Coastal Carolina vs South Alabama brawl: Referee gets injured during Sun Belt tournament game

A chaotic scene unfolded during the Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball tournament on Wednesday when a heated altercation between the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and the South Alabama Jaguars escalated into a full-scale brawl that left a referee injured.

The incident occurred during the second round of the conference tournament with less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. After fists were thrown, officials and team staff ran onto the court quickly to restore order, but the situation turned chaotic with many players getting involved. Despite the disruption, the game eventually resumed and South Alabama secured an 80-70 victory to advance in the tournament.

How the Coastal Carolina vs South Alabama brawl started

The fight began underneath the basket between South Alabama forward Cordasia Harris and Coastal Carolina forward Tracey Hueston.

According to reports, Harris appeared to say something to Hueston while positioned behind her during play. Hueston immediately reacted, turning around and swinging a punch toward Harris. The initial punch narrowly missed, but the sudden escalation prompted referees and players from both teams to rush in and separate the two.

Things became worse when additional players moved toward the fight, which turned into a short but furious battle on the court. Officials tried to step in fast, but it was hard to contain the situation as players packed the area.

Referee injured during the altercation

One of the referees accidently got hit while trying to break up the fight. The official dropped to the ground and stayed still for a few moments, which made players, coaches, and stadium staff very worried right away.

Medical personnel and team staff rushed onto the court to assist the referee while others attempted to prevent the confrontation from escalating further. A sheriff’s deputy was also seen entering the court area as order was gradually restored.There was no immediate update on the referee’s condition following the incident.

Multiple ejections issued after the fight

Following the altercation, officials handed out eight ejections. Hueston was ejected for throwing punches during the confrontation.

Harris was also removed from the game after receiving a technical foul for her involvement. In addition, six South Alabama players were ejected for leaving the bench area and joining the altercation, which is a violation of NCAA rules.Despite losing several players to ejections, South Alabama managed to maintain control of the game and hold off Coastal Carolina late in the fourth quarter.Guard Chrysta Narcisse led the Jaguars with a game-high 24 points, while Diawna Carter-Hartley added 18 points and Amyah Sutton contributed 16. Hueston, before her ejection, had recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds for Coastal Carolina.The Sun Belt Conference is expected to review the incident and could issue further disciplinary action following the tournament game.