Southland suspends 8 players for postgame brawl

• Myron Medcalf, ESPN

  • Staff WriterFeb 21, 2024, 03:51 PM ET Close Covers college basketball
  • Signed up with ESPN.com in 2011
  • Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

The Southland Conference suspended 8 players Wednesday for their involvement in a massive college basketball brawl that followed Texas A&M-Commerce’s 76-72 overtime triumph at Incarnate Word on Monday night.The brawl,

which broke out during the handshake line, lasted for more than a minute and spilled throughout the floor as players and coaches from both teams tried to stop the melee. It’s uncertain what stimulated the fight.Four players from each team were suspended for “ostentatious unsportsmanlike actions, “the conference stated. The suspensions will begin immediately.Texas A&M- Commerce’s Jerome Maker Jr., Ant Abraham and Kwo

Agwa were suspended for three games, while colleague Prince Davies got a one-game suspension.Editor’s Picks For Incarnate Word, guard Elijah Davis was handed a three-game suspension. Alex Anderson, Gabe

Beny Til and Marcus Glover were each suspended 2 games. “The Southland Conference Board of Directors has actually set clear expectations for sportsmanship and behavior of our student-athletes, coaches, and viewers during and after competitors,”Southland commissioner Chris Grant said in a statement.” Regrettably, these expectations were not met on Monday night, and the Southland Conference will not tolerate any unsportsmanlike habits. I wish to extend our appreciation to A&M -Commerce Athletics Director Jim Curry and [Incarnate Word] Sports Director Richard Duran for their undeviating partnership and thorough resolution of this matter. “In a statement Wednesday, Incarnate Word athletic director Richard Duren stated the university”appreciates the choices made by the Southland Conference.”

“We will honor the suspensions bied far reliable right away, “Duren said. “We wish to thank the SLC office for managing this matter in a fair and efficient way. I value Texas A&M-Commerce’s athletic director Jim Curry for partnering with me throughout the procedure.”Texas A&M- Commerce had no talk about the suspensions, per a school official.The 2 schools launched a joint declaration Monday night that said there is “no place in college sports”

for what unfolded after their game.