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Kentucky clinched the Island Division Paradise Jam title, Saturday, with an 85-75 victory over North Carolina. UK’s Rhyne Howard led the Wildcats with 25 points and 12 rebounds and was named the tournament MVP for her performance. Trailing by one point with six minutes remaining, Kentucky went on a 14-3 run to grab a double-digit lead with 49 seconds left and clinch the title. All-tournament selection Stephanie Watts led the Tar Heels with a game-high 27 points. Turnovers doomed UNC, as Carolina committed 27 turnovers, resulting in 34 points for the Wildcats. UKL’s Taylor Murray added a double-double of her own with 23 points and 10 assists to accompany Howard, earning all-tournament honors. Kentucky finished the Paradise Jam undefeated with wins over North Carolina, UCLA, and South Florida. UNC finished second in the division, knocking off UCLA and South Florida before falling to the Wildcats.
NBA2K19 Player of the Game: Taylor Murray

South Florida – 60 vs. UCLA – 56
A strong second quarter from South Florida led the Bulls to victory, 60-56, over UCLA in the final day of competition at the Paradise Jam. All-tournament selection Sydni Harvey scored a game-high 19 points, including eight points in the second period when the Bulls outscored the Bruins 25-9. Laura Ferreira complemented Harvey, finishing with 14 points, including going 3-of-4 from the freethrow line in the final minute to clinch the win. UCLA’s shooting woes continued, as the Bruins finished 19-of-69 from the floor. Three UCLA players scored in double figures, led by Japreece Dean with 17 points and all-tournament selection Kennedy Burke with 16 points. USF picked up the win after dropping contests to Kentucky and North Carolina earlier in the tournament. UCLA was unable to produce a win in the Island Division, losing the final two games by a combined five points.
NBA2K19 Player of the Game: Sydni Harvey

St. John’s – 64 vs. Ole Miss – 59
St. John’s closed out the 2018 Paradise Jam with a 64-59 victory over Ole Miss. The Red Storm were led by Qadashah Hoppie, who finished with 23 points on the evening, including 17-of-17 from the freethrow line. Trailing by nine points with eight minutes left in the game, the Rebels pulled the game within three, but Hoppie’s perfect form from the charity stripe ensured St. John’s victory. The Red Storm finished 12-of-12 from the line in the final 90 seconds to claim second place in the Reef Division. Mississippi’s Crystal Allen dropped a game-high 26 points for the Rebels, en route to an all-tournament selection, but a slow second quarter ultimately doomed Ole Miss. St. John’s also picked up a win over Purdue in the tournament, while Ole Miss was unable to clinch a victory at this year’s Paradise Jam.
NBA2K19 Player of the Game: Qadashah Hoppie

UConn – 86 vs. Purdue – 40
In a game that UConn led the entire way, the Huskies cruised to their third Paradise Jam championship with an 86-40 route of Purdue. Connecticut jumped out to a 28-8 lead in the opening quarter, led by all-tournament selection Katie Lou Samuelson, who scored 13 first-quarter points. Samuelson finished with a game-high 22 points and was accompanied by two other double-digit scorers, including Napheesa Collier. Collier earned tournament MVP honors with 19 points and 10 rebounds in the contest, while finished the three-game tournament averaging 18.0 points per game and 9.7 rebounds per game. The Boilermakers were unable to find an offensive rhythm, shooting just .246 (16-of-65) from the floor. Kayana Traylor and Dominique Oden finished with 12 points each to lead Purdue, while Ae’Rianna Harris earned all-tournament honors. The Boilermakers finished 1-2 at the Paradise Jam with a victory over Ole Miss. Connecticut also defeated Ole Miss and St. John’s en route to the tournament title.
NBA2K19 Player of the Game: Napheesa Collier