Fight Leads to 19 Ejections

Only seven players remained on the floor to finish a game between Tennessee State and Eastern Kentucky on Monday because 19 players were ejected after a fight.

“It was just complete chaos,” Eastern Kentucky Coach Travis Ford said. “Nobody really knows what happened.”

Eastern Kentucky won the game, 89-72, and finished with four players, while Tennessee State was left with three after Jeremy Jackson fouled out. Before that, the teams played four on four because so many players had been tossed out, either for participating in the fight or leaving the bench area.

The fight began with 8:13 to play. Eastern Kentucky’s Shawn Fields had the ball when a hard foul was called on Tennessee State’s Cedric Bryson, prompting players from both benches to run on the court.

Bryson, Fields and Eastern Kentucky’s Kenyatta Dix and Champ Slaughter were ejected for fighting, and nine players were ejected for leaving the bench. The rest of those who were playing when the fight started also were ejected.

“It was an unfortunate incident for all of the parties involved,” Tennessee State Coach Hosea Lewis said. “Both teams just got excited

Ford wasn’t happy with the decision to let the game resume with only four players on each side.

“I didn’t think that was legal,” he said.

Eastern Kentucky sports information director Karl Park said videotape from the game was being sent to Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner Ron English to determine if suspensions are warranted.