Large brawl erupts between fans, delays college basketball game between VCU and Saint Louis
A large brawl which appeared to involve at least a dozen fans broke out at a men’s college basketball game between Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Saint Louis University (SLU) on Tuesday, causing the game to be halted for a number of minutes.
With Saint Louis leading 69-63 and 1:10 remaining, a fight at Chaifetz Arena in Missouri spilled out over rows of seats and down onto the floor near the VCU bench. It is not clear what caused the fight to break out.
Security and police quickly rushed in to try and break it up, while players on the court remained in their huddles. The CBS Sports broadcast also picked up other fans apparently booing those involved in the fight.
On Wednesday, Saint Louis said the university was investigating the fans’ altercation.
“SLU is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for fans and guests at all of its events,” the school said in a statement. “The Department of Athletics, the Department of Public Safety, Oak View Group (OVG) and other campus partners are working together to review safety protocols to ensure a positive experience for patrons and teams at Chaifetz Arena.”
The university urged fans to report incidents and “issues they witness” to arena personnel in the future.
VCU had no comment on the incident.
Footage captured by CNN affiliate KSDK News appeared to show an older man emerging from the melee with blood on his face and neck.
The game eventually resumed after a delay of about seven minutes, according to The Associated Press, and the Billikens completed their 78-69 win over the Rams.
Saint Louis’ Gibson Jimerson racked up a game-high 26 points, complemented by Kobe Johnson scoring 19 with six rebounds, and Robbie Avila adding 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Phillip Russell and Zeb Jackson each scored 15 for VCU.
In his post-match press conference, Billikens head coach Josh Schertz chose to focus on the positive energy brought by fans.
“Our guys were feeding off the energy of the home crowd. They were into it. They lifted us at times, when we were tired. Students were awesome,” he said. “We don’t get through this game without them.”
The win – Saint Louis’ fifth in a row at home – halts VCU’s six-game winning streak and draws the Billikens level with the Rams in second place in the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10), behind George Mason.
Having already played each other once this season before Tuesday – a 78-62 win for VCU on January 14 – the teams can only meet again this season if they do so in the A-10 conference tournament in March.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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