'Cuse Beats #12/11 Aggies to Win Paradise Jam

Saturday, November 30

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

8:15 p.m.

Syracuse University

8-0

Texas A&M

4-2

Texas A&M

Syracuse

11/30/2013 11:25:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

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Box Score | Season Stats | Paradise Jam Home

ST. THOMAS, U.S.V.I. - Brianna Butler poured in a career-high 29 points to lead Syracuse women's basketball to a 78-63 win vs. No. 12/11 Texas A&M (4-2) to win the Paradise Jam Reef Division title on Saturday night at the UVI Sports & Fitness Center in St. Thomas. The Orange went 3-0 at the event to remain unbeaten on the season at 8-0.

Butler shot 7-of-12 from 3-point range and 9-of-14 overall to claim Paradise Jam MVP honors. The sophomore averaged 23.3 points and shot 53.8 percent (14-26) from behind the arc. Brittney Sykes scored 15 points against the Aggies and joined Butler on the All-Tournament team.

Shakeya Leary added 14 points, despite being limited to 17 minutes due to foul trouble and Rachel Coffey dished out a game-high five assists.

Courtney Walker led Texas A&M with 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting.

After leading by 11 at the half, Butler hit a 3-pointer in the first minute for SU's first points of the half and struck again from deep at the 14:19 mark to give the Orange a 55-37 lead.

Walker keyed a 9-0 Aggies run that pulled them within nine, 55-46, with 11:44 to go, Butler once again answered the call for Syracuse, making three 3-pointers to lead an 11-2 run over 2:28 that put the Orange in front by 18, 66-48, with 9:16 left.

The Aggies pulled back within 11, 74-63, with 2:23 left, but the Orange held them scoreless the rest of the way to win by 15.

The Orange shot 46.7 percent from the field, including 8-of-23 from 3-point range, while A&M shot 40.4 percent overall and went 1-of-11 from long range. SU forced 20 Aggies turnovers, resulting in 16 points for the Orange.

The Aggies used some hot shooting to jump out to an early 16-11. Leary scored the Orange's first eight points to keep it close, despite picking up two fouls in the first two and a half minutes.

The Orange used an 11-1 run over a 3:40 span, capped off by a Butler jumper at the 10:25 mark to take a 22-17 lead. After A&M tied the game, 22-22, Syracuse went on another run, this time 11-2, to take a nine-point lead, 33-24. Butler once again finished off the run, this time with a 3-pointer with 4:06 left in the half. Another Butler trifecta at the 1:27 mark and a pair of Phylesha Bullard free throws in the final minute sent the Orange into halftime with a 38-27 advantage.

Butler led the way in the first 20 minutes with 10 points, followed by Leary's eight as the Orange shot 50 percent from the field while limiting the Aggies to 36 percent shooting.

Syracuse returns to action on Thursday when it heads to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in a 7 p.m. Eastern tip on the Big Ten Network.