On Friday, the St. Louis Billikens, who are currently ranked No. 18 in men’s basketball, managed to secure their victory against Virginia Commonwealth University, winning 88-75 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. However, the win was overshadowed by a fight that broke out at the end of the game.
As the game was winding down and the home crowd was energized, VCU’s Nick Lewis intercepted the ball from Billikens guard Quentin Jones and attempted a half-court shot. In the midst of this, St. Louis guard Robbie Avila seemed to shove Lewis during the play, triggering a bench-clearing altercation shortly after.
Coaches from both teams were involved in the fray, shoving each other before officials stepped in to calm things down. Once things settled, both teams resumed play, with Lewis sinking three free throws before the final buzzer.
St. Louis coach Josh Schertz brushed off the incident, referring to it as something that can happen during high-stakes games. “There were no punches thrown,” Schertz said, emphasizing that it was more about pushing and shoving than anything else.
Players who exited the bench during the scuffle, including Jones and VCU’s Barry Evans, were disqualified by the officials.
VCU coach Phil Martelli Jr. noted that emotional intensity is common when two physically competitive teams face off. He expressed that while he wished the conflict hadn’t occurred, the nature of the game can lead to such situations. “It’s an emotional game,” he remarked.
Historical tensions between St. Louis and VCU have been noted before, including a brawl in the stands during a previous encounter last season.
Next up, VCU will return to Richmond to play against Fordham, while St. Louis is set to face Dayton on February 24th.
