BLUEFIELD, Va. – Bluefield University men's basketball secured its first victory of the 2025–26 season Saturday afternoon inside the Dome, topping Columbia (S.C.) 84–66 to give first-year head coach Joseph Cooper his first career win at the helm.
The Rams (1–2, 1–1 AAC) weathered an early surge from the Koalas, who opened with a 9–3 lead before Bluefield settled in behind Elijah White's corner three and Ke'Shaun Tonsall's mid-range jumper. A spark off the bench from freshman Tyler Suber quickly flipped momentum—his deep three gave the Rams their first lead at 11–10. BU's defense forced eight first-half turnovers, and clutch shots from Tonsall, Pharoah Fields, and Danny Alford helped the Rams close the half with a 33–32 advantage.
After halftime, Bluefield caught fire. Danny Alford's layup and White's pull-up jumper started a 10–2 run that pushed the Rams ahead for good. Moments later, a fastbreak dunk from DJ McDonald and back-to-back threes from McDonald and Isaiah Sanders extended the margin to 58–49 with 10 minutes left. Sanders continued the onslaught with two more triples in a two-minute span, and Shaft Clark's layup at the 10:00 mark ignited a 19–4 burst that sealed the victory.
BU dominated the second half offensively, shooting 64 percent from the field and 70 percent from beyond the arc, while outscoring Columbia 51–34 over the final 20 minutes. The Rams also held the Koalas to just 36 percent shooting and forced 10 turnovers.
Sanders led the way with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including three triples, while adding four assists and four rebounds. McDonald followed with 13 points and six rebounds, hitting a pair of threes and converting three of four at the line. White filled the stat sheet with 12 points and a season-high nine assists, while Clark contributed nine points and five rebounds off the bench. Alford added five points and a team-best eight boards, and Fields provided eight points on two threes.
As a team, Bluefield shot 53 percent from the floor and 48 percent from deep, with 17 assists on 30 made field goals.
The Rams return to action Wednesday, traveling to Milligan for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
