Saturday, November 24
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
1:00 P.M.
North Carolina
5-2
75
vs
85
Kentucky
7-0
1
2
3
4
F
North Carolina
25
22
13
15
75
Kentucky
23
15
16
31
85
Kentucky Tops UNC In Paradise Jam Title Game
November 24, 2018 | Women's Basketball
ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands - Rhyne Howard scored 25 points to lead Kentucky to an 85-75 win over North Carolina on Saturday in the Island Division championship game of the Paradise Jam.
Stephanie Watts led all scorers with 27 points for North Carolina (5-2). The junior guard averaged 21.7 points and shot 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from three-point land over three games in St. Thomas. On Saturday, Watts was 7-of-13 from downtown.
Shayla Bennett and Paris Kea each had 13 points and Janelle Bailey offered up 12 points.
Howard was named MVP of the Paradise Jam Island Division for Kentucky (7-0). Taylor Murray scored 23 points and Maci Morris had 18.
Bailey put Carolina up 60-47 with three minutes, 43 seconds left in the third quarter, the largest lead in the game by either team. However, Kentucky held the Tar Heels scoreless the remainder of the period and would get within four, 60-56, in the opening moments of the fourth.
Watts drilled one of her seven three-pointers to get UNC going in the final period, but Kentucky continued to ramp up its pressure defense that forced 27 turnovers and turned them into 34 points.
The Wildcats took a 65-64 lead - its first lead since the first quarter - but Carolina tied it back up at 72-72 on a Taylor Koenen layup. Kentucky took the lead for good on a three-ball from Morris with 3:20 left in regulation.
UK outscored the Heels, 31-15, in the fourth quarter to stay unbeaten.
The Tar Heels had a 47-39 halftime lead with Watts scoring 19 points over the opening 20 minutes. Behind her five three-pointers, Carolina was 8-of-12 from downtown in the half.
The 47 points surrendered in the half by the Wildcats was a season high and 16 more than any of their previous six opponents.
UNC plays its fifth and final game in a row away from campus at Ohio State on Thursday in the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Tip off from Columbus is slated for 7 p.m. ET.
Stephanie Watts led all scorers with 27 points for North Carolina (5-2). The junior guard averaged 21.7 points and shot 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from three-point land over three games in St. Thomas. On Saturday, Watts was 7-of-13 from downtown.
Shayla Bennett and Paris Kea each had 13 points and Janelle Bailey offered up 12 points.
Howard was named MVP of the Paradise Jam Island Division for Kentucky (7-0). Taylor Murray scored 23 points and Maci Morris had 18.
Bailey put Carolina up 60-47 with three minutes, 43 seconds left in the third quarter, the largest lead in the game by either team. However, Kentucky held the Tar Heels scoreless the remainder of the period and would get within four, 60-56, in the opening moments of the fourth.
Watts drilled one of her seven three-pointers to get UNC going in the final period, but Kentucky continued to ramp up its pressure defense that forced 27 turnovers and turned them into 34 points.
The Wildcats took a 65-64 lead - its first lead since the first quarter - but Carolina tied it back up at 72-72 on a Taylor Koenen layup. Kentucky took the lead for good on a three-ball from Morris with 3:20 left in regulation.
UK outscored the Heels, 31-15, in the fourth quarter to stay unbeaten.
The Tar Heels had a 47-39 halftime lead with Watts scoring 19 points over the opening 20 minutes. Behind her five three-pointers, Carolina was 8-of-12 from downtown in the half.
The 47 points surrendered in the half by the Wildcats was a season high and 16 more than any of their previous six opponents.
UNC plays its fifth and final game in a row away from campus at Ohio State on Thursday in the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Tip off from Columbus is slated for 7 p.m. ET.
Team Stats
NC
UK
FG%
.418
.386
3FG%
.480
.476
FT%
.739
.724
RB
44
35
TO
27
14
STL
8
15
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
27
FGM
9
3FGM
7
FTM
2
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
C
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