South Carolina Basketball: Gamecocks to host charity exhibition to support Maui fire victims

Over the last week, the college basketball world has been let in on a fact that Gamecocks fans have known about for a while: South Carolina basketball head coaches Dawn Staley and Lamont Paris are both willing to compete for causes bigger than basketball.

It was announced less than a week ago that the women’s South Carolina basketball team would host an exhibition game against Rutgers in honor of the late Nikki McCray-Penson (who coached at both schools) and in support of a charity called In the Middle. The non-profit organization helps support breast cancer victims and their families.

That exhibition will be free of charge, but donations will be collected to help fund In the Middle’s work, especially in the Columbia area.

On Tuesday, it was announced that the men’s South Carolina basketball squad would also be hosting an exhibition for charity.

On November 1st, the Gamecocks will welcome the Wofford Terriers to Colonial Life Arena for an exhibition in support of the Maui Strong Fund. Tickets to the in-state exhibition will be $10, and all proceeds will go to the Maui Strong Fund to help support victims of the Maui wildfires that have decimated so much of Hawaii’s second-largest island.

The exhibition will tip off at 7:00 PM, and opportunities for direct donations will also be made available. Enough tickets will be offered to fill up the lower bowl at Colonial Life Arena.

While the support of such a noble effort will be the primary storyline of the night, South Carolina basketball fans will also have their first opportunity to see the new-look Gamecocks in action. With seven new scholarship players on this year’s team, fans will get a sneak peek of what the CourtCocks will look like less than a week before their official season opener against USC-Upstate.