Xavier Advances to BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals vs No. 3 Seed Seton Hall

Saturday, March 8

Uncasville, Conn.

9:30 p.m.

Xavier University

No. 3 seed Seton Hall

Tickets

Xavier Advances to BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals vs No. 3 Seed Seton Hall

03.07.25 | Women's Basketball

Live Stats Watch Live XU Notes (PDF)Championship Central

Tip-off is slated for 9:30 p.m. with the game being aired nationally on FS2

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - No. 11 seed Xavier takes on No. 3 seed Seton Hall in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Tournament on Saturday, March 8. Tip-off is slated for 9:30 p.m. from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The game will be aired nationally on FS2.

The winner advances to the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament vs No. 2 seed Creighton/No. 10 seed Georgetown on Sunday, March 9 at 5 p.m. The game will be aired nationally on FOX.

GAME INFORMATION

No. 11 XAVIER MUSKETEERS (7-23) vs No. 3 SETON HALL PIRATES (21-8)
Game Info - Saturday, March 9 - 9:30 p.m. ET - Mohegan Sun Arena (10,000) - Uncasville, Conn.
Live Stats - bit.ly/41MahWy
Watch Live (FS2) - foxsports.com/live
Tournament Central - bit.ly/3QKqa9R

ABOUT SETON HALL

2024-25 Record: 21-8 (13-5 BIG EAST)
2023-24 Record: 17-15 (8-10 BIG EAST)
2024 Postseason: WBIT - First Round
Series History: Xavier trails, 23-3
Last Meeting: Seton Hall 59, Xavier 57 (March 2, 2025 - Cincinnati, Ohio)

NOTABLES
• Jada Eads (Fr., G) and Faith Masonius (Gr., F) were both named to the All-BIG EAST First Team. Eads was also named to the All-BIG EAST Freshman Team.
• The Pirates rank first in the BIG EAST and 28th in the NCAA in turnovers forced per game (20.2). Seton Hall ranks second in the BIG EAST and 24th in the NCAA in steals (11.2). The Pirates rank fourth in the BIG EAST and 78th in the NCAA in scoring defense (59.7).
• Three Pirates averaged double figures in the two-game series vs Xavier this season: Savannah Catalon (15.5), Faith Masonius (14.5) and Jada Eads (13.0). Catalon added a .409 field-goal percentage (9-for-22) and totaled 18 steals.
• Seton Hall forced 62 Xavier turnovers in series this season.

SERIES HISTORY

Xavier trails the all-time series, 23-3. The Musketeers have dropped 13 straight games in the series.
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
March 2, 2025 - Seton Hall 59, Xavier 57 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Feb. 8, 2025 - Seton Hall 72, Xavier 47 (South Orange, N.J.)
Feb. 10, 2024 - Seton Hall 86, Xavier 62 (South Orange, N.J.)
Jan. 13, 2024 - Seton Hall 61, Xavier 47 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
March 3, 2023 - Seton Hall 84, Xavier 58 (Uncasville, Conn.)

2024-25 SERIES VS SETON HALL

Aizhanique Mayo averaged 12.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in the two meetings vs Seton Hall this season. She was 7-for-11 from behind the arc vs the Pirates. Mayo added two assists and two steals.
Meri Kanerva averaged 12.0 points, 6.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. She added a .474 field-goal percentage (9-for-19).
Xavier averaged 52.0 points per game with a .463 field-goal percentage. The Musketeers also went 16-for-35 from behind the arc.

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT HISTORY

Xavier is 2-11 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament action.
Xavier defeated DePaul, 80-73, on March 7, 2025. The Musketeers other 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 8-21 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament action (1-4 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 37-30 in conference tournament history. The Musketeers posted a 28-12 record in Atlantic 10 Tournament action (1996-2013) with six championships.
Xavier and Seton Hall are meeting for the third time in the BIG EAST Tournament.

XAVIER VS SETON HALL - BIG EAST TOURNAMENT RESULTS
2023 - No. 6 seed Seton Hall 84, No. 11 seed Xavier 58
2018 - No. 7 seed Seton Hall 66, No. 10 seed Xavier 42

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT BRACKET

March 7 – First Round
Game 1: No. 8 St. John's 66, No. 9 Butler 50
Game 2: No. 10 Georgetown 58, No. 7 Providence 56
Game 3: No. 11 Xavier 80, No. 6 DePaul 73

March 8 – Quarterfinals
Game 4: No. 8 St. John's vs. No. 1 UConn, Noon (FS1)
Game 5: No. 5 Villanova vs. No. 4 Marquette, 2:30 p.m. (FS2)
Game 6: No. 10 Georgetown vs. No. 2 Creighton, 7 p.m. (FS2)
Game 7: No. 11 Xavier 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

Meri Kanerva and Aizhanique Mayo combined for 55 points on Friday night, leading the No. 11 seed Musketeers to an 80-73 win over No. 6 seed DePaul in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament at Mohegan Sun.
Xavier never trailed in the game and led by as many as 22 points midway through the third quarter. DePaul battled back to tie the, 62-62, with 5:04 left in regulation. The Musketeers outscored the Blue Demons, 18-11, down the stretch to pull away for the victory. Xavier went 2-for-3 from the floor and 14-for-16 from the foul line in the final five minutes.
Xavier scored a season-high 80 points. The last time Xavier scored 80 or more points in a game was on Nov. 22, 2022 vs McNeese State (W, 84-68).
Xavier matched its season high in made three points with 11. The Musketeers have made 10 or more three pointers in a game four times this season.
Meri Kanerva scored a game and career-high 28 points on 7-for-11 shooting. She is the first Musketeer to score 28 or more points in a game since A'riana Gray on Jan. 4, 2020 (28 points vs Butler at Cintas Center; L, 78-70). The freshman guard was 3-for-6 from behind the arc and 11-for-13 from the foul line. She also dished out four assists and recorded two steals in 40 minutes of action. Kanerva has scored in double figures 18 times this season.
Aizhanique Mayo posted a career-high 27 points on 9-for-14 shooting with six 3-pointers. The guard added three rebounds. She now has 21 career double-figure scoring games.
Xavier had two players with 20 or more points in the same game since Nov. 27, 2022. Fernanda Ovalle (20) and Mackayla Scarlett (21) scored 20 or more points at SIUE (W, 73-65).

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 11.3 points per game. The guard currently ranks sixth all-time at Xavier in freshman scoring average. Her 388 points ranks sixth all-time at Xavier in total points by a freshman. She also ranks tied for second in assists per game average (3.3).
Meri Kanerva has 100 assists this season, ranking second all-time at Xavier in assists by a freshman. Amy Waugh (1999-2000) ranks first with 181 assists.
Meri Kanerva is the first Xavier player to record 100 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 (65). The senior guard has added 6.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. She now ranks tied for eighth in Xavier single-season history with Special Jennings (2010-11). She is three steals away from moving into seventh place and passing Valerie Spann (1992-93).
Tae'lor Purvis ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in steals (2.2), while ranking 100th in the NCAA. Her 65 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 led the team in both rebounding average (3.2) and total rebounds (58). She also led the team in total steals (36) in BIG EAST only games.

NOTABLE

Meri Kanerva leads the team in scoring (11.3) and assists (3.3). The freshman guard has added 38 steals and 37 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 (7.6). 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 (tied with Courtney Prenger - 2022-23).
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 7.3 points per game. The guard has made a team-high 51 three pointers, ranking 11th in the BIG EAST. Her 51 three pointers are the most by a Xavier player since 2018-19 (Lauren Wasylson made 57).
Xavier has made 10 or more three pointers in a game four times this season.
Xavier ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in field-goal percentage defense (.417) and sixth in scoring defense (62.9). 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 70 or more points in a game three times 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