Game is first of three in the US Virgin Islands
SAINT THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands– The 2025 Paradise Jam opens on Friday evening when the University of Evansville men’s basketball team takes on Oregon State at 7 p.m. CST in the Virgin Islands. ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.
A History Lesson
– Friday’s game between the Purple Aces and Beavers will be just the second meeting between the squads
– The first game was a big one for the UE program – on March 17, 1989, Evansville took a 94-90 overtime win in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Tucson, Arizona
– That marked the first and to this day only DI NCAA Tournament win for the program
– Scott Haffner led UE with 26 points in the victory while Brian Hill scored 21
Last Time Out
– UT Arlington pulled away in the second half to take an 84-76 win over UE on Tuesday at the Ford Center
– The Mavericks led 35-34 at the half before extending their lead to as many as 15 in the final 20 minutes
– Connor Turnbull led the way with 20 points while Keishon Porter scored 18
Improving Each Game
– Each time Connor Turnbull has taken the floor this season his output has improved
– This culminated in a season-high of 20 points against UT Arlington
– Before that, he scored 16 versus MTSU and 12 in the win over Oakland City
– Turnbull has at least one block in each game and is tied for second in the MVC with 1.75 blocks per game and had four in the victory over Oakland City
– His field goal percentage of 56.4% is 11th in the MVC while his 13.50 PPG is tied for 16th in the league
Making an Impact
-Over the last two games, Keishon Porter has averaged 16.0 points while going 10-of-18 from the field
– His season mark of 18 points came against UT Arlington as he connected on 9 of his 13 free throw tries
– It is a huge turnaround for Porter who his just four of his opening 19 attempts to begin the season
Scouting the Opposition
– Oregon State enters the Paradise Jam with a 3-1 record
– The Beavers have wins over North Dakota State, UIC, and North Texas while their only loss was on the road at Oregon
– Josiah Lake II leads OSU with 13.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game
– Isaiah Sy checks in with 10.0 PPG while Johan Munch and Matija Samar average 9.0 and 8.5 PPG, respectively
– In Monday’s 87-75 loss to the Ducks, Sy lead OSU with 14 points while converting all seven of his free throw tries
