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Xavier University Athletics
Tuesday, January 17
Villanova, Pa.
7 p.m.
Xavier University
at
Villanova
Women's Basketball Travels to No. 22 Villanova on Tuesday
01.16.23 | Women's Basketball
Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Finneran Pavilion
CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball continues BIG EAST action at No. 22 Villanova on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Finneran Pavilion.
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (7-11, 0-9) at NO. 22 VILLANOVA WILDCATS (16-3, 7-1)
Game Info - Tuesday, Jan. 17 - 7 p.m. - Finneran Pavilion (6,500)
Live Video (BEDN/FloSports) - flosports.link/3RvqOqo
Live Stats - bit.ly/3H8jH4l
2022-23 Record: 16-3 (7-1 BIG EAST)
2021-22 Record: 24-9 (15-4 BIG EAST)
2021-22 Postseason: NCAA Tournament - Second Round
Series History: Xavier trails, 18-1
Last Meeting: RV Villanova 77, Xavier 49 (Jan. 1, 2023 - Cincinnati, Ohio)
NOTABLES
• Villanova was picked to finish third in the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll after posting a 24-9 (15-4 BIG EAST) record last season. The Wildcats return 2022 BIG EAST Player of the Year Maddy Siegrist who set the BIG EAST record for scoring last year, averaging 27.9 points per game.
• Villanova has won seven straight games, most recently posting a 64-61 win over St. John's on Jan. 14 at Finneran Pavilion. The Wildcats improved to 6-1 in home games and 7-1 in BIG EAST play. Maddy Siegrist was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Jan. 16 after averaging 32.0 points per game last week.
• Villanova ranks second in the NCAA in both turnovers per game (10.5) and assist/turnover ration (1.52), while ranking ninth in blocks per game (5.5). Maddy Siegrist leads the NCAA in total points (549) and points per game (28.9).
• Xavier trails the all-time series with Villanova, 18-1. The Musketeers lone win in the series was a 74-67 overtime victory on Dec. 31, 2015 at Cintas Center.
• The Musketeers have lost 13 straight in the series and are 0-9 when playing the Wildcats in Villanova, Pa.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Jan. 1, 2023 - Villanova 77, Xavier 49 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Feb. 27, 2022 - Villanova 58, Xavier 49 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jan. 30, 2022 - Villanova 82, Xavier 57 (Villanova, Pa.)
March 6, 2020 - Villanova 64, Xavier 56 (OT) (Chicago, Ill.)
Feb. 7, 2020 - Villanova 55, Xavier 54 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• The Musketeers are 11-53 all-time against teams ranked in the top-25. The last time Xavier played a top-25 team was on Jan. 8, 2023 (L, 71-52 at No. 24 St. John's).
• The Musketeers last win over a top-25 team was on Nov. 26, 2009 over No. 18 Kansas, 76-71, at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas.
• Xavier dropped the first meeting with Villanova this season, 77-49, on Jan. 1 at Cintas Center. The Wildcats started the game on a 13-0 run and led by as many as 35 points (60-25) with 5:36 left in the third quarter to pull away for the win.
• Courtney Prenger scored a team-high 12 points on 6-for-12 shooting, her 11th career game in double figures (seventh during the 2022-23 season). The senior forward added three steals, two blocks and one rebound.
• Mackayla Scarlett added 10 points, three rebounds and one steal in 20 minutes of action. Aanaya Harris added nine points on 4-for-6 shooting to go along with a team-high three assists.
• Three other Musketeers added six points: Nila Blackford, Shelby Calhoun and Taylor Smith.
• Xavier is coming off a 91-56 loss to DePaul on Jan. 14. The Blue Demons hit a season-high 14 three pointers (tied for the second most in a game by a BIG EAST team this season) and finished the game with a .567 field-goal percentage (34-for-60).
• Mackayla Scarlett posted 10 points and a team-high four assists. The guard added two rebounds and was 3-for-4 from the foul line. She now has a team-leading 24 games in double figures.
• Fernanda Ovalle added 10 points and five rebounds. The freshman guard added two steals and one assist. She now has six games with 10 or more points.
• Nila Blackford chipped in a team-high seven rebounds to go along with seven points. The forward also had three steals, two assists and two blocks. Aanaya Harris finished with nine points, while Kaleigh Addie added six points.
• Xavier had 10 steals, the team's sixth game of the season with 10 or more steals. The Musketeers also forced 21 turnovers, the second most turnovers in a game this season for DePaul.
• 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
• Nila Blackford has 1,018 career points over four seasons of basketball (was at Kent State from 2019-22 before transferring to Xavier in the offseason). She has averaged 11.6 points per game during her career. Blackford is the first Xavier player to eclipse the 1,000-point mark since A'riana Gray (2017-21) who finished her career with 1,155 points.
• Junior guard Mackayla Scarlett ranks 17th in the BIG EAST in scoring, averaging 12.3 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 ninth in the BIG EAST in three pointers made (31). Kaysia Woods ranks second in the team in three pointers made (26), while Taylor Smith ranks third (23). In BIG EAST only games, Kaysia Woods ranks ninth in three pointers made (15) and 13th in the three-point field-goal percentage (.395).
• In BIG EAST only games, Mackayla Scarlett ranks sixth in free-throw percentage (.811). Nila Blackford ranks fourth in steals per game (2.0).
• Two other Musketeers are averaging nine or more points per game in newcomers Taylor Smith (10.2) and Fernanda Ovalle (9.2). Ovalle also ranks second on the team in field-goal percentage (.424) and third in rebounding (4.8).
• Courtney Prenger is averaging 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. The senior forward averaged 2.2 points and 3.0 rebounds last season. She also has 28 blocks this season to lead the Musketeers, while ranking third in the BIG EAST. The last time Xavier had a player with 28 or more blocks in a season was in 2019-20 (Ayanna Townsend; 32 blocks).
• Xavier ranks sixth in the BIG EAST in three-point field goal percentage (.334). The Musketeers only hit 26 percent of their three pointers last season (ranking 11th in the BIG EAST). Xavier also ranks sixth in three-point field-goal percentage defense (.313).
• Xavier also ranks second in the BIG EAST in blocks (4.3) and fifth in steals (8.1). Mackayla Scarlett leads Xavier in both steals (23) and assists (52).
• Xavier ranks 96th in the NCAA in three-point field-goal percentage (.334) and 48th in blocks per game (4.3). Individually, Courtney Prenger ranks 48th in the NCAA in total blocks (28).
• 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).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• The Musketeers return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at Marquette. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. ET from the Al McGuire Center.
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THE MATCHUP AT VILLANOVA |
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (7-11, 0-9) at NO. 22 VILLANOVA WILDCATS (16-3, 7-1)
Game Info - Tuesday, Jan. 17 - 7 p.m. - Finneran Pavilion (6,500)
Live Video (BEDN/FloSports) - flosports.link/3RvqOqo
Live Stats - bit.ly/3H8jH4l
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ABOUT THE WILDCATS |
2022-23 Record: 16-3 (7-1 BIG EAST)2021-22 Record: 24-9 (15-4 BIG EAST)
2021-22 Postseason: NCAA Tournament - Second Round
Series History: Xavier trails, 18-1
Last Meeting: RV Villanova 77, Xavier 49 (Jan. 1, 2023 - Cincinnati, Ohio)
NOTABLES
• Villanova was picked to finish third in the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll after posting a 24-9 (15-4 BIG EAST) record last season. The Wildcats return 2022 BIG EAST Player of the Year Maddy Siegrist who set the BIG EAST record for scoring last year, averaging 27.9 points per game.
• Villanova has won seven straight games, most recently posting a 64-61 win over St. John's on Jan. 14 at Finneran Pavilion. The Wildcats improved to 6-1 in home games and 7-1 in BIG EAST play. Maddy Siegrist was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Jan. 16 after averaging 32.0 points per game last week.
• Villanova ranks second in the NCAA in both turnovers per game (10.5) and assist/turnover ration (1.52), while ranking ninth in blocks per game (5.5). Maddy Siegrist leads the NCAA in total points (549) and points per game (28.9).
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SERIES HISTORY |
• Xavier trails the all-time series with Villanova, 18-1. The Musketeers lone win in the series was a 74-67 overtime victory on Dec. 31, 2015 at Cintas Center.
• The Musketeers have lost 13 straight in the series and are 0-9 when playing the Wildcats in Villanova, Pa.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Jan. 1, 2023 - Villanova 77, Xavier 49 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Feb. 27, 2022 - Villanova 58, Xavier 49 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jan. 30, 2022 - Villanova 82, Xavier 57 (Villanova, Pa.)
March 6, 2020 - Villanova 64, Xavier 56 (OT) (Chicago, Ill.)
Feb. 7, 2020 - Villanova 55, Xavier 54 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
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XU VS THE TOP-25 |
• The Musketeers are 11-53 all-time against teams ranked in the top-25. The last time Xavier played a top-25 team was on Jan. 8, 2023 (L, 71-52 at No. 24 St. John's).
• The Musketeers last win over a top-25 team was on Nov. 26, 2009 over No. 18 Kansas, 76-71, at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas.
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LAST TIME OUT VS VILLANOVA |
• Xavier dropped the first meeting with Villanova this season, 77-49, on Jan. 1 at Cintas Center. The Wildcats started the game on a 13-0 run and led by as many as 35 points (60-25) with 5:36 left in the third quarter to pull away for the win.
• Courtney Prenger scored a team-high 12 points on 6-for-12 shooting, her 11th career game in double figures (seventh during the 2022-23 season). The senior forward added three steals, two blocks and one rebound.
• Mackayla Scarlett added 10 points, three rebounds and one steal in 20 minutes of action. Aanaya Harris added nine points on 4-for-6 shooting to go along with a team-high three assists.
• Three other Musketeers added six points: Nila Blackford, Shelby Calhoun and Taylor Smith.
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LAST TIME OUT |
• Xavier is coming off a 91-56 loss to DePaul on Jan. 14. The Blue Demons hit a season-high 14 three pointers (tied for the second most in a game by a BIG EAST team this season) and finished the game with a .567 field-goal percentage (34-for-60).
• Mackayla Scarlett posted 10 points and a team-high four assists. The guard added two rebounds and was 3-for-4 from the foul line. She now has a team-leading 24 games in double figures.
• Fernanda Ovalle added 10 points and five rebounds. The freshman guard added two steals and one assist. She now has six games with 10 or more points.
• Nila Blackford chipped in a team-high seven rebounds to go along with seven points. The forward also had three steals, two assists and two blocks. Aanaya Harris finished with nine points, while Kaleigh Addie added six points.
• Xavier had 10 steals, the team's sixth game of the season with 10 or more steals. The Musketeers also forced 21 turnovers, the second most turnovers in a game this season for DePaul.
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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
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BLACKFORD - 1,000 POINT CLUB |
• Nila Blackford has 1,018 career points over four seasons of basketball (was at Kent State from 2019-22 before transferring to Xavier in the offseason). She has averaged 11.6 points per game during her career. Blackford is the first Xavier player to eclipse the 1,000-point mark since A'riana Gray (2017-21) who finished her career with 1,155 points.
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NOTABLES |
• Junior guard Mackayla Scarlett ranks 17th in the BIG EAST in scoring, averaging 12.3 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 ninth in the BIG EAST in three pointers made (31). Kaysia Woods ranks second in the team in three pointers made (26), while Taylor Smith ranks third (23). In BIG EAST only games, Kaysia Woods ranks ninth in three pointers made (15) and 13th in the three-point field-goal percentage (.395).
• In BIG EAST only games, Mackayla Scarlett ranks sixth in free-throw percentage (.811). Nila Blackford ranks fourth in steals per game (2.0).
• Two other Musketeers are averaging nine or more points per game in newcomers Taylor Smith (10.2) and Fernanda Ovalle (9.2). Ovalle also ranks second on the team in field-goal percentage (.424) and third in rebounding (4.8).
• Courtney Prenger is averaging 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. The senior forward averaged 2.2 points and 3.0 rebounds last season. She also has 28 blocks this season to lead the Musketeers, while ranking third in the BIG EAST. The last time Xavier had a player with 28 or more blocks in a season was in 2019-20 (Ayanna Townsend; 32 blocks).
• Xavier ranks sixth in the BIG EAST in three-point field goal percentage (.334). The Musketeers only hit 26 percent of their three pointers last season (ranking 11th in the BIG EAST). Xavier also ranks sixth in three-point field-goal percentage defense (.313).
• Xavier also ranks second in the BIG EAST in blocks (4.3) and fifth in steals (8.1). Mackayla Scarlett leads Xavier in both steals (23) and assists (52).
• Xavier ranks 96th in the NCAA in three-point field-goal percentage (.334) and 48th in blocks per game (4.3). Individually, Courtney Prenger ranks 48th in the NCAA in total blocks (28).
• 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).
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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.
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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.
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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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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 |
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UP NEXT |
• The Musketeers return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at Marquette. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. ET from the Al McGuire Center.
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