DePaul Opens 2025 at Xavier

Thursday, January 2

Cincinnati, Ohio

6 p.m.

DePaul University

Xavier

DePaul women's basketball huddles prior to facing Marquette.

1/1/2025 10:02:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Watch (FloCollege)Live Stats

CHICAGO – DePaul women's basketball will open the 2025 calendar year with a trip to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on Xavier Jan. 2. Tipoff from the Cintas Center is set for 6 p.m. CT with coverage carried on FloCollege.

Mike Schmaltz and Rich Hoyt will have the call for the BIG EAST Digital Network while fans can also follow live stats via depaul.statbroadcast.com.

Demon Doings
DePaul (6-9, 1-1 BIG EAST) looks to get back in the win column after dropping its first conference game on Sunday afternoon, a 78-59 setback at the hands of Marquette.

Against the Golden Eagles, veterans Jorie Allen, Taylor Johnson-Matthews and Meg Newman combined for 53 of DePaul's 59 points. Allen strung together her eighth 20-point performance of the season and 15th in double figures with 24 second-half points while Johnson-Matthews did a little bit of everything with 19 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. It was the first double-double of Johnson-Matthews' career. Newman added 10 points and eight rebounds.

Allen's 19.1 points per game leads the Blue Demons and ranks third amongst conference players. On Sunday, the graduate forward became the 44th letterwinner to score 1,000 points in a DePaul uniform and now ranks 43rd in program history with 1,008 points in the scarlet and blue.

Johnson-Matthews was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for the second-consecutive week after her performance versus Marquette. The junior guard has elevated her production and efficiency tremendously in conference play, averaging 20.5 points (+6.8 ppg) and is shooting 48-percent from the floor. She has finished in double figures in eight-straight games.

The Blue Demons rank second in the BIG EAST in rebounding at 37.8 per contest. Newman's 7.7 boards per game is fourth among conference players.

Xavier Notes
The Musketeers are 5-8 on the season including an 0-2 mark through a pair of conference games. On Dec. 30, Xavier fell to Georgetown on the road 64-41 after being outscored 23-4 in the fourth quarter.

Loren Christie and Meri Kanerva lead Xavier in scoring with 10.7 and 10. 5 points per game, respectively. Christie leads the BIG EAST in blocks with 24 on the season.

As a team, the Musketeers defensive pressure is forcing 18.3 opponent turnovers per game which is fourth-best in the league.

Billi Chambers, in her second season at the helm in Cincinnati, welcomed in eight newcomers to the program in the offseason. The Musketeers were selected to finish 11th in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Series Stuff
DePaul is 27-1 all-time against the Musketeers and have won the last 26 meetings. The Blue Demons lone loss in the series came in the first ever meeting between the two programs, an 82-72 decision in Cincinnati on Jan. 23, 1984.

A season ago, DePaul swept the season series including a 76-55 win at the Cintas Center on Dec. 20.

Up Next
The Blue Demons will hit the road to take on St. John's on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Tipoff from Carnesecca Arena is set for 7:30 p.m. CT with the action broadcast live on FS1.

TICKET INFORMATION
Season Tickets for the 2024-25 women's basketball season at Wintrust Arena start at $95. Secure your seats today at www.DePaulBlueDemons.com/tickets and commit to DePaul Women's Basketball!

Mobile Passes, Group Outings, Suite Rentals and Single-Game Tickets are on sale now. Fans can stay up-to-date on special ticket offers by signing up for email or text updates from DePaul Athletics.

FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
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