Nov. 20, 2001 – The University of Miami Hurricanes fended off the Clemson University Tigers Tuesday night to win the men's division championship of the Paradise Jam 2001 NCAA basketball tournament, 67-65, at the University of the Virgin Islands.
The intense game in the new Sports and Fitness Center had the crowd on its feet for most of the action, especially the final minutes.
In the first half, the Hurricanes fared poorly from the field, sinking just 36 percent, and did even worse from behind the three-point arch, connecting on a mere 15 percent. Even so, Miami managed a one-point lead at the half. Meantime, the Tigers connected on 47 percent from the field but just 23 percent from behind the arch and 50 percent from the free throw line.
In the second half, Miami managed 41 percent from the field. Throughout the half, the game remained close, with neither team able to break away from the other.
With 2:36 remaining, the score was 67-62 in favor of the Hurricanes. Tigers center Chris Hobbs got a basket and was fouled with 47 seconds remaining. He connected on the free throw to finish off the three-point play and bring Clemson within two points of Miami..
With 10 seconds left, a jump ball was called to determine who would have possession. The toss-up did nothing but take three valuable seconds off the clock, as the ball went out of bounds with the referees unable to determine whose it was.
A second jump ball was called with seven seconds remaining. The ball again went out of bounds, shaving another three seconds off the clock, but it was off of the Hurricanes; so, the Tigers gained possession with four seconds left. They fired off two shots in the final seconds, but neither sank, and the game was over.
Leading the Miami offensively was tournament MVP John Salmons, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Marcus Barnes added 13 points.
The top Tigers scorers were Jamar McKnight and Hobbs, each with 19 points. Hobbs and Ray Henderson each grabbed nine rebounds.
The Hurricanes finished the tournament 3-0, while the Tigers dropped to 2-1.
Named to the men's all-tournament team were Ricky Cottrill of Eastern Michigan University, Eric Bush of the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Rasual Butler of LaSalle University, Darius Rice of Miami and Hobbs of Clemson.
LaSalle Explorers 63, UAB Blazers 58
The LaSalle University Explorers held on for their lives to beat the University of Alabama-Birmingham, 63-58, Tuesday evening to finish third in men's division of the Paradise Jam 2001 NCAA basketball tournament at the University of the Virgin Islands.
The Explorers led by three points with 13 minutes left in the first half but gave up the lead as the Blazers pushed them to the brink. Ahead 39-25 at the end of the first half, LaSalle then expanded its lead to 20 points, thanks to a 6-0 run to begin the second half. UAB answered with a 10-point run of its own. That was just the beginning of a tit for tat seesaw in the second half.
With five minutes left in the game, the Explorers were up by 13 points, 46-59, when the Blazers made their final charge — another 10-0 run that took them within three points of LaSalle. However that would be as close as they would get.
"We handled the pressure well tonight," Blazers head coach Billy Hahn said afterward "The loss to Clemson [on Monday] left a sour taste in our mouths, and we rebounded very well from that loss tonight."
Three Explorers scored in double figures. Rasual Butler made 17 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, Reggie Okosa had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Julian Blanks added 10 points with seven assists.
The Blazers also had three players in double figures — Morris Finley with 13, Eric Bush with 12 and P.J. Arnold with 11.
The Explorers finished with a 2-1 record, while the Blazers dropped to 1-2.
Eastern Michigan Eagles 67, Morris Brown Wolverines 55
In Tuesday afternoon's consolation contest for fifth place, the Eastern Michigan University Eagles stepped up their offense to down the Morris Brown College Wolverines, 67-55.
The first half was a see-saw match as both teams got the lead four times. The Wolverines managed to tie the game five minutes into the second half, then the Eagles soared over them to take control. Michael Ross nailed a three pointer, and Eastern Michigan never relinquished the lead after that.
Top scorers for the Eagles were Ricky Cottrill with 19 points and Steve Pettyjohn with 17. Pettyjohn also grabbed 14 rebounds. For the Wolverines, Sam Daniels had a game high 20 points.
"It was great playing against this kind of completion," Eagles head coach Jim Boone said afterward. Wolverines head coach Derek Thompson commented, "It takes 40 minutes of playing to win, and we didn't. We need more effort on the court."
It was the Eagles' first win of the tournament and the season, giving them a record of 1-2. The Wolverines' tally dropped to 0-3.
Women's FSU Seminoles 63, Dayton Flyers 60
The Florida State University Seminoles held off the Dayton University Flyers, 63-60, Tuesday afternoon to win the women's "St. Croix division" of the Paradise Jam 2001 NCAA tournament at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center.
The Flyers made all of their shots from the charity line in the first half of the game. The Seminoles made good on the opportunities afforded them, piling up 24 points from turnovers.
Florida State led by one point at the end of the first half. Dayton took over the lead early in the second half and led for most of it, but not by much, with a spread that never exceeded five points. The Seminoles pulled out in front with 4:26 left in the game, thanks to a three-point shot from the tournament's most valuable player, Shinikki Whiting.
The Flyers hit below 30 percent from the field in the second half. "We did not shoot well," a dejected Dayton Flyers head coach, Jaci Clark, stated afterward.
But Seminoles head coach Sue Semrua said that "Dayton deserves a lot of credit. They played strong defense. However, we did a good job holding them off down the stretch."
Whiting led the Florida State offense with 18 points and also grabbed nine rebounds. Teammate April Traylor, who was named an all-tournament player, added 16.
Dayton's top scorer was Stefanie Miller, another all-tournament player, who had 19 points. Teammate Heather Haselman grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the team in that category.
Also named to the all-tournament team were Dayton's Kristy Hineline and Corrie Mizusawa and Jermisha Dosty of St Mary's College, the third team playing in the three-game division of the tournament..
The Seminoles improved their record to 2-0. The Flyers fell to 0-2 for the tournament and the season.
This coming weekend, Paradise Jam 2001 NCAA play continues with eight other women's teams, divided into the "St. Thomas" and "St. John" divisions, competing on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. For the complete schedule, see "NCAA basketball tourney set for November".
