[ad_1]
Things erupted into a very, very ugly scene in San Antonio on Monday night.
Texas A&M-Commerce and Incarnate Word basketball players and coaches shook hands after the Lions’ 76-72 overtime victory against Incarnate Word at the Alice P. McDermott Convocation Center on Monday as usual. Then, suddenly, a wild and all-out brawl broke out on the court.
Multiple blows were thrown. Several people were sent to the ground. Coaches, players, staff and others repeatedly tried to break up the fight and calm things down, but nothing seemed to work. It lasted more than a minute and spread repeatedly across the court and around the arena.
It was total chaos.
It is still unclear what caused the incident to break out in the first place. Announcers calling the game on ESPN+ said a “young girl” in the crowd was “injured and beaten” as a result, and that a team staff member had “blood on her face.”
“We will work closely with both universities to review the footage and issue appropriate disciplinary action,” the Southland Conference said in a statement. “Unsportsmanlike behavior is unacceptable in the Southland Conference, and the safety of our student-athletes, spectators and officials remains a top priority.”
Both schools were at the bottom of the Southland Conference standings entering the game. Incarnate Word has just an 8-18 record, and A&M-Commerce has a 10-17 record. Lions star Kalen Williams hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with just seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime, then hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 13 seconds left in overtime to put them in the lead. victory.
This marked the second meeting between the two schools this season, both won by the Lions.