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Xavier Women Stumble in BIG EAST Quarterfinal Loss to Seton Hall
By
Musketeer Madness,
3/9/2025
No. 11 seed Xavier saw its season come to an end Saturday night, falling 48-40 to No. 3 seed Seton Hall in the BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Musketeers (7-24, 1-17 BIG EAST) started strong, building a 14-5 lead after the first quarter and maintaining an advantage into halftime.
However, offensive struggles in the fourth quarter proved costly, as Xavier managed just two points in the final 10 minutes while Seton Hall (22-8, 13-5) surged ahead.
Meri Kanerva, Irune Orio, and Aizhanique Mayo each led Xavier with eight points, but the Musketeers’ 28 turnovers ultimately spelled their downfall. Tae’lor Purvis contributed six points and seven rebounds, while Petra Oborilova also grabbed seven boards in the loss.
Faith Masonius and I’yanna Lops paced Seton Hall with 12 points apiece, while Jada Eads chipped in 10 points, including a perfect 6-for-6 performance from the free-throw line. The Pirates struggled to find their rhythm early, shooting just 6.7% in the first quarter, but found their groove in the second half, outscoring Xavier 33-15 after the break.
Xavier’s defense kept the Musketeers in the game, forcing 15 Seton Hall turnovers and holding the Pirates to just one made three-pointer on 10 attempts. However, Xavier’s inability to generate offense late was too much to overcome, as they missed all eight of their field goal attempts in the fourth quarter.
Seton Hall took its first lead of the night with just under two minutes to play on a layup by Lops, and Xavier was unable to respond. The Pirates sealed the win at the free-throw line, knocking down 11-of-12 from the stripe in the fourth quarter.
Despite the loss, Xavier showed promise with a strong defensive effort and moments of efficient offense. However, their season comes to a close after a tough year in conference play. Meanwhile, Seton Hall advances to the BIG EAST Semifinals, keeping its NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
For Xavier, the focus now shifts to the offseason, where the Musketeers will look to regroup and build for the future after a challenging campaign.
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