When Bluefield College and Bluefield State College renewed their basketball rivalry Nov. 29 in the Dome Gymnasium on BC's campus, local basketball fans were not be the only ones benefiting from the event.
Thanks to a charitable component incorporated into this year's Basketball Classic of the Bluefields, hundreds of pairs of winter gloves were made available to underprivileged families in the region.
The border basketball rivalry between Virginia Baptist-affiliated Bluefield College and Bluefield State College was reestablished last year when presidents, athletic directors and coaches from both institutions came together and signed a four-year pact renewing the hard-court competition.
The action that year, featuring play between respective women's and men's squads from both schools, could not have been better had someone scripted it. In the opening match, the Lady Rams erased a 20-point halftime deficit to score a stunning come-from-behind win. In the men's nightcap, BC hit a buzzer-beater to lift the Rams to a thrilling two-point win.
This year, fans attending the event were asked to bring a pair of gloves or mittens or a winter hat. The gloves and hats were collected at the gate prior to the games. Following the action, Bluefield College and Bluefield State College donated the items to Bluefield Union Mission in Bluefield, W. Va., to distribute to underprivileged families in the area for winter.
“The games between Bluefield State and Bluefield College certainly reflect the fabric of our community-the rivalries and the commitments to excellence,” said Jim Nelson, director of public relations at BSC. “And, both institutions and their respective teams are an integral part of the community. The charitable component of this year's Classic was a very natural way for the teams to give back to the community that supports their programs and their schools.”
Special to the Herald