Women's Basketball Team Will Play in 2016 Paradise Jam During Thanksgiving Weekend

6/23/2016 4:26:00 PM

A View From High Above the St. Thomas Capitol City of Charlotte Amalie

Eagles Will Face Florida State, Michigan and Gonzaga in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

ROCK HILL, SC—The Winthrop women's basketball team is set to play in the 2016 Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands when the Eagles travel to the Caribbean during Thanksgiving for the three-day tournament that will take place Nov. 24-26 at the UVI Sports and Fitness Center in Charlotte Amalie.

The Eagles will begin the tournament with a matchup against Florida State on Thanksgiving Day at 5:45 p.m. On Friday, Nov. 25, Winthrop faces Michigan at 8 p.m. and ends the tournament against Gonzaga on Saturday at 5:45 p.m. All games times are in Eastern Standard Time.

This trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands will mark Winthrop's second tournament appearance outside the continental United States in the program's history. The Eagles played in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in 2012.

"We are excited to be invited to participate in this year's Paradise Jam," Winthrop head coach Kevin Cook said. "It will provide a great opportunity to play some high quality competition and further bond as a family in a tropical paradise. I hope our fans will make plans to make the trip and give us some support."

Winthrop has played FSU and Gonzaga once before, but will face Michigan for the first time. The Eagles defeated FSU 71-63 on Feb. 8, 1979, in the first game of the Winthrop Invitational when women's basketball was still under the umbrella of the AIAW. Winthrop lost to Gonzaga 80-66 on Nov. 22, 2012, in the Hardwood for Hope tournament in Puerto Vallarta.

Winthrop will play in the Reef Division Tournament, while the separate Island Division Tournament includes NC State, LSU, UTEP and Kansas State.

For fans who would like to travel to St. Thomas, the team will depart from Charlotte on Tuesday, Nov. 22, at 9:29 a.m. on American Airlines Flight 148 with a connection in Miami, and will return on Sunday, Nov. 27, on Delta Flight 307 with a connection in Atlanta and arrival in Charlotte at 11:12 p.m. The teams will be staying at the Marriott Frenchman's Reef resort.

Winthrop's full non-conference schedule will be released later this summer.

Paradise Jam Reef Division Women's Tournament
Game 1: Winthrop vs. Florida State (Nov. 24 at 5:45 p.m. EST)
Game 2: Winthrop vs. Michigan (Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. EST)
Game 3: Winthrop vs. Gonzaga (Nov. 26 at 5:45 p.m. EST)

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