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24 Tickets To Paradise
Dec. 8, 2005
"I've got two tickets to Paradise. Pack your bags, we'll leave tonight..." -- Eddie Money As the 70's hit by Eddie Money describes, the Gonzaga University women's basketball team followed but in the Zags case it was more along the lines of 24 tickets and a 17-hour trip to reach Paradise. That's how long it took the Bulldogs to find their way to the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands as a travel party of 24 jumped on a red-eye on Monday night to land in St. Thomas on Tuesday afternoon ready to face three of the best teams in women's college basketball. A year after being left out of the NCAA Tournament field based largely on strength of schedule, GU women's head coach Kelly Graves scheduled up in a big way as Gonzaga accepted a bid to the Paradise Jam. On the docket for the Bulldogs were 10th-ranked University of Maryland, No. 1 University of Tennessee and No. 9 Michigan State University. "One of my first calls after not getting in the tournament last year was to this tournament to beef up our strength of schedule," stated Graves. "Now if we are in a similar situation as last year, the committee will see that we are willing to go out and play the best teams in the country." Prior to tip-off in the Thanksgiving tournament, Gonzaga's travel party was treated to some island hospitality as they were taken on a series of excursions on Wednesday prior to game action. During the morning the team was taken on a 3-hour snorkeling tour in which many of the players were able to observe sea turtles, coral, fish and even a baby black fin shark. Wednesday night the team was treated to a ride up to Paradise Point for the tournament banquet. Players had to take a 7-minute gondola ride up the point which carried the players to the highest point on the island. On Thanksgiving Gonzaga faced No. 10 Maryland to open the Paradise Jam, recovering from a slow start to play with the Terps in the second half. Friday night Gonzaga faced the Tennessee Lady Vols with the Bulldogs playing with the most storied program in the country for a good portion of the night. Gonzaga held the lead four times in the first half against the Lady Vols before eventually falling by 14. Gonzaga ended its Paradise run on Saturday night with a 15 point loss to No. 9 Michigan State. The Bulldogs trailed by one point at the half and were within six points with 2:30 remaining. Junior Stephanie Hawk was named to the Tournament All-Star team after scoring in double figures in all three games. ""I've never been one for moral victories, but I'm really proud of our team," Graves said after the weekend. "We didn't give in and give up. This experience is going to make us a much better team at the end of the season." Gonzaga ended its travels to Paradise with a 22- hour trip back to Spokane that saw the Bulldogs leave the U.S. Virgin Islands at 1 a.m. Pacific Time and return to a snowy Inland Northwest at 11 p.m. with stops in Puerto Rico, Chicago and Seattle along the way.
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