SC State Basketball Teams Set To Battle In Garden City Classic

***Basketball Flash***

ORANGEBURG, SC—The South Carolina State men's and women's basketball teams will open the regular season tonight, when they battle neighboring Claflin University in the Annual Garden City Basketball Classic at Tullis Arena (Jonas T. Kennedy Physical Education Center). Tip-off for the women's contest is 6 p.m., with the men following immediately.
       The Classic between was first played during the 1987-88 school year. The event began after interested alumni and supporters from both schools presented a proposal to the schools' administrations, which subsequently approved it.
       The Classic endured for 10 years and generated a great deal of enthusiasm from both institutions and the community. The men's squads met all 10 seasons – 1987-88 through 1996-97, while the women played every year except the 1990-91 campaign.
       The Lady Panthers won six of the nine meetings between the women's squad, while the Bulldogs were victorious in seven of the 10 games the men's teams played.
The rivalry ended following the 1996-97 season when the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the league
       SC State participates in, issued a ruling that conference teams could not play non-Division I opponents as the conference was trying to raise its RPI and strength of schedule.
The MEAC has since altered that rule allowing conference teams to play a minimum number of non-Division I schools. Thus, the rivalry between two universities -- separated only by a few yards – was renewed during the 2011-12 season.
     Last season SC State swept Claflin with the women winning 76-59, while the men posted an impressive 70-53 victory.

Women's Garden City Basketball Classic
Claflin in leads the overall series 6-5
1987-88: Claflin in 82-SC State 66
1988-89: Claflin 108-SC State 78
1989-90: Claflin 81-SC State 54
1990:91: Claflin 69-SC State 67 (OT)
1991-92: SC State 85-Clafl in 78
1992-93: SC State 76-Clafl in 73
1993-94: SC State 95-Clafl in 84
1994-95: SC State 84-Clafl in 73
1995-96: Claflin 89-SC State 56
1996-97: Claflin 64-SC State 59
2011-12: SC State 76-Clafl in 59

Men's Garden City Basketball Classic
SC State leads series record 7-4
1987-88: SC State 90, Claflin 75
1988-89: SC State 100, Claflin 80
1989-90: Claflin 79, SC State 69
1990-91: Claflin 85, SC State 69
1991-92: SC State 84, Claflin 73
1992-93: SC State 90, Claflin 72
1993-94: SC State 87, Claflin 75
1994-95: Claflin 60, SC State 55
1995-96: SC State 72, Claflin 63
1996-97: Claflin 69-SC State 61
2011-12: SC State 70-Claflin 53

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