CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball hosted New Orleans on Thursday, and it was a special birthday for one Islanders fan who said there was no way she was missing the game. Even if her birthday only rolls around once every four years.
"I don't know there's just something about basketball that I've always enjoyed you know," Beatrice Blomquist, TAMU-CC alum, said. "I don't know, it just gets me all riled up and I just love it."
Blomquist, known for short as Bea, is an Islanders alum who's worked at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for 23 years. She loves sports, and so far this season she has not missed a single basketball game.
"No absolutely not," Blomquist said. "Even though it's going to be my 15th real birthday I have to be there. Can't miss it."
Bea is a leap year baby. 60-years-old, but only 15 birthdays. Unfortunately she will miss the men's game on Monday, a follow-up appointment for her second of three cancers she's faced.
"On the 28th will be five years since I had part of my right lung removed," Blomquist said.
Life struggles that turn to smiles when she's watching her favorite team.
"Being able to go and cheer on the Islanders it kind of makes me kind of forget about it," Blomquist said.
She continues to support her team....even though her favorite Islander, Cole Martinez has not played for Corpus Christi since he graduated in 2016.
"There's not much of an Islander basketball game or really any Islander athletic event if Miss Bea is not in the stands cheering and supporting," Martinez said. "We definitely feel the appreciation from the stands for you, and so we want to make sure that you know that we appreciate you and we thank you for your continued support for all of Islanders athletics as a whole, and we really, really hope you have the happiest of birthdays."
The Islanders women's team made her birthday even better by defeating New Orleans 81-54 at the American Bank Center. Their next game is Saturday at 1 p.m. against Southeastern.
