
Musketeers Travel to Seton Hall on Saturday
02.08.24 | Women's Basketball
Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. from Walsh Gymnasium
CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball continues BIG EAST action on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Seton Hall. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. ET from Walsh Gym.
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (1-19, 0-11) at SETON HALL PIRATES (13-10, 5-7)
Saturday, Feb. 10 - 1 p.m. ET - Walsh Gym (1,284) - South Orange, N.J.
Watch Live (BEDN/FloSports) - flosports.link/3RvqOqo
Live Stats - bit.ly/3SR6Jhq
• Seton Hall was picked to finish fifth in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll after posting a 19-15 (10-10 BIG EAST) and advancing to the second round of the WNIT. Azana Baines earned preseason all-conference honors.
• The Pirates have dropped two straight games, most recently a 67-34 setback at No. 11 UConn on Feb. 7. Seton Hall enters Saturday's game with a 9-4 record at home this season.
• Seton Hall ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring defense (56.8), third in steals (9.3) and fourth in free-throw percentage (.748). The Pirates rank 32nd in the NCAA in scoring defense and 75th in steals.
• Azana Baines ranks ninth in the BIG EAST in scoring, averaging 14.9 points per game. Micah Gray has added 12.1 points per game to rank 16th in the conference. Kae Satterfield ranks third in field-goal percentage (.595) and Amari Wright ranks second in assists (5.7).
• Xavier trails the all-time series, 20-3. The Musketeers have dropped 10 straight games in the series and are 1-9 when playing the Pirates in South Orange, N.J.
• Xavier's last win over the Pirates was on Feb. 1, 2019 in South Orange, N.J. (W, 80-76).
LAST FIVE MEETINGS VS SETON HALL
Jan. 13, 2024 - Seton Hall 61, Xavier 47 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
March 3, 2023 - Seton Hall 84, Xavier 58 (Uncasville, Conn.)
Feb. 13, 2023 - Seton Hall 72, Xavier 59 (South Orange, N.J.)
Dec. 2, 2022 - Seton Hall 74, Xavier 55 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
March 1, 2022 - Seton Hall 74, Xavier 53 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• Seton Hall won the first meeting between the two schools this season, 61-47, on Jan. 13 at Cintas Center. The game featured six lead changes and three ties.
• Aizhanique Mayo led three Musketeers in double-figure scoring with 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting with four 3-pointers. Tae'lor Purvis and Júlia Garcia Roig both added 10 points. Nila Blackford pulled down a team-high six rebounds.
• Mackayla Scarlett has averaged a team-high 19 points with a .429 field-goal percentage (27-for-63) in the team's last four games. She has added 4.0 steals and 3.3 rebounds per game. The senior guard has also knocked down a team-high 10 three pointers and made 80 percent of her free throws (12-for-15).
• Tae'lor Purvis has added 12.7 points and 5.0 points per game with a .882 free-throw percentage (15-for-17). The guard also posted 10 assists and seven steals during that stretch.
• Aizhanique Mayo has chipped in 10.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in those outings.
• Mackayla Scarlett is averaging a team-high 14.4 points per game. She has scored in double figures 10 times this season with four, 20-point performances. The guard scored a career-high 26 points in the team's last outing vs No. 21 Creighton on Feb. 6.
• Aizhanique Mayo has added 9.6 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 .351 three-point field-goal percentage (20-for-57).
• 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), while ranking 81st in the NCAA. 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 56 assists. She has added 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. The guard is averaging 30.8 minutes per game, ranking 18th in the BIG EAST. Purvis also ranks ninth in steals per game (1.7).
• Daniela López is averaging 31.8 minutes per game, ranking 18th in the BIG EAST. She leads all BIG EAST freshmen in the category. The guard is averaging 6.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game this season. López ranks 12th 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 eight times. Five Musketeers are averaging 7.4 or more points per game this year.
• Xavier's freshmen have logged 39.9 percent of the team's 4,025 minutes this season. The Musketeer freshmen have played 1,607 minutes this season.
• Mackayla Scarlett (15.3) and Aizhanique Mayo (9.2) lead the Musketeers in scoring during BIG EAST action. Scarlett has a team-high 21 steals, while Mayo has added a team-high 18 three pointers.
• Aizhanique Mayo ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring among freshmen, averaging 9.2 points per game. She also ranks ninth in three pointers made per game (1.6).
• 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), sixth in three pointers made per game (6.3) and sixth in three-point field-goal percentage (.322). The Musketeers also rank sixth in three-point field-goal percentage defense (.333).
• Xavier's freshmen have logged 48.3 percent of the team's 2,200 minutes through 11 conference games. The Musketeer freshmen have played 1,063 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 Wednesday, Feb. 14 vs No. 11 UConn. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center.
GAME INFORMATION
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (1-19, 0-11) at SETON HALL PIRATES (13-10, 5-7)
Saturday, Feb. 10 - 1 p.m. ET - Walsh Gym (1,284) - South Orange, N.J.
Watch Live (BEDN/FloSports) - flosports.link/3RvqOqo
Live Stats - bit.ly/3SR6Jhq
ABOUT SETON HALL
• Seton Hall was picked to finish fifth in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll after posting a 19-15 (10-10 BIG EAST) and advancing to the second round of the WNIT. Azana Baines earned preseason all-conference honors.
• The Pirates have dropped two straight games, most recently a 67-34 setback at No. 11 UConn on Feb. 7. Seton Hall enters Saturday's game with a 9-4 record at home this season.
• Seton Hall ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring defense (56.8), third in steals (9.3) and fourth in free-throw percentage (.748). The Pirates rank 32nd in the NCAA in scoring defense and 75th in steals.
• Azana Baines ranks ninth in the BIG EAST in scoring, averaging 14.9 points per game. Micah Gray has added 12.1 points per game to rank 16th in the conference. Kae Satterfield ranks third in field-goal percentage (.595) and Amari Wright ranks second in assists (5.7).
SERIES HISTORY
• Xavier trails the all-time series, 20-3. The Musketeers have dropped 10 straight games in the series and are 1-9 when playing the Pirates in South Orange, N.J.
• Xavier's last win over the Pirates was on Feb. 1, 2019 in South Orange, N.J. (W, 80-76).
LAST FIVE MEETINGS VS SETON HALL
Jan. 13, 2024 - Seton Hall 61, Xavier 47 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
March 3, 2023 - Seton Hall 84, Xavier 58 (Uncasville, Conn.)
Feb. 13, 2023 - Seton Hall 72, Xavier 59 (South Orange, N.J.)
Dec. 2, 2022 - Seton Hall 74, Xavier 55 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
March 1, 2022 - Seton Hall 74, Xavier 53 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
LAST TIME OUT VS SETON HALL
• Seton Hall won the first meeting between the two schools this season, 61-47, on Jan. 13 at Cintas Center. The game featured six lead changes and three ties.
• Aizhanique Mayo led three Musketeers in double-figure scoring with 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting with four 3-pointers. Tae'lor Purvis and Júlia Garcia Roig both added 10 points. Nila Blackford pulled down a team-high six rebounds.
LAST FOUR GAMES
• Mackayla Scarlett has averaged a team-high 19 points with a .429 field-goal percentage (27-for-63) in the team's last four games. She has added 4.0 steals and 3.3 rebounds per game. The senior guard has also knocked down a team-high 10 three pointers and made 80 percent of her free throws (12-for-15).
• Tae'lor Purvis has added 12.7 points and 5.0 points per game with a .882 free-throw percentage (15-for-17). The guard also posted 10 assists and seven steals during that stretch.
• Aizhanique Mayo has chipped in 10.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in those outings.
NOTABLES
• Mackayla Scarlett is averaging a team-high 14.4 points per game. She has scored in double figures 10 times this season with four, 20-point performances. The guard scored a career-high 26 points in the team's last outing vs No. 21 Creighton on Feb. 6.
• Aizhanique Mayo has added 9.6 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 .351 three-point field-goal percentage (20-for-57).
• 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), while ranking 81st in the NCAA. 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 56 assists. She has added 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. The guard is averaging 30.8 minutes per game, ranking 18th in the BIG EAST. Purvis also ranks ninth in steals per game (1.7).
• Daniela López is averaging 31.8 minutes per game, ranking 18th in the BIG EAST. She leads all BIG EAST freshmen in the category. The guard is averaging 6.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game this season. López ranks 12th 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 eight times. Five Musketeers are averaging 7.4 or more points per game this year.
• Xavier's freshmen have logged 39.9 percent of the team's 4,025 minutes this season. The Musketeer freshmen have played 1,607 minutes this season.
BIG EAST ONLY NOTABLES
• Mackayla Scarlett (15.3) and Aizhanique Mayo (9.2) lead the Musketeers in scoring during BIG EAST action. Scarlett has a team-high 21 steals, while Mayo has added a team-high 18 three pointers.
• Aizhanique Mayo ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring among freshmen, averaging 9.2 points per game. She also ranks ninth in three pointers made per game (1.6).
• 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), sixth in three pointers made per game (6.3) and sixth in three-point field-goal percentage (.322). The Musketeers also rank sixth in three-point field-goal percentage defense (.333).
• Xavier's freshmen have logged 48.3 percent of the team's 2,200 minutes through 11 conference games. The Musketeer freshmen have played 1,063 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 Wednesday, Feb. 14 vs No. 11 UConn. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center.
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