.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
Saturday, February 24
Cincinnati, Ohio
2 p.m.
Xavier University
vs
Marquette
Xavier, Marquette Set for Saturday Matinee
02.23.24 | Women's Basketball
Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Cintas Center
CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball continues BIG EAST action on Saturday, Feb. 24 vs Marquette. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Cintas Center.
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (1-23, 0-15) vs MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES (20-6, 9-6)
Saturday, Feb. 24 - 2 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224) - Cincinnati, Ohio
Watch Live - flosports.link/3RvqOqo
Live Stats - bit.ly/3uJypeP
• 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.
• The Golden Eagles have won two straight games, most recently a 68-62 victory vs Seton Hall on Feb. 20. Marquette is 5-4 in road games this season with a 3-4 mark in conference road contests.
• Marquette leads the BIG EAST in rebounding margin (+62), while ranking second in scoring margin (+12.3), field-goal percentage (.467) and three-point field-goal percentage (.376). The Golden Eagles also rank second in assists (18.8) and free-throw percentage (.770), while ranking third in scoring marge (72.5).
• Liza Karlen ranks fourth in the conference in scoring (18.3), while Mackenzie Hare ranks 12th (14.5). Jordan King has added 13.4 points per game to rank 15th in the BIG EAST. Karlen also ranks sixth in the BIG EAST in rebounding (7.8). Hare leads the conference in three pointers made (76), while ranking fourth in three-point field-goal percentage (.444).
• Xavier trails the all-time series with Marquette, 22-7. The Musketeers have dropped 15 straight in the series.
• The Musketeers last win over the Golden Eagles was on Jan. 15, 2016 at Cintas Center (W, 71-66).
• Xavier is 3-17 vs the Golden Eagles since joining the BIG EAST for the 2013-14 season. The Musketeers are 2-5 vs Marquette when playing at Cintas Center since the start of the 2013-14 season.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Jan. 6, 2024 - Marquette 81, Xavier 51 (Milwaukee, Wis.)
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.)
• Xavier dropped the first meeting between the two schools this season, 81-52, on Jan. 6 in Milwaukee.
• Daniela López led the Musketeers in scoring with a season-high 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting. Nila Blackford added nine points and a game-high nine rebounds. Aizhanique Mayo finished with eight points, three rebounds and a pair of three pointers.
• Xavier posted a .435 field-goal percentage (20-for-46) and went 7-for-19 from behind the arc. The Musketeers were also 5-for-8 from the foul line.
• Mackayla Scarlett was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Feb. 12. She is the only Xavier player to earn the recognition this season.
• Mackayla Scarlett is averaging a team-high 13.9 points per game. She has scored in double figures 13 times this season with four, 20-point performances. The guard scored a career-high 26 points vs No. 21 Creighton on Feb. 6. She has averaged 15.2 points per game in her last five outings.
• Aizhanique Mayo has added 9.9 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 .358 three-point field-goal percentage (29-for-81). Mayo has averaged 10.4 points per game in her last five outings with a .426 field-goal percentage (20-for-47).
• 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). Blackford has added 24 assists and 19 steals. 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 36 steals and 62 assists. She has added 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. The guard is averaging 29.2 minutes per game, ranking 30th in the BIG EAST. Purvis also ranks 15th in steals per game (1.6).
• Daniela López is averaging 31.4 minutes per game, ranking 15th in the BIG EAST. She leads all BIG EAST freshmen in the category. The guard is averaging 6.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game this season. López ranks 16th in the NCAA in minutes per game by a freshman. She has averaged 9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in her last five outings.
• 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).
• Seven different Musketeers have led the team in scoring this season, paced by Mackayla Scarlett who has led the team in scoring 10 times. Four Musketeers are averaging 7.5 or more points per game this year.
• Xavier's freshmen have logged 42.7 percent of the team's 4,825 minutes this season. The Musketeer freshmen have played 2,060 minutes this season.
• Mackayla Scarlett (14.3) and Aizhanique Mayo (9.7) lead the Musketeers in scoring during BIG EAST action. Scarlett has a team-high 25 steals, while Mayo has added a team-high 27 three pointers.
• Aizhanique Mayo ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring among freshmen, averaging 9.7 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 eighth in the conference in rebounding.
• Xavier ranks fifth in steals (7.1) and fourth in three pointers made per game (6.6), while ranking seventh in both three-point field-goal percentage (.307) and three-point field-goal percentage defense (.342).
• Xavier's freshmen have logged 50.4 percent of the team's 3,000 minutes through 15 conference games. The Musketeer freshmen have played 1,514 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 Tuesday, Feb. 27 at No. 21 Creighton. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. ET from D.J. Sokol Arena.
GAME INFORMATION
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (1-23, 0-15) vs MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES (20-6, 9-6)
Saturday, Feb. 24 - 2 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224) - Cincinnati, Ohio
Watch Live - flosports.link/3RvqOqo
Live Stats - bit.ly/3uJypeP
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.
• The Golden Eagles have won two straight games, most recently a 68-62 victory vs Seton Hall on Feb. 20. Marquette is 5-4 in road games this season with a 3-4 mark in conference road contests.
• Marquette leads the BIG EAST in rebounding margin (+62), while ranking second in scoring margin (+12.3), field-goal percentage (.467) and three-point field-goal percentage (.376). The Golden Eagles also rank second in assists (18.8) and free-throw percentage (.770), while ranking third in scoring marge (72.5).
• Liza Karlen ranks fourth in the conference in scoring (18.3), while Mackenzie Hare ranks 12th (14.5). Jordan King has added 13.4 points per game to rank 15th in the BIG EAST. Karlen also ranks sixth in the BIG EAST in rebounding (7.8). Hare leads the conference in three pointers made (76), while ranking fourth in three-point field-goal percentage (.444).
SERIES HISTORY
• Xavier trails the all-time series with Marquette, 22-7. The Musketeers have dropped 15 straight in the series.
• The Musketeers last win over the Golden Eagles was on Jan. 15, 2016 at Cintas Center (W, 71-66).
• Xavier is 3-17 vs the Golden Eagles since joining the BIG EAST for the 2013-14 season. The Musketeers are 2-5 vs Marquette when playing at Cintas Center since the start of the 2013-14 season.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Jan. 6, 2024 - Marquette 81, Xavier 51 (Milwaukee, Wis.)
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.)
LAST MEETING VS MARQUETTE
• Xavier dropped the first meeting between the two schools this season, 81-52, on Jan. 6 in Milwaukee.
• Daniela López led the Musketeers in scoring with a season-high 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting. Nila Blackford added nine points and a game-high nine rebounds. Aizhanique Mayo finished with eight points, three rebounds and a pair of three pointers.
• Xavier posted a .435 field-goal percentage (20-for-46) and went 7-for-19 from behind the arc. The Musketeers were also 5-for-8 from the foul line.
BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
• Mackayla Scarlett was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Feb. 12. She is the only Xavier player to earn the recognition this season.
NOTABLES
• Mackayla Scarlett is averaging a team-high 13.9 points per game. She has scored in double figures 13 times this season with four, 20-point performances. The guard scored a career-high 26 points vs No. 21 Creighton on Feb. 6. She has averaged 15.2 points per game in her last five outings.
• Aizhanique Mayo has added 9.9 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 .358 three-point field-goal percentage (29-for-81). Mayo has averaged 10.4 points per game in her last five outings with a .426 field-goal percentage (20-for-47).
• 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). Blackford has added 24 assists and 19 steals. 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 36 steals and 62 assists. She has added 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. The guard is averaging 29.2 minutes per game, ranking 30th in the BIG EAST. Purvis also ranks 15th in steals per game (1.6).
• Daniela López is averaging 31.4 minutes per game, ranking 15th in the BIG EAST. She leads all BIG EAST freshmen in the category. The guard is averaging 6.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game this season. López ranks 16th in the NCAA in minutes per game by a freshman. She has averaged 9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in her last five outings.
• 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).
• Seven different Musketeers have led the team in scoring this season, paced by Mackayla Scarlett who has led the team in scoring 10 times. Four Musketeers are averaging 7.5 or more points per game this year.
• Xavier's freshmen have logged 42.7 percent of the team's 4,825 minutes this season. The Musketeer freshmen have played 2,060 minutes this season.
BIG EAST ONLY NOTABLES
• Mackayla Scarlett (14.3) and Aizhanique Mayo (9.7) lead the Musketeers in scoring during BIG EAST action. Scarlett has a team-high 25 steals, while Mayo has added a team-high 27 three pointers.
• Aizhanique Mayo ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring among freshmen, averaging 9.7 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 eighth in the conference in rebounding.
• Xavier ranks fifth in steals (7.1) and fourth in three pointers made per game (6.6), while ranking seventh in both three-point field-goal percentage (.307) and three-point field-goal percentage defense (.342).
• Xavier's freshmen have logged 50.4 percent of the team's 3,000 minutes through 15 conference games. The Musketeer freshmen have played 1,514 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 Tuesday, Feb. 27 at No. 21 Creighton. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. ET from D.J. Sokol Arena.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Penda Dieng
Monday, September 08
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Audia Young
Thursday, September 04
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Mya Moore
Wednesday, August 27
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Savannah White
Friday, August 15