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Xavier University Athletics
Wednesday, February 14
Cincinnati, Ohio
7 p.m.
Xavier University
vs
UConn
Xavier Plays Host to No. 15 UConn on Wednesday
02.12.24 | Women's Basketball
Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center
CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball continues BIG EAST action on Wednesday, Feb. 14 vs No. 15 UConn. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center.
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (1-20, 0-12) vs UCONN HUSKIES (20-5, 12-0)
Wednesday, Feb. 14 - 7 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224) - Cincinnati, Ohio
Watch Live (SNY) - foxsports.com/live
Live Stats - bit.ly/49fK6Js
• UConn was picked to finish first in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll after posting a 31-6 (18-2 BIG EAST) record last season and advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16. Paige Bueckers was named the preseason player of the year and KK Arnold was tabbed the preseason freshman of the year. Aaliyah Edwards, Azzi Fudd and Nika Muhl also earned preseason all-conference honors.
• The Huskies lead the BIG EAST in scoring (81.8), while ranking 10th in the NCAA. UConn also leads the conference in scoring margin (+21.9), field-goal percentage (.507) and assists (19.8).
• Paige Bueckers ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring (20.0), while Aaliyah Edwards ranks seventh (17.8). Edwards also ranks second in rebounding (9.0). Nika Muhl leads the BIG EAST in assists (6.1), while adding 7.0 points per game.
• UConn leads the all-time series with the Musketeers, 7-0. Wednesday's meeting will be the lone matchup between the two squads this season.
• The Huskies won the first meeting in program history, 86-84, on March 14, 1999 inside Gampel Pavilion. The meeting was in the NCAA Midwest Second Round with the Musketeers as the No. 8 seed, and the Huskies as the No. 1 seed.
SERIES HISTORY VS UCONN
Feb. 27, 2023 - UConn 60, Xavier 51 (Storrs, Conn.)
Jan. 5, 2023 - UConn 73, Xavier 37 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Feb. 18, 2022 - UConn 89, Xavier 35 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jan. 15, 2022 - UConn 78, Xavier 41 (Hartford, Conn.)
Feb. 20, 2021 - UConn 83, Xavier 32 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• The Musketeers are 11-57 all-time against teams ranked in the top-25. The last time Xavier played a top-25 team was on Feb. 6, 2024 (L, 77-46 vs No. 21 Creighton).
• 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.
• Mackayla Scarlett was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday afternoon. She is the first Xavier player to earn the recognition this season.
• The senior guard averaged a team-high 22.5 points per game last week with a .405 field-goal percentage (15-for-37). She was also 8-for-20 from behind the arc and 7-for-10 from the free throw line. The Bronx, N.Y., native added 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game.
• Mackayla Scarlett has averaged a team-high 19 points with a .413 field-goal percentage (33-for-80) in the team's last five games. She has added 3.4 steals and 3.0 rebounds per game. The senior guard has also knocked down a team-high 13 three pointers and made 76.2 percent of her free throws (16-for-21).
• Tae'lor Purvis has added 10.3 points and 4.5 points per game with a .842 free-throw percentage (16-for-19). The guard also posted 11 assists and nine steals during that stretch.
• Aizhanique Mayo has chipped in 11.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in those outings. She has added 10 three pointers.
• Mackayla Scarlett is averaging a team-high 14.7 points per game. She has scored in double figures 11 times this season with four, 20-point performances. The guard scored a career-high 26 points vs No. 21 Creighton on Feb. 6.
• Aizhanique Mayo has added 10.1 points per game to rank second on the team scoring. The freshman guard scored a season-high 20 points vs Providence on Jan. 27. She has a team-best .381 three-point field-goal percentage (24-for-63).
• Nila Blackford ranks third on the team in scoring (8.5) and first in rebounding (8.4). The forward also ranks first in total blocks (15), while ranking third in total assists (24) and third in total steals (19). She ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in rebounding (8.4). She has 61 career double-figure scoring games and 34 career double-figure rebounding games.
• Tae'lor Purvis has a team-high 32 steals and 57 assists. She has added 7.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. The guard is averaging 30.0 minutes per game, ranking 26th in the BIG EAST. Purvis also ranks 10th in steals per game (1.6).
• Daniela López is averaging 31.2 minutes per game, ranking 18th in the BIG EAST. She leads all BIG EAST freshmen in the category. The guard is averaging 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game this season. López ranks 16th in the NCAA in minutes per game by a freshman.
• Xavier went 14-for-14 from the foul line on Jan. 27 vs Providence, the team's second game of the season going perfect from the charity stripe (went 11-for-11 at Villanova on Dec. 30). Previously, 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).
• Six different Musketeers have led the team in scoring this season, paced by Mackayla Scarlett who has led the team in scoring nine times. Five Musketeers are averaging 7.2 or more points per game this year.
• Xavier's freshmen have logged 40.8 percent of the team's 4,225 minutes this season. The Musketeer freshmen have played 1,724 minutes this season.
• Mackayla Scarlett (15.8) and Aizhanique Mayo (9.8) lead the Musketeers in scoring during BIG EAST action. Scarlett has a team-high 22 steals, while Mayo has added a team-high 22 three pointers.
• Aizhanique Mayo ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring among freshmen, averaging 9.8 points per game. She also ranks eighth in three pointers made per game (1.8).
• Nila Blackford has chipped in a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game to go along with 6.3 points per game. The forward ranks sixth in the conference in rebounding.
• Xavier ranks fifth in steals (7.1) and three pointers made per game (6.4), while ranking sixth in three-point field-goal percentage (.322).
• Xavier's freshmen have logged 49.1 percent of the team's 2,400 minutes through 12 conference games. The Musketeer freshmen have played 1,178 minutes in those contests.
• 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 Sunday, Feb. 18 at Providence. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Alumni Hall.
GAME INFORMATION
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (1-20, 0-12) vs UCONN HUSKIES (20-5, 12-0)
Wednesday, Feb. 14 - 7 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224) - Cincinnati, Ohio
Watch Live (SNY) - foxsports.com/live
Live Stats - bit.ly/49fK6Js
ABOUT UCONN
• UConn was picked to finish first in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll after posting a 31-6 (18-2 BIG EAST) record last season and advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16. Paige Bueckers was named the preseason player of the year and KK Arnold was tabbed the preseason freshman of the year. Aaliyah Edwards, Azzi Fudd and Nika Muhl also earned preseason all-conference honors.
• The Huskies lead the BIG EAST in scoring (81.8), while ranking 10th in the NCAA. UConn also leads the conference in scoring margin (+21.9), field-goal percentage (.507) and assists (19.8).
• Paige Bueckers ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring (20.0), while Aaliyah Edwards ranks seventh (17.8). Edwards also ranks second in rebounding (9.0). Nika Muhl leads the BIG EAST in assists (6.1), while adding 7.0 points per game.
SERIES HISTORY
• UConn leads the all-time series with the Musketeers, 7-0. Wednesday's meeting will be the lone matchup between the two squads this season.
• The Huskies won the first meeting in program history, 86-84, on March 14, 1999 inside Gampel Pavilion. The meeting was in the NCAA Midwest Second Round with the Musketeers as the No. 8 seed, and the Huskies as the No. 1 seed.
SERIES HISTORY VS UCONN
Feb. 27, 2023 - UConn 60, Xavier 51 (Storrs, Conn.)
Jan. 5, 2023 - UConn 73, Xavier 37 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Feb. 18, 2022 - UConn 89, Xavier 35 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jan. 15, 2022 - UConn 78, Xavier 41 (Hartford, Conn.)
Feb. 20, 2021 - UConn 83, Xavier 32 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
XU vs the top-25
• The Musketeers are 11-57 all-time against teams ranked in the top-25. The last time Xavier played a top-25 team was on Feb. 6, 2024 (L, 77-46 vs No. 21 Creighton).
• 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.
SCARLETT NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
• Mackayla Scarlett was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday afternoon. She is the first Xavier player to earn the recognition this season.
• The senior guard averaged a team-high 22.5 points per game last week with a .405 field-goal percentage (15-for-37). She was also 8-for-20 from behind the arc and 7-for-10 from the free throw line. The Bronx, N.Y., native added 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game.
LAST FIVE GAMES
• Mackayla Scarlett has averaged a team-high 19 points with a .413 field-goal percentage (33-for-80) in the team's last five games. She has added 3.4 steals and 3.0 rebounds per game. The senior guard has also knocked down a team-high 13 three pointers and made 76.2 percent of her free throws (16-for-21).
• Tae'lor Purvis has added 10.3 points and 4.5 points per game with a .842 free-throw percentage (16-for-19). The guard also posted 11 assists and nine steals during that stretch.
• Aizhanique Mayo has chipped in 11.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in those outings. She has added 10 three pointers.
NOTABLES
• Mackayla Scarlett is averaging a team-high 14.7 points per game. She has scored in double figures 11 times this season with four, 20-point performances. The guard scored a career-high 26 points vs No. 21 Creighton on Feb. 6.
• Aizhanique Mayo has added 10.1 points per game to rank second on the team scoring. The freshman guard scored a season-high 20 points vs Providence on Jan. 27. She has a team-best .381 three-point field-goal percentage (24-for-63).
• Nila Blackford ranks third on the team in scoring (8.5) and first in rebounding (8.4). The forward also ranks first in total blocks (15), while ranking third in total assists (24) and third in total steals (19). She ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in rebounding (8.4). She has 61 career double-figure scoring games and 34 career double-figure rebounding games.
• Tae'lor Purvis has a team-high 32 steals and 57 assists. She has added 7.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. The guard is averaging 30.0 minutes per game, ranking 26th in the BIG EAST. Purvis also ranks 10th in steals per game (1.6).
• Daniela López is averaging 31.2 minutes per game, ranking 18th in the BIG EAST. She leads all BIG EAST freshmen in the category. The guard is averaging 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game this season. López ranks 16th in the NCAA in minutes per game by a freshman.
• Xavier went 14-for-14 from the foul line on Jan. 27 vs Providence, the team's second game of the season going perfect from the charity stripe (went 11-for-11 at Villanova on Dec. 30). Previously, 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).
• Six different Musketeers have led the team in scoring this season, paced by Mackayla Scarlett who has led the team in scoring nine times. Five Musketeers are averaging 7.2 or more points per game this year.
• Xavier's freshmen have logged 40.8 percent of the team's 4,225 minutes this season. The Musketeer freshmen have played 1,724 minutes this season.
BIG EAST ONLY NOTABLES
• Mackayla Scarlett (15.8) and Aizhanique Mayo (9.8) lead the Musketeers in scoring during BIG EAST action. Scarlett has a team-high 22 steals, while Mayo has added a team-high 22 three pointers.
• Aizhanique Mayo ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring among freshmen, averaging 9.8 points per game. She also ranks eighth in three pointers made per game (1.8).
• Nila Blackford has chipped in a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game to go along with 6.3 points per game. The forward ranks sixth in the conference in rebounding.
• Xavier ranks fifth in steals (7.1) and three pointers made per game (6.4), while ranking sixth in three-point field-goal percentage (.322).
• Xavier's freshmen have logged 49.1 percent of the team's 2,400 minutes through 12 conference games. The Musketeer freshmen have played 1,178 minutes in those contests.
SCHEDULE NOTES
• 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 Sunday, Feb. 18 at Providence. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Alumni Hall.
Players Mentioned
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