Xavier, Kent State Set for Friday Night Matchup

Friday, November 14

Cincinnati, Ohio

6:30 p.m.

Xavier University

Kent State

Tickets

Xavier, Kent State Set for Friday Night Matchup

11.13.25 | Women's Basketball

Live Stats ESPN+Varsity Network Buy Tickets XU Notes (PDF)

Tip-off is slated for 6:30 p.m. from Cintas Center

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball continues its five-game homestand on Friday, Nov. 14 vs Kent State. Tip-off is slated for 6:30 p.m. with the game being aired on ESPN+ and The Varsity Network.

GAME INFORMATION

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (2-1) vs KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES (1-2)
Game Info - Friday, Nov. 14 - 6:30 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224) - Cincinnati, Ohio
Live Stats - statb.us/b/623125
ESPN+ - bit.ly/441lt2f
Varsity Network - bit.ly/43a3vKI

PROMOTIONS

Junior Musketeers Day (Register for the pregame pizza party here!)
Kids Free Friday Promotion
Post-game Layups (Kids 8th grade and under)

ABOUT KENT STATE

2025-26 Record: 1-2
2024-25 Record: 21-12 (12-5 MAC)
2025 Postseason: None
Series History: Kent State leads, 7-0
Last Meeting: Kent State 89, Xavier 69 (Nov. 23, 2024 - Kent, Ohio)

NOTABLES
• Kent State was picked to finish first in the Preseason Mid-American Conference Coaches' Poll. Janae Tyler was tabbed to the preseason all-conference first team, while Mya Babbitt was named to the second team.
• Mya Babbitt leads the team in scoring (14.3), while ranking second in rebounding (5.3). Corynne Hauser has added 11.0 points per game, while Riley Rismiller has pulled down a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game.
• The Golden Flashes are averaging 58.0 points per game with a .335 field-goal percentage (56-for-167). Kent State is allowing 74.3 points per game.

SERIES HISTORY

Kent State leads the all-time series vs Xavier, 7-0. The Golden Flashes won the last meeting between the two schools, 89-69, in Kent, Ohio on Nov. 23, 2024.
Xavier and Kent State are playing each other for the third time in as many seasons. Friday's game will be the fourth meeting between the two teams in Cincinnati.
Kent State won the last meeting at Cintas Center, 64-57, on Nov. 21, 2023.

NOTABLES

Mariyah Noel has posted back-to-back games with 22 points, becoming the first player to score 20 or more points in consecutive games since A'riana Gray in 2020 (scored 20 points in back-to-back games on Jan. 10-12).
Xavier ranks second in the BIG EAST and 14th in the NCAA in free-throw percentage (.833). The Musketeers only hit 65.2 percent of their free throws last season, ranking 11th in the BIG EAST and 321st in the NCAA.
Xavier ranks sixth in the BIG EAST and 141st in the NCAA in scoring defense (59.3). The Musketeers also rank fifth in the conference in turnovers forced per game (19.7) and sixth in blocks per game (4.3).
Mariyah Noel ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring (19.0) and 12th in rebounding (7.0). The guard ranks 60th in the NCAA in scoring.
Savannah White ranks third in the BIG EAST and 29th in the NCAA in total blocks (7). The forward is averaging a team-best 7.3 rebounds per game, ranking 10th in the BIG EAST.
Sophomore MacKenzie Givens is averaging 8.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game this season. She averaged 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds per game last season.
Xavier had 12 steals vs New Haven on Nov. 4, the 11th time the Musketeers have posted 10 or more steals in a game over the last two seasons.
Xavier pulled down 43 rebounds vs Purdue Fort Wayne on Nov. 7. The 43 rebounds were the most in a game by the Musketeers sine Dec. 9, 2022 vs Cincinnati (47 rebounds; W, 48-35).

KANERVA NAMED TO ALL-BIG EAST TEAM

Meri Kanerva was named to the 2025-26 Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention Team on Oct. 21 at BIG EAST Media Day at Madison Square Garden. She is the first Musketeer to pick-up preseason all-conference honors since A'riana Gray in 2020.

SCHEDULE NOTES

Xavier will play seven non-conference home games at Cintas Center, including five straight to open the 2025-26 season. The Musketeers will play a total of 17 home games during the season (10 home BIG EAST games; seven non-conference games).
Xavier will play teams from five different leagues during non-conference action: Mid-American (3), Northeast (3), Horizon, Big 12 and Atlantic 10. The Musketeers non-conference opponents combined to make two postseason appearances last season.
The Musketeers travel to Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 7 for the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout. Xavier looks to snap its two-game losing streak in the series and pick up its first win at Fifth Third Arena since Dec. 11, 2016 (W, 72-61).
Xavier will play two opponents for the first time in program history in New Haven and Long Island.
Xavier will be playing Kent State for the third time in as many seasons.
The Musketeers renewed their rivalry with Dayton on Nov. 11. The two teams played each other for the first time since Feb. 7, 2013.

ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS

Xavier returns six letterwinners from the 2024-25 season, highlighted by Meri Kanerva who was named to the All-BIG EAST Freshman Team. The guard led the team in scoring (11.2) and assists (3.4).
The Musketeers also welcome back starter Petra Oborilova. She averaged 4.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, while knocking down 33 three pointers (ranked third on the team).
Third-year head coach Billi Chambers welcomes eight newcomers to the team this summer, including four transfers: Savannah White (Indiana State), Mya Moore (Cleveland State), Audia Young (Auburn) and Mariyah Noel (Ole Miss).
Xavier also welcomes four freshman to the program: Penda Dieng (Louga, Senegal), Denise Neves (Lisbon, Portugal), Payton Richards (Lake Travis, Texas) and Kodee Williams-Sefo (Auckland, New Zealand).
All told, the Musketeers will have players from eight different countries on the 2025-26 roster.

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.

TV BROADCAST INFORMATION

The upcoming season marks the first of a six-year media agreement, which will span from 2025-26 through 2030-31, encompassing coverage on FOX Sports (FOX, FS1), NBC Sports (NBC, Peacock), and TNT Sports (TNT, TBS, truTV and Max). The agreement will provide major national broadcast, cable, and direct-to-consumer streaming coverage of BIG EAST women's and men's basketball games. ESPN+ will also stream a minimum of 75 women's basketball games.
Xavier will play 27 games on ESPN+ (16 home games; 11 away games). The Musketeers will also play one game on FS1 (Nov. 30 vs UConn) and one game on Peacock (Jan. 8 at UConn).

RADIO BROADCAST INFORMATION

Xavier has added to its broadcast coverage for the upcoming 2025-26 season by providing radio broadcasts on The Varsity Network.
All 17 home games (and select road games) will be aired on The Varsity Network. The free app can be downloaded in the Apple Store or Google Play Store on any mobile device.
John Baldridge ('25) will handle the play-by-play for the Musketeers. He did play-by-play broadcasts for the Xavier women's basketball program during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons on the Xavier University Sports Radio Network.
Baldridge served as a broadcaster for the Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals High-A Affiliate) in the summer of 2025. Baldridge also has broadcaster experience with the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders (Northwoods League) and the Cincinnati Steam (Great Lakes League).

PRESEASON COACHES POLL

1. UConn - 100 (10 first-place votes)
2. Marquette - 85
3. Seton Hall - 80 (1)
4. Villanova - 78
5. Creighton - 61
6. St. John's - 56
7. Georgetown - 48
8. DePaul - 32
9. Butler - 30
10. Providence - 20
11. Xavier - 15

TICKET INFORMATION

Buy season tickets now at GoXavier.com/Tickets. Single-game tickets are also on sale at GoXavier.com/Tickets.
For more information on season tickets, single-game tickets and group tickets, fans can contact the Xavier Athletics Ticket Office at (513) 745-3411 x7 or tickets@xavier.edu