this season, paced by Nia Clark's team-high 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting - her third career 20-point performance. She also matched her career high in three pointers made with four.
• Kae Satterfield posted sixth career double-double, scoring 16 points to go along with a game and career-high 15 rebounds. She was also 10-for-10 from the foul line. The New York, N.Y., native added two assists and two steals.
• Aanaya Harris chipped in 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Ayanna Townsend rounded out the double-figure scorers with 12 points on 6-for-12 shooting. She added six rebounds, two steals and a block.
• Xavier went 17-for-22 from the foul line in the contest. The Musketeers didn't miss a free throw in the fourth quarter and overtime, going 14-for-14.
• Xavier had a season-high 13 steals, the team's sixth game of the year with 10 or more steals. Five different players had two or more steals, paced by Shaila Beeler's three steals.
• Georgetown won the battle on the glass, 47-40, and scored one more point off of turnovers (23-22). The Hoyas also scored two more second-chance points (9-7).
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SCARLETT LEADING OFFENSE |
• Sophomore Mackayla Scarlett has scored in double figures in four of her last seven games, averaging 10.3 points per game. She is 13-for-35 from behind the arc in those games. On the year, she has made 21 three pointers - nearly half of the team's total (47-for-180).
• The Bronx, N.Y., native has averaged 7.6 points per game this season after posting 0.6 points per game as a freshman.
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BALANCED OFFENSE |
• Xavier has had eight different players lead the team in scoring through 18 games. Nia Clark has led the team in scoring in six games, followed by Aanaya Harris (four times), Kae Satterfield (three times), Shaila Beeler (twice), Mackayla Scarlett (twice), Ayanna Townsend (twice), Shelby Calhoun (once) and Mikayla Hayes (once).
• All told, five players are averaging 7.9 points per game or more this season. Five different players have dished out 20 or more assists this season.
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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 fourth the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage (.767), while ranking 25th in the NCAA. The Musketeers rank 62nd in the NCAA in free-throws made (243).
• Kae Satterfield leads the team in rebounding (7.4), while ranking third in scoring (10.1). She has hit 90.2 percent (46-for-51) of her free throws, ranking second in the BIG EAST and 15th in the NCAA. She also ranks fifth in the conference in rebounding.
• Nia Clark ranks 20th in the BIG EAST in scoring (12.4), ninth in steals (1.5) and 14th in assists (3.1).
• Freshman Aanaya Harris ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.3 points per game. She has hit 48.5 percent (64-for-132) of her shot attempts this season, ranking ninth in the BIG EAST. She ranks fourth on the team in total blocks (7) and fourth in total assists (37).
• Ayanna Townsend ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in field-goal percentage (.493) and 15th in rebounding (5.7).
• Xavier picked up its first BIG EAST win of the season on Dec. 29, defeating Butler, 77-55, at Cintas Center. The 22-point win was the third largest margin of victory for the Musketeers vs a BIG EAST opponent since joining the conference in 2013-14.
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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 71 career blocks, ranking eighth all-time at Xavier. She is seven 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 concludes its three-game road trip at St. John's on Feb. 2. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. from Carnesecca Arena.
Players Mentioned
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Penda Dieng
Monday, September 08
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Audia Young
Thursday, September 04
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Mya Moore
Wednesday, August 27
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Savannah White
Friday, August 15