Brawl Erupts in Atlantic 10 Game Between St. Louis and VCU

A questionable move led to a full-blown brawl during the Atlantic 10 matchup on Friday night.

As St. Louis wrapped up an 88-75 victory against Virginia Commonwealth, Rams guard Nick Lewis made a play for glory, stealing the ball from Billiken junior Quentin Jones and attempting a half-court shot as the game ended.

Unfortunately, just as Lewis went for the shot, St. Louis’ Robby Avila pushed him out of bounds, igniting a skirmish that quickly escalated to involve nearly everyone on the bench.

The teams, along with their coaching staff, engaged in some pushing and shoving at center court until officials stepped in to avoid total chaos.

“No punches were thrown or anything like that,” said St. Louis coach Josh Schertz, emphasizing it was more a “typical basketball fight” filled with pushing and not much else. He added that he didn’t see any actions that warranted suspensions for either team.

Eventually, as the dust settled, the teams returned to the court where Lewis sank three free throws, sealing the game.

Alongside Jones and VCU’s Barry Evans, almost all reserve players from both teams were disqualified.

It’s uncertain if further penalties will be imposed on any players involved in the altercation.

Rams coach Phil Martelli Jr. reflected on the intensity of the game, saying, “We have a lot of respect for them and I think they respect us too. It’s tough competition, but you hope these things don’t happen. It’s an emotional sport.”

This rivalry isn’t new; last season’s clash saw a brawl break out in the stands as well. In that game, with just over a minute remaining in a 78-69 victory for the Billikens, fans began tackling each other, causing a seven-minute delay.

“You don’t often see such incidents in college basketball, but it was chaotic,” CBS Sports announcer Tom McCarthy remarked at the time. “Security had to step in almost immediately.”