DePaul Returns Home to Host Xavier Sunday

Sunday, February 22

Chicago, Ill.

2:00 PM

DePaul University

Xavier

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Alayna West and Natiah Nelson celebrate after a win

2/21/2026 8:06:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

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Blue Demons and Musketeers tipoff at 2 p.m.

CHICAGO – DePaul women's basketball returns to Wintrust Arena on Sunday following a two-game road stretch to host Xavier. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT with coverage on ESPN+.
Tickets for Sunday's BIG EAST matchup are available here.

Demon Doings
The Blue Demons return home for their final regular season homestand with a 6-22 overall record and a 3-14 mark in BIG EAST play. Three games remain in the regular season.
Last time out, DePaul dropped a 66-60 decision at Providence after a decisive second quarter proved to be the difference.

Junior guard Kate Novik poured in a season-high 23 points against the Friars, marking her 19th double-figure performance and third 20-point outing of the season. Novik added five rebounds and five assists. She leads DePaul with 12.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, ranking among the BIG EAST top eight in assist-to-turnover ratio, total assists and assists per game.

Natiah Nelson recorded her third consecutive double-figure performance with 10 points to go along with a team-high eight rebounds. Devin Hagemann turned in an all-around effort with eight points, a career-best seven rebounds and a season-high seven assists.

DePaul matched its BIG EAST season high with five blocks against Providence and tied its overall season high with 45 rebounds.

For the season, the Blue Demons lead the conference in offensive rebounds at 14.0 per game and average 11.4 second-chance points per contest.

Scouting Xavier
Xavier enters Sunday's matchup at 11-15 overall and 4-13 in BIG EAST play following a 64-55 loss to Seton Hall on Wednesday. The Musketeers are led by junior Mariyah Noel, who averages 14.9 points per game, sixth best in the league. Head coach Billi Chambers is in her third season leading the program.

Series Stuff
DePaul leads the all-time series 29-3, including a 15-0 mark in Chicago. However, Xavier has won the last two meetings, including a 71-61 decision in Cincinnati on Jan. 13. The game was even through three quarters before the Musketeers used a 29-8 fourth quarter to secure the win. Alayna West led DePaul in that matchup with 12 points and five steals.

Remembering Maggie Dixon
Sunday's game will also honor former DePaul assistant coach Maggie Dixon. Dixon spent five seasons from 2000-05 on Doug Bruno's staff before being named head coach at Army West Point just 11 days before the start of the 2005-06 season.

She guided Army to a historic campaign, capturing the Patriot League Tournament title and earning the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in men's or women's basketball. The day after the women's Final Four, Dixon tragically collapsed due to heart arrhythmia and passed away at the age of 28.

Up Next
DePaul returns to Wintrust Arena Wednesday, Feb. 25, to host Butler. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+. The Blue Demons will honor seniors Meg Newman, Justis Odom and Michelle Ojo in a pregame ceremony.

Single-game tickets for DePaul's final home contest are available here.

Follow the Blue Demons
For all the latest information on DePaul Women's Basketball, please visit DePaulBlueDemons.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Blue Demons on X, Instagram, and Facebook.