Xavier Opens BIG EAST Tournament Action vs DePaul

Friday, March 7

Uncasville, Conn.

4 p.m.

Xavier University

No. 6 seed DePaul

Tickets

2025 WBB Preview vs DePaul - BIG EAST Tournament

Xavier Opens BIG EAST Tournament Action vs DePaul

03.06.25 | Women's Basketball

Live Stats Watch Live Bracket (PDF)Tournament Central XU Notes (PDF)

Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. on March 7 from Mohegan Sun Arena

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - No. 11 seed Xavier takes on No. 6 seed DePaul in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament on Friday, March 7. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

The winner advances to the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Tournament vs No. 3 seed Seton Hall on Saturday, March 8 at 9:30 p.m. The game will be aired nationally on FS2.

GAME INFORMATION

No. 11 XAVIER MUSKETEERS (6-23) vs No. 6 DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS (13-18)
Game Info - Friday, March 7 - 4 p.m. ET - Mohegan Sun Arena (10,000) - Uncasville, Conn.
Live Stats - bit.ly/4kwAH5Y
Watch Live (FloCollege) - flosports.link/4dQIiI4
Tournament Central - bit.ly/3QKqa9R

ABOUT DEPAUL

2024-25 Record: 13-18 (8-10 BIG EAST)
2023-24 Record: 12-20 (4-14 BIG EAST)
2024 Postseason: None
Series History: Xavier trails, 29-1
Last Meeting: DePaul 57, Xavier 50 (Jan. 22, 2025 - Chicago, Ill.)

NOTABLES
• Jorie Allen was named to the 2025 All-BIG EAST First Team, while Taylor Johnson-Matthews earned honorable mention team honors. Allen was also the BIG EAST Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
• Jorie Allen ranks second in the BIG EAST and 22nd in the NCAA in scoring, averaging 19.8 points per game. Taylor Johnson-Matthews ranks 10th in the BIG EAST in scoring (14.6).
• DePaul ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring offense (64.9) and 11th in scoring defense (70.1). The Blue Demons also rank 11th in field-goal percentage (.389) and eighth in field-goal percentage defense (.432).
• Four DePaul players averaged 10 or more points in the two-game series with Xavier this season: Taylor Johnson-Matthews (18.0), Kate Clarke (15.0), Jorie Allen (13.5) and Meg Newman (11.0). Newman added a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game and .600 field-goal percentage (9-for-15) in those games.

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier trails the all-time series, 29-1. The Musketeers lone victory was on Jan. 23, 1984 in the first meeting between the two schools, 82-72, in Cincinnati.

LAST FIVE MEETINGS VS DEPAUL
Jan. 22, 2025 - DePaul 57, Xavier 50 (Chicago, Ill.)
Jan. 2, 2025 - DePaul 65, Xavier 60 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jan. 16, 2024 - DePaul 79, Xavier 47 (Chicago, Ill.)
Dec. 20, 2023 - DePaul 76, Xavier 55 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Feb. 4, 2023 - DePaul 93, Xavier 48 (Chicago, Ill.)

2024-25 SERIES VS Depaul

Three Musketeers averaged double figures in the two-game series vs the Blue Demons this season: Meri Kanerva (13.0), Loren Christie (11.5) and Aizhanique Mayo (10.5).
Meri Kanerva added a team-high 6.5 assists per game, while Loren Christie pulled down a team-high 6.5 rebounds per game to go along with nine blocks. Aizhanique Mayo made a team-high six 3-pointers (6-for-12).
Xavier averaged 55 points per game with a .380 field-goal percentage. The Musketeers were also 18-for-54 from behind the arc and 10-for-23 from the foul line.

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT HISTORY

Xavier is 1-11 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament action. The Musketeers lone BIG EAST Tournament win was over Georgetown, 70-67, on March 7, 2015.
Since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14, the Musketeers have never been higher than the No. 7 seed (twice). Xavier has been the No. 10 seed four times, the No. 11 seed three times, the No. 9 seed twice and the No. 8 seed once.
The No. 11 seed is 7-21 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament action (0-4 record when No. 6 vs No. 11 in the first round for 2021-present bracket format; 3-4 record when No. 11 vs No. 14 in the first round for 2008-13 bracket format; 4-13 record when No. 6 vs No. 11 in the first round for the 1996-2008 bracket format).
All told, Xavier is 36-30 in conference tournament history. The Musketeers posted a 28-12 record in Atlantic 10 Tournament action (1996-2013) with six championships.
Xavier and DePaul are meeting for the second time in the BIG EAST Tournament.

XAVIER VS DEPAUL - BIG EAST TOURNAMENT RESULTS
2015 - No. 2 seed DePaul 87, No. 7 seed Xavier 53

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT BRACKET

March 7 – First Round
Game 1: No. 8 St. John's vs. No. 9 Butler, 11 a.m. (BEDN)
Game 2: No. 7 Providence vs. No. 10 Georgetown, 1:30 p.m. (BEDN)
Game 3: No. 6 DePaul vs. No. 11 Xavier, 4 p.m. (BEDN)

March 8 – Quarterfinals
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. No. 1 UConn, Noon (FS1)
Game 5: No. 5 Villanova vs. No. 4 Marquette, 2:30 p.m. (FS2)
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. No. 2 Creighton, 7 p.m. (FS2)
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. No. 3 Seton Hall, 9:30 p.m. (FS2)

March 9 – Semifinals
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 2:30 p.m. (FOX)
Game 9: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 5 p.m. (FOX)

March 10 - Final
Game 10: Game 8 winner vs Game 9 winner, 7 p.m. (FS1)

KANERVA NAMED TO ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

Meri Kanerva was named to the five person BIG EAST All-Freshman Team on March 6. The Espoo, Finland, native is the third Musketeer to earn the honors in as many seasons (Aizhanique Mayo in 2023-24; Fernanda Ovalle in 2022-23).
All told, five Musketeers have been named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team since joining the conference in 2013-14. Xavier now has 10 All-BIG EAST honorees.

LAST TIME OUT

Xavier finished regular-season action with a 59-57 loss to Seton Hall on March 2 at Cintas Center.
Meri Kanerva scored a game-high 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting. She also dished out a game and season-high nine assists. The freshman guard has scored in double figures 17 times this season.
Aizhanique Mayo scored 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting with three 3-pointers. The guard added five rebounds, two steals and two assists in 34 minutes of action off the bench.
MacKenzie Givens added a season-high 11 points on 3-for-4 shooting. The freshman guard/forward added three rebounds in 17 minutes of action off the bench.
Daniela López pulled down a game-high seven rebounds (matching her career high in rebounds). She added two points and one steal.

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

WEEKLY HONORS
Jan. 20 - Loren Christie - Weekly Honor Roll

KANERVA - XU FRESHMAN RECORDS

Meri Kanerva is averaging a team-leading 10.7 points per game. The guard currently ranks sixth all-time at Xavier in freshman scoring average. She also ranks tied for second in assists per game average (3.3).
Meri Kanerva has 96 assists this season, ranking third all-time at Xavier in assists by a freshman. She is three assists away from passing Miranda Green (03-04) and moving into second place.
Meri Kanerva is the first Xavier player to record 95 or more assists in a season since Shaila Beeler in 2021-22 (117 assists).

PURVIS BREAKOUT SEASON

Tae'lor Purvis leads the team in total steals (62). The senior guard has added 6.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. She now ranks tied for 10th in Xavier single-season history with Taru Tuukkanen (2000-01).
Tae'lor Purvis ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in steals (2.1), while ranking 100th in the NCAA. Her 62 total steals also ranks fifth in the conference and 88th in the NCAA.
Tae'lor Purvis has helped Xavier force 17.3 turnovers per game, ranking third in the BIG EAST and 111th in the NCAA.
Tae'lor Purvis is the first Xavier player with 60 or more steals in a season since Special Jennings in 2010-11 (had 65 steals; ranks 8th in single-season school history).
In BIG EAST only games, Tae'lor Purvis leads the team in both rebounding average (3.2) and total rebounds (58). She also leads the team in total steals (36) in BIG EAST only games.

NOTABLE

Meri Kanerva leads the team in scoring (10.7) and assists (3.3). The freshman guard has added 36 steals and 34 three pointers. She ranks fourth among BIG EAST freshman in scoring and third in assists.
Loren Christie ranks first on the team in rebounding (3.9), while ranking second in scoring (7.8). The forward ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in blocks (1.4), while ranking 90th in the NCAA.
Loren Christie ranks 90th in the NCAA in total blocks (40). She ranks tied for 10th place in Xavier single-season history in blocks.
The Musketeers have posted 10 or more steals in 10 games this season. Xavier only had five games with 10 or more steals during the 2023-24 season.
Aizhanique Mayo ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 6.6 points per game. The guard has made a team-high 45 three pointers, ranking 11th in the BIG EAST. Her 45 three pointers are the most by a Xavier player since 2019-20 (Morgan Sharps made 48).
Xavier has made 10 or more three pointers in a game three times this season.
Xavier ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in field-goal percentage defense (.415) and sixth in scoring defense (62.6). The Musketeers also rank fifth in steals (7.5).
In BIG EAST only games, the Musketeers rank seventh in the conference in three pointers made per game (5.7).
Xavier has scored a season-high 71 points twice this season. The Musketeers did not score 70 or more points during the 2023-24 season and only scored 70 or more points four times during the 2022-23 campaign.
Xavier scored 27 points in the opening quarter vs the RedHawks on Nov. 10, the most points in a quarter for the Musketeers since Nov. 13, 2022 vs Saint Francis (PA) at Cintas Center. The Musketeers scored 28 points in the third quarter vs the Red Flash (W, 78-52).
Xavier hit over 50 percent of its shot attempts in back-to-back games vs Miami (Ohio) and Mercyhurst - the first time the Musketeers have hit over 50 percent of their shot attempts in back-to-back games since Feb. 12, 2011 - Feb. 16, 2011 (Xavier hit 53.8 percent of its shot attempts in a 77-55 win vs Fordham on Feb. 12; Xavier hit 66.1 percent of its shot attempts in a 92-60 win at Saint Louis on Feb. 16).
The Musketeers scored 26 points off of turnovers vs Mercyhurst on Nov. 15. The last time Xavier scored 26 or more points off of turnovers was on Nov. 13, 2022 vs Saint Francis (PA) - scored 29 points off of turnovers in a 78-52 win at Cintas Center.
Xavier has lost 35 straight road games. The Musketeers have not won a true road game since Nov. 27, 2022 at SIUE (W, 73-65).

SCHEDULE NOTES

Xavier played two games on national television: Jan. 8 at UConn (SNY) and Feb. 8 at Seton Hall (FS1).
Xavier played six home non-conference games at Cintas Center, including four straight to open the 2024-25 season. The Musketeers played a total of 15 home games during the season (including nine home BIG EAST games).
Xavier played teams from six different leagues during non-conference action: Mid-American (4), Horizon, Sun Belt, Big 12, Mountain West and Northeast. The Musketeers non-conference opponents combined to make three postseason appearances last season.
Xavier played three opponents for the first time in program history in Arkansas State, Mercyhurst and San Jose State.
Xavier played Bowling Green, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Temple and Youngstown State for the second time in as many seasons.
The Musketeers have won 65 non-conference games over the last eight seasons with a 52-17 mark at Cintas Center.

ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS

Xavier entered the season with 12 international players from the following countries: Spain (4), Finland, Australia, Slovakia, Croatia, Germany, Serbia, England, Republic of Georgia.
Xavier returns six letterwinners from the 2023-24 season, highlighted by Aizhanique Mayo who earned All-BIG EAST Freshman Team honors. The guard ranked second in conference only games among freshman in scoring, averaging 9.8 points per game. The Musketeers also return graduate student Tae'lor Purvis who led the team in assists (69) and steals (43) a year ago. The guard ranked 12th in the BIG EAST in steals last season.
The Musketeers also welcome back sophomores Júlia Garcia Roig and Daniela López. The Spanish guards combined to average 9.4 points and 3.9 rebounds during their freshmen campaigns, while adding 82 assists and 37 steals.
Second-year head coach Billi Chambers welcomes eight newcomers to the team this summer, including local standout MacKenzie Givens (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton HS). Xavier also returns Loren Christie who brings a wealth of experience to the frontcourt, having played in 104 games during her college career - including a game in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. She missed the 2023-24 season due to injury.

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.

PRESEASON COACHES POLL

1. UConn – 100 (10 first-place votes)
2. Creighton – 91 (1)
3. Providence – 71
4. St. John's - 67
5. Georgetown – 66
6. Villanova – 56
7. Seton Hall – 51
8. Butler – 46
9. DePaul – 24
10. Marquette - 23
11. Xavier - 10