UK Hoops travels to Virgin Islands

By Kevin Erpenbeck

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UK Hoops will trade in the traditional Thanksgiving turkey feast to play basketball on the sunny shores of the Virgin Islands.

The Cats open up the Reef Division bracket of the 2014 Paradise Jam Island Tournament when they face Illinois on Thanksgiving Day. UK will play three games in a span of three days, facing Oklahoma and South Florida on Nov. 28 and Nov. 29.

Illinois is 4-0 on the season after coming off of a 62-42 win over Southern University on Sunday. The Paradise Jam Island Tournament will be the first game away from home for the Fighting Illini in 2014.

Oklahoma started its season with a 3-0 record and have recorded 90 or more points in each win. The Sooners have also not played an away game this season and will face South Florida in the other Thanksgiving Day matchup.

South Florida is 3-1 and has only played one game at home in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls played in the Chattanooga Invitational against Villanova and UT Chattanooga, winning both games by a combined margin of three points.

No. 9 UK is a perfect 4-0 to open the season after staving off Central Michigan 71-68 Friday. The Cats had a 20-point lead over the Chippewas early in the second half in their first road game of the season, but watched as Central Michigan pulled within three points with under three minutes to play before UK held on.

Senior point guard Jennifer O’Neill leads all UK players in points, averaging 18.8 points per game. O’Neill has recorded double digit points in every game this season, including scoring 19 points in the win against Central Michigan. However, the 5-foot-6 guard has struggled to consistently shoot this season, making under 38 percent of her shots.

Freshman center Chatrice White has been the key player for Illinois this season, leading the team in rebounds and points. White recorded double digit points in every game.

The winner of the tournament will be determined by the team with the most wins in the three-day span, with head-to-head tiebreakers to be assessed if necessary.