2017 Paradise Jam Tournament

Island Division:

• Butler
• Drexel
• West Virginia
• Virginia Tech

Reef Division:

• George Washington
• Syracuse
• Vanderbilt
• Wisconsin

On 23 November, West Virginia took on Butler in the opening day of the Island Division of the Paradise Jam. The Mountaineers started out strong scoring 10 points before Butler scored, and held a 16–7 lead at the end of the first quarter. West Virginia's Naomi Davenport Recorded a double double with 12 points and 11 rebounds by halftime. Butler didn't back down and cut the nine point lead to five by halftime. In the second half Butler took a one point lead with just over two minutes to go, but West Virginia responded with consecutive three-pointers by Teanna Muldrow and Chania Ray. Butler was forced to foul and Muldrow sealed the win making for consecutive free throws. West Virginia ended up with the win 75–68.[6]

On that same day, in the other Island Division game, Virginia Tech took on Drexel. Virginia Tech outscored Drexel in each of the first two quarters, and went to halftime with an 11 point lead 40–29. However the Dragons fought back And took a lead with a score 46–45. The team's exchanged baskets and the lead changed, but Taylor Emery hit a three point jumper to break a 49–49 tie. The hoagies lead at the end of the third quarter but Drexel came back with back to back baskets to take one point lead at 60–59. Virginia Tech took the lead back and never gave it up, ending up with a 79–67 win. Each team had four players with double digit scoring, but Virginia's Tech's Emery had 25 to lead all scorers and help secure the win.[7][8]

On the second day of the tournament, West Virginia took on Drexel. Game was never close with the Mountaineers opening up a seven point lead in the first quarter, extending it to an 18 point lead at halftime, and further extending the lead in the third and fourth quarters. West Virginia hit 56% of the field-goal attempts including six of their 83 point attempts. West Virginia's Teana Muldrow scored 25. The Mountaineers held Drexel to 30% shooting from the field and forcing 24 turnovers. The final score was 75–42.[9]

The other Island Division game was a much closer match-up. Butler led much of the first half but Virginia Tech came back to tie up the score 37 points apiece at halftime. Butler outscored Virginia Tech by only a single point in the third quarter and another single point in the fourth quarter two and the game with a narrow two point margin 79–77. Emery scored 20 points for Virginia Tech, but Butler got 27 points from Schickel as well as 20 points off the bench from Spolyar.[10][11]

West Virginia faced Virginia Tech on the final day of the tournament in the Island Division. All five starters for West Virginia scored in double figures. The team never trailed and ended up with a 79–61 win over the Hokies, which earned them the tournament title for the Island Division West Virginia's Chania Ray hit five three-pointers helping her earn a spot on the all tournament team, while Teana Muldrow had 23 points along with 11 rebounds which helped her earn MVP honors for the division. Virginia Tech's Regan Magarity was high scorer for the Hokies with 18 points.[12][13]

Drexel took on Butler in the other concluding game in the Island Division. Although Butler's Whitney Jennings scored 28 points for the Bulldogs, Drexel got double-digit scoring from four of their five starters, opening up an eight point lead at the half and extending it in the second half to end up with the win 76–62.[14]

• Teanna Muldrow, West Virginia MVP[15]
• Aubree Brown, Drexel[16]
• Tori Schickel, Butler[16]
• Taylor Emery, Virginia Tech[16]
• Chania Ray, West Virginia[16]

The opening day game between Syracuse and Wisconsin in the Reef Division was a nailbiter. These two teams had never played against each other before. The game had 11 lead changes and neither team ever mounted a large lead. Syracuse had a three-point lead near the end of the game when Wisconsin's Suzanne Gilreath attempted a three-point shot with two seconds left which would have sent the game to overtime. The shot did not go in and Syracuse won the game 77–74.[17][18]

George Washington and Vanderbilt squared off in the other Reef Division opening day matchup. It was an unexpected home game for George Washington as the hurricane damage had forced the relocation from St. Thomas to US-based locations, but the colonials were unable to take advantage of playing on their home court. The game was close into the second quarter, with Vanderbilt holding only a one point margin, when the Commodores held colonial scoreless for the last four minutes of quarter while scoring nine points of their own to open up a 10 point halftime lead. Vanderbilt maintained then expanded their lead in the second half to almost 20 points. George Washington narrowed the lead near the end of the game but could get it no closer than the final margin of 10 points 69–59.[19][20]

George Washington faced Wisconsin on the second day. The colonials were up by a single point at the end of the first quarter but turned up their defense and held the Badgers to a single basket in the second quarter, outscoring them 15–3. Wisconsin cut into the lead in the second half closing to within seven points, but the Colonials clamped down on defense and increases the lead, ending with a 61–46 win.[21][22]

Syracuse took on Vanderbilt in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated. In the first half the scoring margin never exceeded four points, and the half ended with Vanderbilt up by a single point. Both extended the lead to six in the second half but then Syracuse came back and opened up as much as a nine point lead. Vanderbilt came back within one, fell behind again, but then retook the lead 76–75 with under two minutes left in the game. Tiana Mangakahia hit a layup to give Syracuse a one point lead that started a 7–2 run to close out the game with an 84–78 victory. Mangakahia recorded 17 assists to set a single game record for the program. The win gave Syracuse a 5–0 start to the season, their first perfect start in four years.[23][24]

Wisconsin took on Vanderbilt in the final game of the Reef Division. The game was extremely close throughout the contest, with Wisconsin holding a three-point lead with about two and half minutes to go in regulation. Vanderbilt scored three points to tie the game at 69 points apiece with a 1:22 left to go. Neither team was able to score so the game went to overtime. The overtime. With scoreless for almost 3 minutes when Vanderbilt took a two point lead. Wisconsin respond to tie it up and then hit the go-ahead layup with just over a minute to go. Vanderbilt had two late shots to tie the game but they failed to go in so Wisconsin ended up with the overtime win 73–71.[25][26]

In the other final game of the Reef Division, Syracuse faced George Washington. Syracuse open strong scoring the first 15 points of the game. Although the Colonials would outscore the Orange from that point on they were unable to climb out of the hole and Syracuse ended up with the win 74–62, giving the Syracuse the tournament crown for the Reef Division.[27][28]

• Tiana Mangakahia, Syracuse MVP[28]
• Cayla McMorris, Wisconsin[26]
• Rachel Bell, Vanderbilt[29]
• Kelli Prange, George Washington[30]
• Miranda Drummond, Syracuse[31]