November 24, 2006 – Women’s Play, Second Day

We packed in a lot of basketball yesterday and the crowds in the Islands have been just as enthusiastic as they were with the men’s tournament earlier in the week. Here are the outcomes of yesterday’s play:

Game #1 - Marquette 65 / Auburn 61
Marquette jumped out in the first half to build an early 12 point lead, but Auburn rallied to pull within three at the half. The Golden Eagles’ Christina Quaye had another stellar game with 21 points in the win and Auburn’s DeWanna Bonner led the Tigers with 16 points.

Game #2 - Xavier 69 / W. Michigan 62
Xavier had little trouble with W. Michigan in the day’s second game using a balanced attack with four of five starters scoring in double figures. W. Michigan fought back in the second half but was not able to overcome a 19 point deficit even though Carrie Moore notched 30 points and four steals.

Game #3 – (12/13) Arizona State 67 / W. Kentucky 63
W. Kentucky pulled within one with 52 seconds on the clock to give No. 12 ASU a scare in their first game of the tournament. ASU’s Emily Westerberg led the Sun Devils with 14 points and went 8-8 at the free throw line. WKU had five players score in double figures and held ASU to only 25 points in the second half.

Game #4 – (18) Rutgers 57 / Penn St. 44
With their leading scorer, Matee Ajavon, still on the bench recovering from surgery, the No. 18 Scarlet Knights were led by Essence Carson’s 14 points. Penn State was able to come close at times, but their 21 turnovers to Rutgers’s 11 proved costly. The Lady Lions were led by Adrienne Squire with 12 points.

Sorry, but no word on the rest of the Thanksgiving traditions here on the island, so I think I will let that one stay a mystery! We have another full slate in our final day of play here at the 2006 Paradise Jam and we will all start making our way back to the mainland. I just heard from my family back home in Seattle and they are forecasting snow and very cold temperatures—so I guess my sweaters and mittens will be covering up my new tan—darn! Come back for the final tallies later! I hope you have had a chance to see the photo galleries we have been posting too—you can find them on the Paradise Jam website at: http://www.paradisejam.com/pages/w_scores.htm Enjoy!

Dana