Eight players were suspended after a large brawl broke out on the field after Monday night’s game between Texas A&M University-Commerce and the University of the Incarnate Word.
The fight broke out in the handshake line after Texas A&M-Commerce’s 76-72 overtime win against Incarnate Word and lasted about two minutes. During that time, groups of players were swinging at each other as coaches tried to break up the fight.
The commotion, which spread across the field and forced some fans out of the way, appeared to injure a young girl in the crowd, as well as a student manager who left the field with blood on his face, according to the broadcasters calling the game.
“There is no place for such actions in college sports,” the two schools said in a joint statement afterward, apologizing for the brawl.
The Southland Conference, in which the two schools compete, handed out multi-game suspensions Wednesday afternoon. In the press release of the conference, it is stated that eight “students are athletes [involved in the fight] will be suspended for flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct.”
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Texas A&M-Commerce’s Jerome Brewer Jr., Ant Abraham and Kwo Agwa were each suspended for three games, while their teammate, Prince Davies, also received a one-game suspension. Meanwhile, Incarnate Word guard Elijah Davis received a three-game suspension. Teammates Alex Anderson, Gabe Beny Til and Marcus Glover were suspended for one game.
“The Southland Conference Board of Directors has set clear expectations for the sportsmanship and conduct of our student-athletes, coaches and spectators during and after competition,” Southland Conference Commissioner Chris Grant said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, those expectations were not met on Monday night and the Southland Conference will not tolerate any unsportsmanlike conduct,” added Grant. “I would like to express our gratitude to A&M-Commerce Athletics Director Jim Curry and UIW Athletics Director Richard Duran for their steadfast partnership and diligent handling of this matter.”
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It remains unclear exactly what led to the brawl between the teams, which met once before this season in what Texas A&M-Commerce coach Jaret von Rosenberg described as a “dogfight.”
Monday night’s Southland Conference rematch in San Antonio, Texas, which aired nationally on the ESPN+ app, was just as challenging, with overtime to settle the game before a brawl broke out.
“Oh no, this is not good,” the play-by-play announcer said as the fight began, adding moments later, “This is not what you want to see after a great game.”
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Source: HIS Education