A wild postgame brawl following a contentious game between Utah Valley and New Mꦇexico State highlighted the risks when fans and players collide.
The Western Athletic Conference on Friday suspended New Mexico State junior guard K.C. Ross-Miller for two games and senior forward Renaldo Dixon f🐟or one for violating the league’s sportsmanship policy following its review of the melee Thursday night in Orem, Utah.
Ross-Miller hurled the ball at Utah Valley’s Holton Hunsaker seconds after the Wolverines’ 66-61 victory over New Mexico State. The ball hit Hunsaker — the son of Utah Valley༺ coach Dick Hunsaker — in the leg. Some of the fans who had stormed the court following the victory got caught up in the chaos and punches we༺re thrown.
New Mexico State guard DK Eldridge wa✤s in the middle of the scrum before he was dragged away by Aggies coaches as order was restored. With the victory, the Wolverines claimed the top spot in the conference standings in their first year in the WAC.
Re🧔ggie Minton, deputy executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, said his organization has discussed the issue of fans rushing the court in the past and it will be taken up again at meetings in April.
“The main concern is for the safety of the visiting players and coaching staff. Rushing the court almost always com🐭es after a key victory or upset by the home team and there are people rushing the court who may or may not understand what sportsmanship is about,” Minton said.
“We need to explore ways to e🍬liminate the risk to the pౠlayers, coaches and staff on the court,” he added. “Every school should have a plan in place for end of game situations and make sure there is sufficient security and staff available to take control.”
The WAC issued its suspensions a🥃fter reviewing the brawl.
“There obviously is no place in the Western Athleti🦩c Conference or int♔ercollegiate athletics as a whole for the unfortunate events that took place at the conclusion of Thursday night’s game,” WAC Commissioner Jeff Hurd said.
“The situat🃏ion could have been much worse if it had not been for outstanding effort of both the New Mexico State and Utah Valley coaching staffs,” Hurd said. “They were instrumental in separating their student-athletes from what could have been an even uglier ♉situation.”
Before the WAC weighed in on additional penalties, New Mexi⭕co State coach Marvin Menzies suspended Ross-Miller indefinitely pending the WAC’s decision. The junior starter averages 8.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.