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Sunday, December 10
Cincinnati, Ohio
2 p.m.
Xavier University
at
Cincinnati
Xavier, Cincinnati Set for Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout on Sunday
12.07.23 | Women's Basketball
Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Fifth Third Arena
CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball continues non-conference action at Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 10 in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Fifth Third Arena.
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (0-7) at CINCINNATI BEARCATS (4-3)
Sunday, Dec. 10 - 2 p.m. ET - Fifth Third Arena (12,012) - Cincinnati, Ohio
Watch Live (ESPN+) - es.pn/4abD5KC
Live Stats - bit.ly/3TdBkqe
• Cincinnati is under the direction of first-year head coach Katrina Merriweather. The Bearcats were picked to finish 13th in the Preseason Big 12 Coaches' Poll after posting a 9-21 (2-14 AAC) record last season.
• The Bearcats are 4-3 on the year and enter Sunday's contest on a two-game winning streak, most recently defeating Tennessee State on Dec. 1 (W, 76-52). Cincinnati is 2-1 at home this season.
• Jillian Hayes leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. She has a team leading .536 field-goal percentage (30-for-56) to go along with six blocks, six steals and six assists. Mya Jackson is the only other Bearcat averaging double figures (10.0 points per game).
• Cincinnati is averaging 65.3 points per game, while limiting opponents to 64.0 points per game. The Bearcats have a .373 field-goal percentage and a .279 three-point field-goal percentage on the year.
• Xavier trails the all-time series with Cincinnati, 26-18. The Musketeers snapped a three-game losing streak in the series last year, defeating the Bearcats, 48-35, at Cintas Center on Dec. 9.
• Xavier has won five of the last eight meetings between the two schools and 12 of the last 18 meetings. A total of 22 games in the rivalry have been decided by 10 or fewer points.
• Xavier is 8-8 all-time when playing at Fifth Third Arena and has won four of its last six road games in the series. The Musketeers are looking for their first road win in the series since Dec. 11, 2016 (W, 72-61).
• Sunday's matchup will be the 20th meeting in December. Xavier is 10-9 versus Cincinnati when playing in the month of December.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS VS CINCINNATI
Dec. 9, 2022 - Xavier 48, Cincinnati 35 (Cintas Center)
Dec. 12, 2021 - Cincinnati 82, Xavier 73 (Fifth Third Arena)
Dec. 14, 2019 - Cincinnati 85, Xavier 78 (Cintas Center)
Dec. 16, 2018 - Cincinnati 79, Xavier 61 (Fifth Third Arena)
Dec. 10, 2017 - Xavier 53, Cincinnati 50 (Cintas Center)
• Xavier is coming off a 78-41 loss to Temple on Friday, Dec. 1 in the Briann January Classic. The tournament was hosted by Arizona State at Desert Financial Arena. Turnovers proved costly as the Owls converted a season-high 23 Xavier miscues into 31 points.
• Kaysia Woods scored a game-high 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting. She was 4-for-6 from behind the arc and added three rebounds and one assist. The guard has now scored in double figures twice this year. The Lincoln, Neb., native now has four games on the year with multiple made three pointers.
• Mackayla Scarlett is averaging a team-high 13.4 points per game, ranking 18th in the BIG EAST. She has scored in double figures five times this season with two, 20-point performances. The guard ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in minutes per game (33.4) and 14th in three pointers made (12).
• Nila Blackford is averaging a double-double this season, scoring 11.0 points per game and grabbing 10.0 rebounds per game. The forward also ranks tied for first on the team in total assists (14), first in total blocks (8) and second in total steals (10). She ranks second in the BIG EAST in rebounding (10.0), while ranking 20th in the NCAA. She has 58 career double-figure scoring games and 32 career double-figure rebounding games.
• Kaysia Woods ranks third on the team in scoring (9.7), while ranking first in three pointers made (16). She ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in three pointers made per game and 78th in the NCAA in three pointers attempted (56).
• Kaysia Woods has increased her scoring by 6.8 points per game from her freshman season (2021-22) to her junior season (2023-24). The guard averaged 2.9 points per game as a freshman and 5.8 points per game as a sophomore. She is now averaging 9.7 points per game and has 10 career double-figure scoring games.
• Tae'lor Purvis has a team-high 12 steals this season to go along with 14 assists, ranking tied for first on the team. She has added 5.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. The guard is averaging 33.3 minutes per game, ranking fifth in the BIG EAST.
• Xavier has lost 27 straight games dating back to the 2022-23 season. A win on Sunday would be the Musketeers first win since Dec. 9, 2022 (W, 48-35 vs Cincinnati). It would also be Xavier's first win away from Cintas Center since Nov. 27, 2023 at SIUE (W, 73-65).
• Daniela López is averaging 32.9 minutes per game, ranking ninth in the BIG EAST. She leads all BIG EAST freshmen in the category. The guard is averaging 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game this season.
• The Musketeers opened the regular season on the road for the fourth consecutive year, traveling to Youngstown State on Nov. 8. The Musketeers and Penguins are played each other for the first time since 2004.
• Xavier's home opener was on Saturday, Nov. 11 vs James Madison. It marked the first meeting between the two programs. All told, the Musketeers will play five home games at Cintas Center during non-conference action. Xavier will play six games on the road, including a trip to the Arizona State Tournament on Dec. 1-2.
• The annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout is set for Sunday, Dec. 10 at Fifth Third Arena. Xavier won the meeting last season, 48-35, at Cintas Center on Dec. 9.
• Xavier will play teams from seven different leagues during non-conference action: Mid-American (3), Horizon (2), Sun Belt (2), American, Pac-12, Big 12 and Ohio Valley. The Musketeers non-conference opponents combined to post a 181-166 record last year with three postseason appearances.
• Xavier plays an 18-game BIG EAST schedule beginning on Wednesday, Dec. 20 vs DePaul. The Musketeers will only play UConn (Feb. 14) and Villanova (Dec. 30) once during the 2023-24 season.
• The 2024 BIG EAST Tournament presented by JEEP will be played at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on March 8-11. FOX Sports will air the quarterfinal, semifinal and championship games.
• Xavier will play three nationally televised games: Jan. 13 vs Seton Hall (FS1), Feb. 14 vs UConn (SNY) and Feb. 21 at Butler (FS2).
• The Musketeers have won 59 non-conference games over the last seven seasons with a 47-15 mark at Cintas Center.
Saturday, Jan. 13 vs Seton Hall - 4 PM - FS1
Wednesday, Feb. 14 vs UConn - 7 PM - SNY
Wednesday, Feb. 21 at Butler - 6:30 PM - FS2
• Xavier is under the direction of first-year head coach Billi Chambers. She joined the Musketeers after spending 10 seasons at Iona University (2013-23). She led the Gaels to the NCAA Tournament twice (2015-16, 2022-23), captured two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Regular-Season Championships (2013-14, 2022-23) and won two MAAC Tournament Championships (2015-16, 2022-23). The conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances were program firsts.
• The two-time MAAC Coach of the Year led the Gaels to a 26-7 (18-2 MAAC) record in 2022-23 and earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Three players earned All-MAAC honors, highlighted by Juana Camilion who was named the MAAC Player of the Year and MAAC Defensive Player of the Year.
• Xavier returns three of its top five scorers from a year ago in Mackayla Scarlett (10.9), Taylor Smith (7.5) and Nila Blackford (6.3). Blackford also led the team in rebounding (5.5).
• The Musketeers also return Shelby Calhoun. The guard led the team in total assists (67), while ranking second in rebounding (4.6) and eighth in scoring (4.2).
1. UConn (10) - 100
2. Creighton (1) - 90
3. Marquette - 79
4. Villanova - 76
5. Seton Hall - 58
6. St. John's - 52
7. DePaul - 49
8. Butler - 37
9. Providence - 32
10. Georgetown - 20
11. Xavier - 12
• 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.
• Season and single-game tickets are available for purchase at GoXavier.com/Tickets or by calling the Xavier Ticket Office at (513) 745-3411 x. 7.
• Xavier continues non-conference action vs SIUE on Friday, Dec. 15. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center.
GAME INFORMATION
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (0-7) at CINCINNATI BEARCATS (4-3)
Sunday, Dec. 10 - 2 p.m. ET - Fifth Third Arena (12,012) - Cincinnati, Ohio
Watch Live (ESPN+) - es.pn/4abD5KC
Live Stats - bit.ly/3TdBkqe
ABOUT CINCINNATI
• Cincinnati is under the direction of first-year head coach Katrina Merriweather. The Bearcats were picked to finish 13th in the Preseason Big 12 Coaches' Poll after posting a 9-21 (2-14 AAC) record last season.
• The Bearcats are 4-3 on the year and enter Sunday's contest on a two-game winning streak, most recently defeating Tennessee State on Dec. 1 (W, 76-52). Cincinnati is 2-1 at home this season.
• Jillian Hayes leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. She has a team leading .536 field-goal percentage (30-for-56) to go along with six blocks, six steals and six assists. Mya Jackson is the only other Bearcat averaging double figures (10.0 points per game).
• Cincinnati is averaging 65.3 points per game, while limiting opponents to 64.0 points per game. The Bearcats have a .373 field-goal percentage and a .279 three-point field-goal percentage on the year.
SERIES HISTORY
• Xavier trails the all-time series with Cincinnati, 26-18. The Musketeers snapped a three-game losing streak in the series last year, defeating the Bearcats, 48-35, at Cintas Center on Dec. 9.
• Xavier has won five of the last eight meetings between the two schools and 12 of the last 18 meetings. A total of 22 games in the rivalry have been decided by 10 or fewer points.
• Xavier is 8-8 all-time when playing at Fifth Third Arena and has won four of its last six road games in the series. The Musketeers are looking for their first road win in the series since Dec. 11, 2016 (W, 72-61).
• Sunday's matchup will be the 20th meeting in December. Xavier is 10-9 versus Cincinnati when playing in the month of December.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS VS CINCINNATI
Dec. 9, 2022 - Xavier 48, Cincinnati 35 (Cintas Center)
Dec. 12, 2021 - Cincinnati 82, Xavier 73 (Fifth Third Arena)
Dec. 14, 2019 - Cincinnati 85, Xavier 78 (Cintas Center)
Dec. 16, 2018 - Cincinnati 79, Xavier 61 (Fifth Third Arena)
Dec. 10, 2017 - Xavier 53, Cincinnati 50 (Cintas Center)
LAST TIME OUT
• Xavier is coming off a 78-41 loss to Temple on Friday, Dec. 1 in the Briann January Classic. The tournament was hosted by Arizona State at Desert Financial Arena. Turnovers proved costly as the Owls converted a season-high 23 Xavier miscues into 31 points.
• Kaysia Woods scored a game-high 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting. She was 4-for-6 from behind the arc and added three rebounds and one assist. The guard has now scored in double figures twice this year. The Lincoln, Neb., native now has four games on the year with multiple made three pointers.
NOTABLE
• Mackayla Scarlett is averaging a team-high 13.4 points per game, ranking 18th in the BIG EAST. She has scored in double figures five times this season with two, 20-point performances. The guard ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in minutes per game (33.4) and 14th in three pointers made (12).
• Nila Blackford is averaging a double-double this season, scoring 11.0 points per game and grabbing 10.0 rebounds per game. The forward also ranks tied for first on the team in total assists (14), first in total blocks (8) and second in total steals (10). She ranks second in the BIG EAST in rebounding (10.0), while ranking 20th in the NCAA. She has 58 career double-figure scoring games and 32 career double-figure rebounding games.
• Kaysia Woods ranks third on the team in scoring (9.7), while ranking first in three pointers made (16). She ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in three pointers made per game and 78th in the NCAA in three pointers attempted (56).
• Kaysia Woods has increased her scoring by 6.8 points per game from her freshman season (2021-22) to her junior season (2023-24). The guard averaged 2.9 points per game as a freshman and 5.8 points per game as a sophomore. She is now averaging 9.7 points per game and has 10 career double-figure scoring games.
• Tae'lor Purvis has a team-high 12 steals this season to go along with 14 assists, ranking tied for first on the team. She has added 5.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. The guard is averaging 33.3 minutes per game, ranking fifth in the BIG EAST.
• Xavier has lost 27 straight games dating back to the 2022-23 season. A win on Sunday would be the Musketeers first win since Dec. 9, 2022 (W, 48-35 vs Cincinnati). It would also be Xavier's first win away from Cintas Center since Nov. 27, 2023 at SIUE (W, 73-65).
• Daniela López is averaging 32.9 minutes per game, ranking ninth in the BIG EAST. She leads all BIG EAST freshmen in the category. The guard is averaging 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game this season.
SCHEDULE NOTES
• The Musketeers opened the regular season on the road for the fourth consecutive year, traveling to Youngstown State on Nov. 8. The Musketeers and Penguins are played each other for the first time since 2004.
• Xavier's home opener was on Saturday, Nov. 11 vs James Madison. It marked the first meeting between the two programs. All told, the Musketeers will play five home games at Cintas Center during non-conference action. Xavier will play six games on the road, including a trip to the Arizona State Tournament on Dec. 1-2.
• The annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout is set for Sunday, Dec. 10 at Fifth Third Arena. Xavier won the meeting last season, 48-35, at Cintas Center on Dec. 9.
• Xavier will play teams from seven different leagues during non-conference action: Mid-American (3), Horizon (2), Sun Belt (2), American, Pac-12, Big 12 and Ohio Valley. The Musketeers non-conference opponents combined to post a 181-166 record last year with three postseason appearances.
• Xavier plays an 18-game BIG EAST schedule beginning on Wednesday, Dec. 20 vs DePaul. The Musketeers will only play UConn (Feb. 14) and Villanova (Dec. 30) once during the 2023-24 season.
• The 2024 BIG EAST Tournament presented by JEEP will be played at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on March 8-11. FOX Sports will air the quarterfinal, semifinal and championship games.
• Xavier will play three nationally televised games: Jan. 13 vs Seton Hall (FS1), Feb. 14 vs UConn (SNY) and Feb. 21 at Butler (FS2).
• The Musketeers have won 59 non-conference games over the last seven seasons with a 47-15 mark at Cintas Center.
NATIONAL TV GAMES
Saturday, Jan. 13 vs Seton Hall - 4 PM - FS1
Wednesday, Feb. 14 vs UConn - 7 PM - SNY
Wednesday, Feb. 21 at Butler - 6:30 PM - FS2
ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS
• Xavier is under the direction of first-year head coach Billi Chambers. She joined the Musketeers after spending 10 seasons at Iona University (2013-23). She led the Gaels to the NCAA Tournament twice (2015-16, 2022-23), captured two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Regular-Season Championships (2013-14, 2022-23) and won two MAAC Tournament Championships (2015-16, 2022-23). The conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances were program firsts.
• The two-time MAAC Coach of the Year led the Gaels to a 26-7 (18-2 MAAC) record in 2022-23 and earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Three players earned All-MAAC honors, highlighted by Juana Camilion who was named the MAAC Player of the Year and MAAC Defensive Player of the Year.
• Xavier returns three of its top five scorers from a year ago in Mackayla Scarlett (10.9), Taylor Smith (7.5) and Nila Blackford (6.3). Blackford also led the team in rebounding (5.5).
• The Musketeers also return Shelby Calhoun. The guard led the team in total assists (67), while ranking second in rebounding (4.6) and eighth in scoring (4.2).
BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL
1. UConn (10) - 100
2. Creighton (1) - 90
3. Marquette - 79
4. Villanova - 76
5. Seton Hall - 58
6. St. John's - 52
7. DePaul - 49
8. Butler - 37
9. Providence - 32
10. Georgetown - 20
11. Xavier - 12
XAVIER 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.
TICKET INFORMATION
• Season and single-game tickets are available for purchase at GoXavier.com/Tickets or by calling the Xavier Ticket Office at (513) 745-3411 x. 7.
UP NEXT
• Xavier continues non-conference action vs SIUE on Friday, Dec. 15. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center.
Players Mentioned
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