Xavier Returns to BIG EAST Action vs Butler

Wednesday, December 28

Cincinnati, Ohio

1 p.m.

Xavier University

Butler

12.27.22 | Women's Basketball

Live Stats Watch Live Butler Notes (PDF)XU Notes (PDF)

Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. from Cintas Center

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball returns to BIG EAST play on Wednesday, Dec. 28 vs Butler. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. from Cintas Center.

THE MATCHUP VS BUTLER

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (7-5, 0-3) vs BUTLER BULLDOGS (5-7, 0-3)
Game Info - Wednesday, Dec. 28 - 1 p.m. - Cintas Center (10,224)
Live Video (FloSports) - flosports.link/3RvqOqo
Live Stats - bit.ly/2qqIPeu

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

2022-23 Record: 5-7 (0-3 BIG EAST)
2021-22 Record: 1-27 (0-18 BIG EAST)
2021-22 Postseason: None
Series History: Xavier trails, 31-21
Last Meeting: Xavier 73, Butler 54 (Feb. 20, 2022 - Indianapolis, Ind.)

NOTABLES
• Butler was picked to finish tied for ninth in the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll after posting a 1-27 (0-18 BIG EAST) record last year. Butler is under the direction of first-year head coach Austin Parkinson.
• The Bulldogs rank second in the BIG EAST and 20th in the NCAA in three-point field-goal percentage (.374). Butler also ranks fourth in the conference in field-goal percentage (.443) and fifth three pointers made per game (6.9).
• Three players average 9.0 or more points per game: Rachel McLimore (11.6), Sydney Jaynes (10.8) and Jessica Carrothers (9.7). Carrothers ranks sixth in the BIG EAST in field-goal percentage (.554).

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier trails the all-time series, 31-21. The Musketeers have won two straight games vs the Bulldogs.

• Xavier is 7-11 vs Butler since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14 with a 3-5 mark in games played at Cintas Center.

• Nine of the last 14 meetings have been decided by 10 or fewer points.

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Feb. 20, 2022 - Xavier 73, Butler 54 (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Dec. 29, 2021 - Xavier 77, Butler 55 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
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)

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier is coming off a 66-63 loss to Memphis on Dec. 21 to close non-conference action. The back-and-forth game featured seven ties and 10 lead changes with neither team leading by more than six points. Xavier led by one point (61-60) with 53 seconds left in regulation before the Tigers closed the game on a 6-2 run to escape Cintas Center with the three-point victory.

• Mackayla Scarlett led three Musketeers in double figures with a game-high 18 points. The guard was 6-for-11 from the floor and 5-for-6 from the foul line. She added six rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal. Scarlett now has 20 career double-figure scoring games.

• Kaysia Woods added 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting with three 3-pointers. The guard added four rebounds, two assists and one block. She now has seven career games with 10 or more points.

• Courtney Prenger added 10 points on 5-for-9 shooting to go along with four rebounds, two assists and one block. Fernanda Ovalle finished with a game-high seven rebounds to go along with four points.

• Aanaya Harris added nine points and a game-high six assists. Taylor Smith finished with eight points, three rebounds and two assists.

• Xavier posted a .464 field-goal percentage (26-for-56) and went 4-for-15 from behind the arc. The Musketeers were also 7-for-14 from the foul line. Defensively, Xavier limited the Tigers to a .354 field-goal percentage (23-for-65). Xavier also won the battle on the glass, 42-36.

• Xavier scored one more point off of turnovers (13-12) and held a 40-24 advantage in points in the paint. Memphis scored two more second-chance points (10-8) and held a 26-9 advantage in bench points.

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS

• Xavier has had two players earn Freshman of the Week honors this season, most recently Fernanda Ovalle on Nov. 28.

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOREES
Nov. 14 - Kaleigh Addie - Freshman of the Week
Nov. 21 - Fernanda Ovalle - Freshman of the Week
Nov. 28 - Fernanda Ovalle - Freshman of the Week

BLACKFORD - MILESTONE WATCH

• Nila Blackford has 983 career points over four seasons of basketball (was at Kent State from 2019-22 before transferring to Xavier in the offseason). She has averaged 12.0 points per game during her career.

NOTABLES

• Junior guard Mackayla Scarlett ranks 16th in the BIG EAST in scoring, averaging 12.9 points per game. She averaged 0.6 points per game as a freshman and 8.1 points per game as a sophomore.

• Mackayla Scarlett ranks tied for sixth in the BIG EAST in three pointers made (23). Kaysia Woods rank second on the team in three pointers made (19), while ranking 13th in the BIG EAST in three-point field-goal percentage (.404).

• Two other Musketeers are averaging 10 or more points per game in newcomers Taylor Smith (11.5) and Fernanda Ovalle (10.3). Ovalle also ranks second on the team in field-goal percentage (.464) and third in rebounding (5.5).

• Courtney Prenger is averaging 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The senior forward averaged 2.2 points and 3.0 rebounds last season. She also has 18 blocks this season to lead the Musketeers, while ranking tied for second in the BIG EAST.

• Xavier ranks third in the BIG EAST in three-point field goal percentage (.360). The Musketeers only hit 26 percent of their three pointers last season (ranking 11th in the BIG EAST). Xavier also ranks first in three-point field-goal percentage defense (.254) and second in field-goal percentage defense (.362).

• Xavier also ranks second in the BIG EAST in blocks (4.8), fourth in assists (16.1) and fifth in steals (8.5). Mackayla Scarlett leads Xavier in both steals (17) and assists (40).

• Xavier ranks 26th in the NCAA in three-point field-goal percentage defense, 33rd in blocks per game and 35th in the NCAA in three-point field-goal percentage. Individually, Courtney Prenger ranks 57th in the NCAA in total blocks.

• Fernanda Ovalle (20 points) and Mackayla Scarlett (21 points) both set career highs in scoring at SIUE on Nov. 27. It marked the first time since Jan. 10, 2020 that Xavier had two players score 20 or more points in a game (A'riana Gray and Aaliyah Dunham each scored 20 points at Georgetown).

• Xavier defeated Cincinnati, 48-35, on Dec. 9 in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout. The 35 points are the fewest allowed by a Xavier team since Nov. 17, 2018 vs Fairfield (W, 48-35). The .179 field-goal percentage is the lowest field-goal percentage allowed by a Xavier team since Nov. 25, 2015 (held Southeastern Louisiana to a .190 field-goal percentage on 11-for-58 shooting).

• Xavier dished out 30 assists on 33 made baskets (33-for-70) vs McNeese State, the most by a BIG EAST team this season and tied for the 10th most in a game this season in the NCAA. The 30 assists rank tied for second in single-game school history. The last time Xavier had 30 assists in a game was on Dec. 8, 1999 vs Charlotte.

• Xavier opened its season with an 87-68 win at Miami (Ohio). The 87 points are the most in a game for Xavier since Dec. 18, 2018 vs Alabama State (W, 87-58).

ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS

• Aanaya Harris returns for her sophomore season after posting 9.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. She added 52 assists, 23 steals and eight blocks.

• Aanaya Harris added a .463 field-goal percentage, ranking second among BIG EAST freshmen and 14th overall. Her 9.2 points per game also ranked third among conference freshmen.

• Senior Shaila Beeler led the team in assists (117) and steals (34) last season, while adding 8.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. The guard ranked fourth in the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage (.805) and fifth in assists (4.0).

• Xavier also welcomes five newcomers: Taylor Smith (missed 2021-22 season with an injury), Nila Blackford (transfer from Kent State), Fernanda Ovalle, Bella Ward and June Ruiz Azkue.

SCHEDULE NOTES

• The Musketeers will play five of their first six BIG EAST games at Cintas Center. Xavier opened its conference schedule on Black Friday vs Creighton who advanced to the 2022 NCAA Elite Eight.

• Xavier will play four games on national television: at Georgetown on Dec. 4 (FS1), vs Villanova on Jan. 1 (CBS Sports Network), vs UConn on Jan. 5 (SNY) and at UConn on Feb. 27 (CBS Sports Network).

• The BIG EAST Tournament will be played at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., for the third straight season. The tournament will be held on March 3-6.

• Xavier played nine non-conference games (two on the road, seven at home). The Musketeers played teams from seven different conferences (MAC, Horizon, NEC, Sun Belt, Southland, OVC, AAC). Xavier played three teams for the first time in program history (Old Dominion, SIUE, Eastern Michigan).

• Xavier played seven non-conference home games, the most non-conference home games for the Musketeers since 2018-19 (nine games).

• The Musketeers have won 59 non-conference games over the last seven seasons with a 47-12 mark at Cintas Center.

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.

BIG EAST COACHES' POLL

1.	UConn (10)	100
2.	Creighton	89
3.	Villanova (1)	83
T-4.	DePaul	68
T-4.	Seton Hall	68
6.	Marquette	56
7.	St. John's	47
8.	Providence	34
T-9.	Butler	21
T-9.	Georgetown	21
11.	Xavier	18

UP NEXT

• The Musketeers return to action on Sunday, Jan. 1 vs Villanova at Cintas Center. The game will be aired nationally on CBS Sports Network with tip-off set for 12 p.m.