BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Bluefield University men's basketball dropped a tight rivalry matchup Wednesday night, falling 63–52 on the road to Bluefield State at Ned Shott Gymnasium.

The Rams opened the night with energy, knocking down three early triples—two from Elijah White and one from Shaft Clark—to build a 17–5 lead just six minutes into the contest. Bluefield's defensive pressure forced multiple early turnovers, and a layup from Ke'Shaun Tonsall pushed the advantage to 19–5 at the 12:31 mark. However, Bluefield State responded with a 23–10 run to close the half, using second-chance points and transition baskets to trim the Rams' lead to 29–28 at the break.

Coming out of halftime, Isaiah Sanders gave the Rams a quick boost with a left-wing three to put BU ahead 32–30. After the Big Blues briefly regained the lead, White hit a jumper at 16:32, and Danny Alford added a finish in traffic to keep the margin within one possession. Two free throws from McDonald and a fastbreak layup by White midway through the half again cut the deficit to 45–48, but Bluefield State countered with three consecutive made threes to create separation. The Rams held the Big Blues under 34 percent shooting, but Bluefield State's 12–1 run over the final four minutes proved decisive.

White once again led Bluefield, scoring 14 points with three rebounds and two steals. McDonald added 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds while converting 5-of-6 at the foul line. Sanders chipped in eight points, six rebounds, and three assists, and Alford finished with seven points and three boards. Tonsall contributed four points and four rebounds, while Tyler Suber hit a key three-pointer off the bench.

As a team, BU shot 33 percent from the field and matched Bluefield State on the glass with 35 rebounds but was limited to seven bench points and 18 points in the paint.

Bluefield (1–7) returns to Appalachian Athletic Conference play Wednesday, traveling to Union Commonwealth for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.