Young Girl, Student Allegedly Injured During Massive Brawl Between College Basketball Teams: ‘Unacceptable’
The fight broke out after an overtime game between Texas A&M-Commerce and the University of Incarnate Word on Monday
A major brawl after a tense college basketball game between Texas A&M-Commerce and the University of Incarnate Word left a young girl and a student manager injured, according to the broadcast.
"There is no place in college sports for such actions," the two schools said, apologizing in a joint statement after the melee. "The unsportsmanlike conduct that occurred after the game does not reflect the values of the universities involved, as well as the Southland Conference and their member institutions. The matter is currently being reviewed collectively by the Conference office and both institutions as the safety of our student-athletes, staff, and fans is our primary concern."
The game, which Texas A&M-Commerce won 76-72 in overtime, was a hard fought one. It was the second time the schools had met this season, after Texas A&M-Commerce coach Jaret von Rosenberg described the teams’ first game as "a dogfight,” according to ESPN.
Related: 8 Players Suspended After Women's College Basketball Game Turns Into Brawl
Monday night’s Southland Conference rematch in San Antonio, Texas, was aired on the ESPN+ app.
It’s unclear what led to the fight between the teams, but it appeared to begin when players from both schools came together for a handshake line following the game.
Video of the melee shows several UIW players suddenly rushing back towards the handshake line after making their way towards the team’s locker room. “Oh no, this is not good,” the play-by-play broadcaster said, as punches were thrown.
The fight lasted roughly two minutes and moved throughout the court as coaches appeared to try to get in between the players fighting. Fans could also be seen moving out of the way as groups of the players fighting moved around the edge of the court.
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Several pileups of players also broke out as the play-by-play broadcaster shook his head, “This is not what you want to see after it has been a great game. We’ve got everything going on right now. We still have guys running after people, oh my goodness.”
“Someone in the crowd was hurt and hit,” the other broadcast analyst said as the fighting continued, players being held back and coaches trying to wrangle their teams towards their respective locker rooms. “It looks like a young girl.”
The play-by-play broadcaster then points out a student manager for one of the teams could be seen with blood on his face, as well.
The Southland Conference denounced the brawl afterwards on Monday night, indicating an investigation into the incident is underway.
"We will be working closely with both universities to review the footage and issue appropriate disciplinary action," the conference said. "Unsportsmanlike behavior is unacceptable in the Southland Conference and the safety of our student-athletes, spectators, and officials remains a top priority."
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