Chaotic Brawl Mars Sun Belt Women's Basketball Tournament Game
A shocking scene of chaos unfolded during the Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament on Wednesday when a heated on-court altercation between the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and the South Alabama Jaguars escalated dramatically into a full-scale brawl that left a referee injured and resulted in multiple ejections.
Game Descends Into Chaos in Final Minutes
The disturbing incident occurred during the second round of the conference tournament with less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. What began as a confrontation between two players quickly spiraled out of control as fists were thrown and players from both teams rushed onto the court. Officials and team staff attempted to restore order, but the situation turned chaotic with numerous players becoming involved in the physical altercation.
Despite the significant disruption that halted play, the game eventually resumed after order was restored, and South Alabama managed to secure an 80-70 victory to advance in the tournament.
How the Coastal Carolina vs South Alabama Brawl Started
The fight originated underneath the basket between South Alabama forward Cordasia Harris and Coastal Carolina forward Tracey Hueston. According to multiple reports, Harris appeared to say something to Hueston while positioned behind her during active play. Hueston immediately reacted by turning around and swinging a punch toward Harris.
The initial punch narrowly missed its target, but the sudden escalation prompted referees and players from both teams to rush in and separate the two athletes. The situation deteriorated further when additional players moved toward the developing fight, transforming what began as a personal confrontation into a short but furious battle on the court.
Officials attempted to intervene quickly, but containing the situation proved challenging as players packed the area around the initial altercation.
Referee Injured During the Violent Altercation
One of the referees accidentally got hit while trying to break up the fight, suffering an injury during the chaotic scene. The official dropped to the ground and remained motionless for several moments, immediately causing significant concern among players, coaches, and stadium staff who witnessed the incident.
Medical personnel and team staff rushed onto the court to assist the injured referee while others worked to prevent the confrontation from escalating further. A sheriff's deputy was also observed entering the court area as order was gradually restored throughout the arena.
There was no immediate update provided regarding the referee's condition following the incident, leaving many concerned about the official's wellbeing.
Multiple Ejections Issued Following the Fight
Following the altercation, officials handed out a total of eight ejections. Coastal Carolina's Tracey Hueston was ejected for throwing punches during the confrontation. South Alabama's Cordasia Harris was also removed from the game after receiving a technical foul for her involvement in the incident.
In addition, six South Alabama players were ejected for leaving the bench area and joining the altercation, which constitutes a clear violation of NCAA rules regarding player conduct during games. Despite losing several players to these ejections, South Alabama managed to maintain control of the game and hold off Coastal Carolina during the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
Guard Chrysta Narcisse led the Jaguars with a game-high 24 points, while Diawna Carter-Hartley contributed 18 points and Amyah Sutton added 16 points to the winning effort. Hueston, before her ejection, had recorded an impressive double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds for Coastal Carolina.
The Sun Belt Conference is expected to conduct a thorough review of the incident and could potentially issue further disciplinary action following the completion of the tournament game.
