Division II basketball game postponed after wild brawl
Division II's Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference will investigate the circumstances surrounding a wild brawl that took place last weekend between LeMoyne-Owen and Lane College.
The fracas apparently got warmed up in the first quarter of Saturday's game in Memphis after a player was tripped. Later in the game, a free-for-all ensued with fans coming on to the court.
In a video, a fan can be seen hitting one of the players with a chair. The game was immediately postponed in the second half.
"Good sportsmanship as well as the health and safety of our student-athletes and fans are core values which must be observed and advanced during all athletic contests,” SIAC Commissioner Greg Moore said in a release in a statement. “The incident which occurred Saturday evening represents a direct affront to these core values.
"Such behavior will not be tolerated in our league under any circumstances," Moore added. “As a consequence, and at the conclusion of our internal investigation, all responsible parties in connection with this incident shall be subject to the most severe sanctions authorized by the conference rules and bylaws.”
The conference said that there is no intended make-up date at this point. Lane is scheduled to play LeMoyne again in Jackson, Tenn. on Feb. 11.
LeMoyne-Owen is 3–13 on the season and Lane has an 8–8.
- Scooby Axson