Eight college basketball players who were involved in the brawl following Texas A&M-Commerce’s game against Incarnate Word have been suspended by the Southland Conference.
The Texas A&M-Commerce Lions defeated the Incarnate Word Cardinals in overtime on Monday night. But, as players participated in the traditional postgame handshake line, a melee erupted. Players, coaches, and staff members from both teams tried to intervene as the fight spread across the basketball court.
It remains unclear what caused the incident to start. A total of four players were suspended from each team for what the conference described as “flagrant unsportsmanlike actions.”
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An all-out brawl broke out at the end of the Southland Conference game between Texas A&M-Commerce and Incarnate Word, lasting several minutes before both teams exited the court. (M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The suspensions are effective immediately, the conference said.
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Jerome Brewer Jr., a 6-foot-9-inch sophomore forward who played at Camden High School in New Jersey, one of the best teams in the country, was seen in the middle of the skirmish fighting his coaches as they attempted to hold him back.
As Brewer continued to fight his way through his own team, the scrum continued to move across the court and Brewer eventually fell on top of his own people.
Brewer, along with his Texas A&M-Commerce teammates Ant Abraham and Kwo Agwa face three-game bans. Meanwhile, Prince Davies will serve a one-game suspension.
“The Southland Conference Board of Directors has set clear expectations for sportsmanship and behavior of our student-athletes, coaches, and spectators during and after competitions,” Southland commissioner Chris Grant said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, these expectations were not met on Monday night, and the Southland Conference will not tolerate any unsportsmanlike behavior. I would like to extend our appreciation to A&M-Commerce Athletics Director Jim Curry and [Incarnate Word] Athletics Director Richard Duran for their unwavering partnership and diligent resolution of this matter.”
Southland Basketball Championships logo at the Legacy Center in Lake Charles, LA. (Scott Clause-USA TODAY Sports)
Both schools released a joint statement shortly after Monday night’s incident, saying the series of events were unacceptable in college sports.
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“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 schools’ statement said.
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
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