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Xavier University Athletics
Saturday, January 6
Milwaukee, Wis.
3 p.m. ET
Xavier University
at
Marquette
BIG EAST Action Continues at No. 19 Marquette
01.04.24 | Women's Basketball
Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. ET from the Al McGuire Center
CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball continues BIG EAST action on Saturday, Jan. 6 at No. 19 Marquette. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. ET from Al McGuire Center.
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (1-10, 0-2) at MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES (12-2, 1-2)
Saturday, Jan. 6 - 3 p.m. ET - Al McGuire Center (3,700) - Milwaukee, Wis.
Watch Live (FloSports) - flosports.link/3RvqOqo
Live Stats - bit.ly/2Ei4mxU
• Marquette was picked to finish third in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll after posting a 21-11 (13-7 BIG EAST) record last season with a NCAA Tournament appearance. Liza Karlen and Jordan King both earned preseason all-conference honors.
• Marquette ranks fifth in the NCAA in three-point field-goal percentage (.400), 16th in field-goal percentage (.487) and 10th in assists per game (10.0). The Golden Eagles also rank 43rd in scoring offense (77.9) and 25th in assist/turnover ratio (1.35).
• Marquette has three players ranked in the top-15 in the BIG EAST in scoring: Liza Karlen (7th - 16.6), Jordan King (11th - 15.1) Mackenzie Hare (14th - 14.6). Frannie Hottinger ranks fifth in the conference in rebounding (8.3), while Karlen ranks seventh (7.6).
• The Musketeers are 11-55 all-time against teams ranked in the top-25. The last time Xavier played a top-25 team was on Feb. 27, 2023 (L, 60-51 at No. 9 UConn).
• 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 trails the all-time series with Marquette, 21-7. The Musketeers have dropped 14 straight in the series.
• The Musketeers last win over the Golden Eagles was on Jan. 15, 2016 at Cintas Center (W, 71-66). Xavier's last win at Marquette was on Dec. 30, 2014 (W, 74-71).
• Xavier is 3-16 vs the Golden Eagles since joining the BIG EAST for the 2013-14 season. The Musketeers are 1-8 vs Marquette when playing at the Al McGuire Center since the start of the 2013-14 season.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Feb. 25, 2023 - Marquette 58, Xavier 46 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jan. 25, 2023 - Marquette 64, Xavier 40 (Milwaukee, Wis.)
Jan. 21, 2022 - Marquette 65, Xavier 46 (Milwaukee, Wis.)
Dec. 3, 2021 - Marquette 76, Xavier 48 (Milwaukee, Wis.)
Dec. 22, 2020 - Marquette 69, Xavier 56 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• Xavier is coming of an 86-45 loss at Villanova on Dec. 30. The Wildcats never trailed in the game and forced a season-high 32 Xavier turnovers. Villanova held a 40-6 advantage in points off of turnovers.
• Daniela López led the Musketeers in scoring with a season-high 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting. The freshman guard also pulled down a team-high five rebounds.
• Xavier was a perfect 11-for-11 from the foul line with five different Musketeers knocking down a free throw. The last time the Musketeers were perfect from the charity stripe (minimum 10 made free throws) was on Dec. 22, 2018 vs New Orleans (10-for-10).
• Mackayla Scarlett is averaging a team-high 13.4 points per game. She has scored in double figures five times this season with two, 20-point performances. The guard leads the team in made free throws (24) and free-throw percentage (.727).
• Nila Blackford ranks second on the team in scoring (10.0) and first in rebounding (8.7). The forward also ranks first in total blocks (11), while ranking second in total assists (18) and total steals (14). She ranks second in the BIG EAST in rebounding (8.7), while ranking 61st in the NCAA. She has 60 career double-figure scoring games and 33 career double-figure rebounding games.
• Kaysia Woods ranks third on the team in scoring (9.5), while ranking first in three pointers made (26). She ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in three pointers made per game and 113th in the NCAA in three pointers attempted (81).
• 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 9.5 points per game and has 11 career double-figure scoring games.
• Tae'lor Purvis has a team-high 18 steals and 33 assists. She has added 6.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. The guard is averaging 31.6 minutes per game, ranking 14th in the BIG EAST. Purvis also ranks 11th in steals per game (1.6).
• Daniela López is averaging 33.8 minutes per game, ranking fourth in the BIG EAST. She leads all BIG EAST freshmen in the category. The guard is averaging 5.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game this season. López ranks eighth in the NCAA in minutes per game by a freshman.
• Daniela López is averaging a team-high 10.0 points per game in BIG EAST action with a .500 field-goal percentage (8-for-16). She has added 4.5 rebounds per game.
• Xavier has hit 89.5 percent of its free throws in BIG EAST action, going 17-for-19 from the charity stripe - ranking second in the BIG EAST.
• Xavier ranks tied for second in the BIG EAST in three pointers made per game (8.5), while ranking fourth in three-point field-goal percentage (.415).
• 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 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 was on Sunday, Dec. 10 at Fifth Third Arena. Xavier is now 5-4 in the last nine meetings vs the Bearcats.
• 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 60 non-conference games over the last seven seasons with a 48-15 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 returns to action on Tuesday, Jan. 9 vs St. John's. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center.
GAME INFORMATION
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (1-10, 0-2) at MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES (12-2, 1-2)
Saturday, Jan. 6 - 3 p.m. ET - Al McGuire Center (3,700) - Milwaukee, Wis.
Watch Live (FloSports) - flosports.link/3RvqOqo
Live Stats - bit.ly/2Ei4mxU
ABOUT MARQUETTE
• Marquette was picked to finish third in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll after posting a 21-11 (13-7 BIG EAST) record last season with a NCAA Tournament appearance. Liza Karlen and Jordan King both earned preseason all-conference honors.
• Marquette ranks fifth in the NCAA in three-point field-goal percentage (.400), 16th in field-goal percentage (.487) and 10th in assists per game (10.0). The Golden Eagles also rank 43rd in scoring offense (77.9) and 25th in assist/turnover ratio (1.35).
• Marquette has three players ranked in the top-15 in the BIG EAST in scoring: Liza Karlen (7th - 16.6), Jordan King (11th - 15.1) Mackenzie Hare (14th - 14.6). Frannie Hottinger ranks fifth in the conference in rebounding (8.3), while Karlen ranks seventh (7.6).
XAVIER VS THE TOP-25
• The Musketeers are 11-55 all-time against teams ranked in the top-25. The last time Xavier played a top-25 team was on Feb. 27, 2023 (L, 60-51 at No. 9 UConn).
• 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.
SERIES HISTORY
• Xavier trails the all-time series with Marquette, 21-7. The Musketeers have dropped 14 straight in the series.
• The Musketeers last win over the Golden Eagles was on Jan. 15, 2016 at Cintas Center (W, 71-66). Xavier's last win at Marquette was on Dec. 30, 2014 (W, 74-71).
• Xavier is 3-16 vs the Golden Eagles since joining the BIG EAST for the 2013-14 season. The Musketeers are 1-8 vs Marquette when playing at the Al McGuire Center since the start of the 2013-14 season.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Feb. 25, 2023 - Marquette 58, Xavier 46 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jan. 25, 2023 - Marquette 64, Xavier 40 (Milwaukee, Wis.)
Jan. 21, 2022 - Marquette 65, Xavier 46 (Milwaukee, Wis.)
Dec. 3, 2021 - Marquette 76, Xavier 48 (Milwaukee, Wis.)
Dec. 22, 2020 - Marquette 69, Xavier 56 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
LAST TIME OUT
• Xavier is coming of an 86-45 loss at Villanova on Dec. 30. The Wildcats never trailed in the game and forced a season-high 32 Xavier turnovers. Villanova held a 40-6 advantage in points off of turnovers.
• Daniela López led the Musketeers in scoring with a season-high 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting. The freshman guard also pulled down a team-high five rebounds.
• Xavier was a perfect 11-for-11 from the foul line with five different Musketeers knocking down a free throw. The last time the Musketeers were perfect from the charity stripe (minimum 10 made free throws) was on Dec. 22, 2018 vs New Orleans (10-for-10).
NOTABLES
• Mackayla Scarlett is averaging a team-high 13.4 points per game. She has scored in double figures five times this season with two, 20-point performances. The guard leads the team in made free throws (24) and free-throw percentage (.727).
• Nila Blackford ranks second on the team in scoring (10.0) and first in rebounding (8.7). The forward also ranks first in total blocks (11), while ranking second in total assists (18) and total steals (14). She ranks second in the BIG EAST in rebounding (8.7), while ranking 61st in the NCAA. She has 60 career double-figure scoring games and 33 career double-figure rebounding games.
• Kaysia Woods ranks third on the team in scoring (9.5), while ranking first in three pointers made (26). She ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in three pointers made per game and 113th in the NCAA in three pointers attempted (81).
• 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 9.5 points per game and has 11 career double-figure scoring games.
• Tae'lor Purvis has a team-high 18 steals and 33 assists. She has added 6.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. The guard is averaging 31.6 minutes per game, ranking 14th in the BIG EAST. Purvis also ranks 11th in steals per game (1.6).
• Daniela López is averaging 33.8 minutes per game, ranking fourth in the BIG EAST. She leads all BIG EAST freshmen in the category. The guard is averaging 5.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game this season. López ranks eighth in the NCAA in minutes per game by a freshman.
BIG EAST ONLY NOTABLES
• Daniela López is averaging a team-high 10.0 points per game in BIG EAST action with a .500 field-goal percentage (8-for-16). She has added 4.5 rebounds per game.
• Xavier has hit 89.5 percent of its free throws in BIG EAST action, going 17-for-19 from the charity stripe - ranking second in the BIG EAST.
• Xavier ranks tied for second in the BIG EAST in three pointers made per game (8.5), while ranking fourth in three-point field-goal percentage (.415).
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 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 was on Sunday, Dec. 10 at Fifth Third Arena. Xavier is now 5-4 in the last nine meetings vs the Bearcats.
• 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 60 non-conference games over the last seven seasons with a 48-15 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 returns to action on Tuesday, Jan. 9 vs St. John's. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center.
Players Mentioned
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