Referee knocked out in wild South Alabama-Coastal Carolina brawl

A chaotic scene unfolded during the Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball tournament when a brawl broke out between South Alabama and Coastal Carolina players. The game, which ended in an 80-70 victory for South Alabama, took a violent turn in the fourth quarter as tensions escalated on the court.

The incident began when South Alabama’s Cordasia Harris and Coastal Carolina’s Tracey Hueston got into a heated exchange of words, which quickly turned physical as Hueston attempted to shove and swing at Harris. Another South Alabama player intervened to restrain Harris, while a referee and another player stepped in to separate the two. However, the situation took a dangerous turn when Hueston swung again and inadvertently struck the referee, knocking them to the floor.

The referee lay motionless for a moment as staff members and medical personnel rushed to the court to assess the injury. The game was momentarily halted as the injured official received medical attention. It was unclear what the referee’s condition was following the incident.

In the aftermath of the brawl, a total of eight players, including Hueston and Harris, were ejected from the game for their involvement in the altercation. Both coaches expressed regret over the incident, with South Alabama coach Yolisha Jackson emphasizing that such behavior is not condoned by their program and that it was an unfortunate situation for both teams.

Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Pederson also condemned the incident, describing it as “unfortunate” and expressing disappointment in Hueston’s actions. He emphasized that Hueston is typically a model citizen off the court and acknowledged that the behavior displayed during the game was unacceptable.

As the teams reflect on the altercation and the consequences of their actions, both coaches emphasized the importance of learning from the incident and responding differently in similar situations in the future. The violent altercation serves as a reminder of the emotions that can run high in competitive sports and the need for players to maintain composure and sportsmanship at all times.