A massive brawl broke out following Texas A&M-Commerce's 76-72 win at Incarnate Word on Monday as the teams began shaking hands.
It's unclear what sparked the fight at the handshake line, but it involved several players from both teams throwing punches at each other. Coaches and players from each team attempted to separate the fighting players, but the fight continued for more than a minute as members of the two programs brawled around the court.
There were several players on the court and multiple pileups as the fight continued. Broadcast analysts said a “young girl” in the crowd was injured as a result of the fight and that one of the team's coaches had “blood on his face,” although there was no immediate word from authorities or schools about the lesions.
In a joint statement later Monday, Incarnate Word and A&M-Commerce apologized “for the behavior exhibited by our respective men's basketball programs.”
“There is no place in college sports for these types of actions,” the statement said. “The unsportsmanlike conduct that occurred after the game does not reflect the values of the universities involved, as well as the Southland Conference and its member institutions. The matter is currently being reviewed collectively by the Conference office and both institutions as well as university security. our students. “Athletes, staff and fans is our main concern.”
The Southland Conference also issued a brief statement referring to the melee, saying it is aware of the “game-ending situation that occurred.”
“We will work closely with both universities to review the footage and issue appropriate disciplinary action,” Southland said in its statement. “Unsportsmanlike behavior is unacceptable in the Southland Conference and the safety of our student-athletes, spectators and officials remains a top priority.”
The teams are at the bottom of the conference standings and each enter Monday's game with three league wins.
Texas A&M-Commerce also won the first meeting between the teams. Lions coach Jaret von Rosenberg called the first outing “a dogfight” on his postgame radio show.
