Xavier, Creighton Set for Sunday Matinee

Sunday, February 12

Omaha, Neb.

1 p.m. ET

Xavier University

Creighton

02.10.23 | Women's Basketball

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

Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. ET from D. J. Sokol Arena

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball continues BIG EAST action at Creighton on Sunday, Feb. 12. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. ET from D.J. Sokol Arena.

Sunday's game will serve as Creighton's Black Fives Foundation game.

THE MATCHUP AT CREIGHTON

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (7-17, 0-15) at CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS (17-6, 11-4)
Game Info - Sunday, Feb. 12 - 1 p.m. ET - D.J. Sokol Arena (2,500)
Live Video (BEDN/FloSports) - flosports.link/3RvqOqo
Live Stats - bit.ly/40JYTrR

ABOUT THE BLUEJAYS

2022-23 Record: 17-6 (11-4 BIG EAST)
2021-22 Record: 23-10 (15-5 BIG EAST)
2021-22 Postseason: NCAA Elite Eight
Series History: Xavier trails, 16-2
Last Meeting: Creighton 57, Xavier 51 (Nov. 25, 2022 - Cincinnati, Ohio)

NOTABLES
• Creighton was picked to finish second in the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll after posting a 23-10 (15-5 BIG EAST) record last season and advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight. Lauren Jensen, Morgan Maly and Emma Ronsiek all earned Preseason All-BIG EAST Honors. Creighton returns nine letterwinners and four starters from last season.
• Creighton has won five straight games, most recently topping Seton Hall, 77-64, on Feb. 7 in South Orange, N.J. The Bluejays are 6-4 at home this season.
• Creighton ranks third in the NCAA in assist/turnover ratio (1.51), eighth in three pointers per game (9.2) and 16th in assists per game (17.6). Three players are averaging 13 or more points per game: Emma Ronsiek (13.7), Morgan Maly (16.0) and Lauren Jensen (16.3).

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier trails the all-time series with Creighton, 16-2. Xavier has dropped 12 straight in the series and is 0-8 when playing in Omaha.

• The Musketeers last win in the series was on Feb. 7, 2016 at Cintas Center. Xavier won the game, 57-55.

LAST FIVE MEETINGS VS CREIGHTON
Nov. 25, 2022- Creighton 57, Xavier 51 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Feb. 11, 2022 - Creighton 68, Xavier 47 (Omaha, Neb.)
Jan. 2, 2022 - Creighton 67, Xavier 51 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jan. 3, 2021 - Creighton 53, Xavier 50 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Feb. 23, 2020 - Creighton 76, Xavier 62 (Cincinnati, Ohio)

LAST TIME OUT VS CREIGHTON

• Xavier dropped the first meeting between the two schools this season, 57-51, at Cintas Center on Nov. 25. The game featured four ties and four lead changes. Neither team led by double figures in the contest.

• The Musketeers led the No. 16 Bluejays, 46-44, with 3:27 left in regulation. Creighton responded by closing the game on a 13-5 run on 3-for-3 shooting to escape Cincinnati with the six-point victory. The Bluejays were also 6-for-6 from the foul line during the run.

• Three Musketeers scored in double figures vs the Bluejays: Fernanda Ovalle (15), Taylor Smith (15) and Mackayla Scarlett (10). Kaysia Woods led the team on the glass with 10 rebounds.

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier is coming off a 73-52 loss to St. John's on Feb. 8 at Cintas Center. Xavier led 14-12 after one quarter of action, but the Red Storm outscored the Musketeers, 61-38, to finish the game behind a .512 field-goal percentage. St. John's led by as many as 30 points (69-39) with 5:03 left in regulation before Xavier closed the game on a 13-4 run for the final 73-52 ledger.

• Nila Blackford led the Musketeers with a season-high 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting, her second game in double figures this season. The forward added three rebounds and three steals.

• Courtney Prenger added 10 points on 3-for-7 shooting with a pair of three pointers. The forward chipped in three steals, two blocks, two assists and two rebounds. She now has eight double-figure scoring games this season.

• Shelby Calhoun scored seven points and dished out a career-high seven assists. Fernanda Ovalle posted seven points and a team-high seven rebounds.

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 - 1,000 POINT CLUB

• Nila Blackford has 1,065 career points over four seasons of basketball (was at Kent State from 2019-22 before transferring to Xavier in the offseason). She has averaged 11.3 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.

XU BLOCK RECORDS

• Xavier has 96 blocks this season, ranking seventh in single-season school history. The 96 blocks also rank third in the BIG EAST this season, while ranking 62nd in the NCAA.

• Individually, Courtney Prenger ranks 51st in the NCAA in total blocks (36). She is three blocks away from moving into 10th in Xavier single-season school history (10th - Terri Coughman - 39 blocks during the 1986-87 season).

NOTABLES

• Junior guard Mackayla Scarlett ranks 20th in the BIG EAST in scoring, averaging 11.4 points per game. She averaged 0.6 points per game as a freshman and 8.1 points per game as a sophomore. She also ranks sixth in free-throw percentage (.821) and 13th in steals (1.3).

• Mackayla Scarlett ranks tied for 10th in the BIG EAST in three pointers made per game (1.6). Kaysia Woods ranks second in the team in three pointers made (32), while Taylor Smith ranks third (24). In BIG EAST only games, Kaysia Woods ranks 14th in three pointers made (21).

• In BIG EAST only games, Mackayla Scarlett ranks seventh in free-throw percentage (.833). Nila Blackford ranks tied for eighth in steals per game (1.7) and 15th in rebounding (5.9).

• Two other Musketeers are averaging eight or more points per game in newcomers Taylor Smith (8.4) and Fernanda Ovalle (9.1). Ovalle also ranks second on the team in field-goal percentage (.432) and rebounding (4.6).

• Fernanda Ovalle leads all BIG EAST freshmen in rebounding (4.6), while ranking second in scoring (9.1). Georgetown's Kennedy Fauntleroy leads all BIG EAST freshmen in scoring (11.4).

• Courtney Prenger is averaging 6.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. The senior forward averaged 2.2 points and 3.0 rebounds last season. She also has 36 blocks this season to lead the Musketeers, while ranking third in the BIG EAST.

• Xavier ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in steals (8.0). Mackayla Scarlett leads Xavier in both steals (27), while ranking 12th in the conference in steals per game (1.3).

• 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 played 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