ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands – After falling behind by as many as 21 points, Illinois State fought back to pull within four, but Seton Hall held on for an 84-80 victory in Monday night's U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam championship game. The Redbirds (2-2) finished as the runners-up in the eight-team field.
ISU's Bobby Hunter came off the bench to score a career-high 23 points while going 7-for-14 from the field, 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and 5-for-6 at the free throw line. The Reno, Nevada native also dished out three assists and grabbed two rebounds. DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell – who was ISU's representative on the all-tournament team – netted 14 points, while Daishon Knight scored 15.
Seton Hall (4-0) was led by Sterling Gibbs' 40 points on 10-for-14 shooting, which tied the Paradise Jam single-game scoring record. The Pirates shot 51.2 percent from the field compared to ISU's 42.2 percent clip.
SHU established a 28-7 lead early in the first half with six 3-pointers, including three by Gibbs, during the opening stretch. The Redbirds responded with a 7-2 run, including five points by Hunter, to trim Seton Hall's advantage to 32-16 at the 4:11 mark. A 3-pointer by Akoon-Purcell cut ISU's deficit to 34-22, and Tony Wills trimmed the Pirates' lead to single digits on a three-point play with 1:40 remaining in the half.
After trailing at halftime, 41-27, ISU started the second half on a 5-0 run with a layup by Reggie Lynch and a 3-pointer by Hunter. Another three-point play by Wills pulled ISU within 53-44. He followed it up with a runner in the lane to trim Seton Hall's lead to 53-46 at the 12:07 mark. However, Gibbs answered with back-to-back 3-pointers.
A Deontae Hawkins 3-pointer, followed by a Knight fastbreak layup edged the Redbirds within 59-51with 7:53 remaining. Hunter then netted a jumper in the lane to lift ISU within six points. Once again, Seton Hall responded, and at the 2:10 mark, the Pirates regained a 13-point advantage.
During the game's final two minutes, the Redbirds scored five 3-pointers while either making defensive stops or fouling on the other end. A free throw by Seton Hall's Isaiah Whitehead at the six-second mark extended Seton Hall's lead to seven before Knight trimmed it down to four with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. While Illinois State fell short, the Redbirds outscored Seton Hall, 53-43, in the second half.
After playing three games in four days at the Paradise Jam, the Redbirds now return to Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena this Saturday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m. versus Youngstown State. Tickets can be purchased by visiting or calling the Illinois State Athletics Ticket Office at (309) 438-8000, or by navigating to GoRedbirds.com.
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