|
Kanerva and Mayo Lead Xavier Past DePaul in Big East Tournament Victory
By
Musketeer Madness,
3/7/2025
Behind dominant performances from Meri Kanerva and Aizhanique Mayo, the Xavier Musketeers ended decades of frustration against DePaul with an 80-73 victory in the opening round of the BIG EAST Tournament on Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Kanerva led all scorers with 28 points, while Mayo added 27 as Xavier (7-23) secured its first postseason win since 2015.
Xavier came out firing, jumping to a 22-11 lead in the first quarter and extending the advantage to 33-19 by halftime. The Musketeers’ defensive pressure stifled DePaul in the early going, forcing eight turnovers and limiting the Blue Demons to just eight points in the second quarter. The win snapped a 29-game losing streak against DePaul, marking Xavier’s first victory over the Blue Demons since their initial meeting on Jan. 23, 1984, when the Musketeers prevailed 82-72 in Cincinnati.
DePaul (13-19) fought back with a dominant third quarter, led by Jorie Allen’s strong presence inside. Allen finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds as the Blue Demons erupted for 28 points in the period. DePaul trimmed the deficit to two points at 62-60 early in the fourth, but Xavier responded with an 8-2 run, capped by a clutch three-pointer from Kanerva and key free throws from Tae’lor Purvis.
The Musketeers were nearly flawless from the free-throw line, converting 19-of-23 attempts, and they shot an efficient 11-of-24 from beyond the arc. Purvis chipped in 12 points and three steals, while Petra Oborilova provided a key defensive spark with a late block. Xavier capitalized on DePaul’s 18 turnovers, converting them into 27 points.
With the victory, Xavier improved to 2-11 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament play, earning its first tournament win since a 79-67 triumph over Georgetown on March 7, 2015. The Musketeers also became the first No. 11 seed to win a game in the current BIG EAST Tournament format, which began in 2021.
Xavier now advances to the quarterfinals, where they will face No. 3 seed Seton Hall (21-8) on Saturday, March 8, at 9:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast nationally on FS2 as the Musketeers look to keep their postseason run alive.
|
|
