Xavier Closes Homestand vs Ohio on Thursday Night

Thursday, November 20

Cincinnati, Ohio

6:30 p.m.

Xavier University

Ohio

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Xavier Closes Homestand vs Ohio on Thursday Night

11.18.25 | Women's Basketball

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

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

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball closes its five-game homestand on Thursday, Nov. 20 vs Ohio. Tip-off is slated for 6:30 p.m. with the game being aired on ESPN+ and The Varsity Network.

Xavier is playing the second of three straight games vs Mid-American Conference opponents.

GAME INFORMATION

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (2-2) vs OHIO BOBCATS (2-1)
Game Info - Thursday, Nov. 20 - 6:30 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224) - Cincinnati, Ohio
Live Stats - statb.us/b/621519
ESPN+ - bit.ly/484R9W0
Varsity Network - bit.ly/43a3vKI

PROMOTIONS

International Night
Halftime: Cincinnati Baila Dance

ABOUT OHIO

2025-26 Record: 1-2
2024-25 Record: 6-23 (4-14 MAC)
2025 Postseason: None
Series History: Ohio leads the series, 6-1
Last Meeting: Ohio 94, Xavier 88 (Nov. 10, 2013 - Athens, Ohio)

NOTABLES
• Ohio was picked to finish 10th in the Mid-American Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Bobcats are led by Bob Bolden who is in his 13th season at Ohio (has a 204-165 overall record).
• Ohio lead the MAC in steals per game (13.3), while ranking 33rd in the NCAA. The Bobcats also led the conference in turnovers forced per game (26.0), while ranking 16th in the NCAA.
• Ohio leads the MAC in three pointers attempted per game (30.0), while ranking 14th in the NCAA. The Bobcats are making 17.3 free throws per game, ranking 33rd in the NCAA.
• Three Bobcats are averaging 10 or more points per game: Aliah McWhorter (12.0), Asiah Baxter (11.7) and Bella Ranallo (10.3). Baxter has added a team-high 5.7 rebounds per game.

SERIES HISTORY

Ohio leads the all-time series with Xavier, 6-1. The Musketeers have dropped six straight in the series.
Xavier's lone win in the series was on Dec. 16, 1989 in Cincinnati (W, 80-60). The Musketeers are 1-2 when playing the Bobcats at home.
Xavier and Ohio have only played once at Cintas Center (L, 68-62 on Jan. 5, 2013).
Ohio won the last meeting between the two schools, 94-88, on Nov. 10, 2013 in Athens, Ohio.

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS

Mariyah Noel was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, Nov. 17.
The junior guard averaged a team-high 17.5 points and 4.0 assists per game over two contests last week. Noel added 2.5 rebounds per game and went 9-for-10 from the foul line.

NOTABLES

Meri Kanerva averaged 13.5 points per game over two contests last week. The sophomore guard is averaging 9.0 points per game, ranking third on the team.
Savannah White averaged 9.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game over two contests last week. The forward ranks first on the team in rebounding (6.8) and second in scoring (9.5). She also ranks first on the team in blocks (8) and tied for first in steals (7). White ranks 10th in the BIG EAST in rebounding.
Mariyah Noel is averaging 17.5 points per game, ranking fourth in the BIG EAST and 89th in the NCAA. The junior guard entered the season with a 1.8 points per game scoring averaging in 39 games at Ole Miss. She also ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.8), while ranking 12th in the BIG EAST.
Mariyah Noel posted back-to-back games with 22 points on Nov. 7-11, 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 third in the BIG EAST and 30th in the NCAA in free-throw percentage (.790). 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 151st in the NCAA in scoring defense (61.5). The Musketeers also rank fourth in the conference in turnovers forced per game (20.0) and sixth in blocks per game (4.0).
Sophomore MacKenzie Givens is averaging 7.0 points and 3.8 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 since 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).
The Musketeers have won 67 non-conference games over the last eight seasons with a 54-19 mark at Cintas Center.
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 played 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