BUTTE, MT. (November 28, 2007) – Butte Silver-Bow County Executive Paul Babb and Butte Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marko Lucich have officially challenged the County Executive, City Manager and Chamber President from Pike County/Pikeville in a duel of their Continental Basketball Association teams.

The visiting Butte Daredevils will square off against the East Kentucky Miners tonight in Pikeville. In the challenge, the quarter-point winner of the four-game series (two games in Pikeville and two games in Butte) will receive the local dish that the miners take for meals. If the Butte contingent wins it will receive fried potatoes and biscuits. If the Pikeville group wins it will receive pasties.

Butte is a copper mining city and Pikeville mines coal. The city of Pikeville, which is enjoying continued growth, has approximately 6,300 residents but Pike County has over 68,000 residents. Each year, Pikeville celebrates Hillbilly Days. Pikeville was also a part of the legendary Hatfield-McCoy Feud.

Butte is famous for copper mining and being the birthplace of Evel Knievel. The Montana town celebrates the daredevil’s birth each year with Evel Knievel Days. Butte has over 33,000 residents and is growing.

The Butte Daredevils are in the Western Conference and the East Kentucky Miners are in the Eastern Conference of the Continental Basketball Association, which has been in existence for over 63 years.

Thirteen of the 30 head coaches in the NBA during the 2006-07 season came from the CBA.

“This is a natural rivalry because of the types of towns we live in, loyalty of the fans and the fact that both teams are young,” said Joe Clark, owner of the Butte Daredevils.

Fans can watch the Butte-East Kentucky professional basketball games via the internet by going online to www.cbahoopsonline.com and entering the webcast feature. Tip-off for tonight’s game is set for 7:05 p.m.