Virginia Drops Paradise Jam Finale, 67-62, to Tulane
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Nov. 28, 2015
ST. THOMAS, U.S.V.I. – The Virginia women’s basketball team (5-2, 0-0 ACC) fell 67-62 to Tulane (4-3) on Saturday (Nov. 28) at the Paradise Jam Tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
For the second time in the tournament, the Cavaliers rallied to erase a double-digit deficit, trailing by as many as 11 points in the game and by 10, 40-30, with 4:35 remaining in the fourth quarter. Virginia closed out the third quarter on a 15-2 run, taking a 45-42 lead into the fourth. Tulane retook the lead, 50-47, on a three-pointer with 7:03 remaining in the game and never trailed again. The Green Wave outscored the Cavaliers 25-17 in the final period, making six of their final eight field goal attempts to close out their victory.
Senior Faith Randolph (Derwood, Md.) scored 19 points. Sophomore Aliyah Huland El just missed a double-double with nine points and a career-high 10 rebounds.
Tulane’s Kolby Morgan scored 19 points, going 4-of-8 from three-point range. Tierra Jones had 14 points.
“This was a very disappointing end to the tournament,” said Virginia head coach Joanne Boyle. “We just came out flat. It took us until the second quarter to get going. We started slow again in the third and had to start pressing to get us going. We had some miscues down the stretch that resulted in this outcome. We need to work on being aggressive and having an attack-mindset for an entire game.”
Rutgers won the tournament championship, finishing 3-0 after downing Green Bay, 54-43.
Sophomore Lauren Moses (Mount Holly, N.J.) was named to the All-Tournament team.
After trailing 16-5 in the first quarter, Virginia came back to tie the game, 20-20, in the second quarter after freshman Moné Jones (Durham, N.C.) blocked a three-point attempt, picked up the ball and scored on a fastbreak followed by a three-pointer from sophomore Mikayla Venson (Arlington, Va.), but Tulane countered 20 seconds later with a three from Morgan to retake the lead. Virginia had a chance to take the lead going into the half with Randolph taking a jump shot in the final second. Randolph’s attempt was on-target, but the ball rolled around the rim and popped back out, sending the Green Wave into the locker room with a 25-24 lead.
Tulane started the third-quarter converting an and-one followed by a three-pointer from Morgan to go up 31-24, extending the lead to 10, 40-30, on a free throw with 4:35 remaining in the period.
Virginia’s run began after Jones was on the receiving end of a Tulane flagrant foul, with the Cavaliers converting that opportunity into three points. Junior Breyana Mason (Woodbridge, Va.) followed with a three-pointer. Virginia cut the deficit to two, 40-38, on a tip-in by Huland El before the Green Wave committed a second flagrant foul, this time on Mason as she was racing up the court on a fastbreak after a steal. Mason made a pair of free throws with a three-pointer from Huland El putting the Cavaliers in the lead, 43-40.
The Cavaliers started the fourth quarter with a 45-42 lead, but Tulane mounted an 11-2 run to start the period, taking a 53-47 lead with 5:30 left in the game. Tulane made 7-of-10 shots in the fourth quarter while Virginia was 6-of-21.
Tulane outrebounded Virginia, 38-32. Virginia shot 34.9 percent (22-of-63) while Tulane was 23-of-52 (44.2 percent).
Virginia’s next home game will be Wednesday, Dec. 2 when it hosts Iowa in the 2015 Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The game will also be Holiday Sweater Night when prizes will be randomly awarded to fans dressed in holiday sweaters.
Single-game ticket prices for all home games are $10 for Reserved seating, $8 for adult General Admission and $6 for youth (18 & under), senior (60 & over) and UVA faculty/staff General Admission. Fans may purchase home game tickets through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office online at VirginiaSports.com, by phone and in person. The Virginia Athletics Ticket Office is located in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium and open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Telephone purchases can be made by calling 1-800-542-UVA1 (8821) or locally at 434-924-UVA1 (8821).