A fight between LSU and South Carolina during the SEC women’s basketball championship game on Sunday led to a lengthy delay and one fan being led away in handcuffs after jumping over the scorer’s table to get involved.
South Carolina managed to hold on to win the game, 79-72, and capture their eighth SEC crown in the last 10 seasons following the wild few minutes late in the game.
Both benches were essentially ejected from the contest following the incident that occurred with just over two minutes left in the game and South Carolina leading LSU 73-66.
Tempers flared after an intentional foul by Flau’jae Johnson on MiLaysia Fulwiley turned into a near melee as another South Carolina player touched Johnson, who then pushed Ashlyn Watkins as she looked to be celebrating right in front of the LSU player.
That’s when South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso came out of nowhere to knock Johnson to the ground and both benches ran onto the court.
It’s also when a man – identified by the ESPN broadcast as the brother of Johnson – ran down from the stands onto the court, forcing a uniformed police officer to have to retrain him and remove him from the floor.
After the officials reviewed the incident on replay, which led to a 20-minute delay in the action, Johnson was called for an intentional foul, Cardoso was given a disqualifying foul and the last 2:08 was played five on five.
“I just want to apologize to the basketball community. When you’re playing in championship games like this in our league things get heated,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said in an ESPN interview after the game. “No bad intentions. Their emotions got so far ahead of them that sometimes these things happen. So I want to apologize for us playing a part in that. That’s not who we are. That’s not what we’re about, but I’m happy for the players that were able to finish the game to get us another championship.”
The game been feisty for most of the afternoon and LSU and South Carolina share a rivalry that has plenty of bad blood between the two programs.
Both schools have been one of the best teams in women’s college basketball in recent years.
LSU, the reigning national champions, had been 28-4 this season and went 13-3 in the SEC, while South Carolina had been undefeated this year with a perfect 31-0 record.
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