Nila Blackford

Class:
Senior
Position:
Forward
Height:
6-2
Hometown:
Louisville, Ky.
High School:
Dupont Manual

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES
2022-23, 2023-24 All-BIG EAST Academic Team

XAVIER
GRADUATE (2023-24)
Played in 23 games, making 19 starts... averaged 9.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game... led the team in rebounding, while ranking third in scoring... ranked fourth in the BIG EAST in rebounding and 28th in scoring... ranked 98th in the NCAA in rebounding... also led the team in blocks with 20, while ranking 12th in the BIG EAST... scored in double figures 10 times... pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game six times... recorded four double-doubles... scored a season-high 19 points vs Kent State on Nov. 21... pulled down a season-high 16 rebounds at Old Dominion on Nov. 14... posted a .470 field-goal percentage (87-for-185) and went 31-for-54 from the foul line... was also 1-for-4 from behind the arc... added 26 assists and 21 steals... finished her career with 1,306 points and 1,001 rebounds.

SENIOR (2022-23)
Played in 21 games as a senior, starting 13 times... averaged 6.3 points, a team-high 5.5 rebounds and a team-high 1.5 steals per game... would have ranked ninth in the BIG EAST Conference in steals but didn't play the minimum number of games... logged 22.2 minutes per game... led Xavier in rebounding in 12 of the final 20 games, including a double-double with 14 rebounds to go with 10 points vs. Georgetown on Jan. 31... grabbed 10 rebounds vs. Eastern Michigan on Dec. 17... scored in double figures three times, including a season-high 17 at Creighton on Feb. 12... grabbed at least one steal in 15 of her 21 games and had at least two steals in 11 of those games.

KENT STATE (2019-22)
Played in 77 games over three seasons with the Golden Flashes... averaged 12.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game over three seasons... added 72 steals, 39 blocks and a .441 field-goal percentage... enters the 2022-23 season 42 points shy of 1,000 career points... was a three-time All-MAC selection... led the Golden Flashes to a 49-32 (31-23 MAC) record in three seasons and a second round WNIT appearance in 2022... was also a two-time All-MAC Academic Team honoree... ranked sixth in the MAC in rebounds per game (8.7) – while ranking 79th in the NCAA during the 2021-22 season... grabbed 270 total rebounds to rank 68th in the NCAA in 2021-22... added 10.5 points per game in 2021-22... scored a career high 31 points on Nov. 23, 2019 vs Robert Morris and pulled down a career high 18 rebounds vs Buffalo on March 10, 2021.

PERSONAL
Daughter of Nell and William Blackford... has three siblings, Jelani, William and Kayden... mother, Nell, played basketball at Louisville and father, William, played football Louisville... a sport administration major.