HU Lady Pirates to play in 2012 Paradise Jam

HAMPTON, Virginia - The Hampton University women’s basketball team will be among the teams competing in the 2012 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam, which will be held at the University of the Virgin Islands Nov. 22-24.

The Lady Pirates will be in the Reef Division, along with DePaul, South Carolina and Florida Gulf Coast. All four teams in the Reef Division made it to the NCAA Tournament last season.

Game times are listed on the bracket as Atlantic Standard Time (Eastern Daylight Time plus one hour) and are subject to change.

Hampton is scheduled to take on South Carolina, out of the Southeastern Conference, on Nov. 22 at 2:15 p.m. local time, before squaring off against DePaul on Nov. 23 at 2:15 p.m. local time.

The Lady Pirates are then scheduled to face Florida Gulf Coast on Nov. 24 at 2:15 p.m. local time.

2012 Paradise Jam Reef Division Bracket 

2012 Tournament Website

The Lady Pirates set a school Division I record for wins in a season in 2011-12, going 26-5 en route to picking up their second straight MEAC regular-season title. Hampton then won its third straight MEAC Tournament crown under head coach David Six, before advancing to the NCAA Tournament to face top-seeded Stanford in the first round.

Hampton finished last season ranked No. 8 in CollegeInsider.com’s Mid-Major Top 25 poll.

South Carolina went 25-10 last season under head coach Dawn Staley, advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Stanford. The Gamecocks finished the season ranked No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 25 in the Associated Press poll.

DePaul finished the season ranked No. 23 in the Coaches Poll after going 23-11 last season and falling to Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Demons will return their top three scorers from last season.

Florida Gulf Coast went 29-3 last season, going a perfect 18-0 in the Atlantic Sun conference before taking the conference tournament and earning a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles are led by three-time Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year Karl Smesko.

The Island Division bracket will feature Connecticut, Marist, Purdue and Wake Forest.

For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION