Syracuse, N.Y. — Fans rushed onto the Henninger High School basketball court after a hard foul Tuesday night causing police to respond and the referees to end the game against Syracuse Academy of Science early, Syracuse school district officials said.
Players on the court began gesturing and trash talking after the foul, but the players did not start fighting, Syracuse City School District spokesman Michael Henesey said Wednesday.
The foul occurred when players from each team were going after a rebound in the fourth quarter of the game and got tied up, Henninger head coach Gilbert Speights said.
“Both players involved in the rebound were jawing at each other, but the officials were right there in between them,” Speights said. “When I saw it escalating and people getting involved from off the court, I grabbed my player and got him to safety.”
After seeing the hard foul, fans began coming onto the court, Henesey said.
“The fans behavior is what prompted the ending of the game by the officials, not anything to do with the student-athletes,” he said.
Syracuse police officers responded to the disturbance call at about 8:12 p.m. at school, Syracuse police spokesman Sgt. Matthew Malinowski said. It took police 20 minutes to clear the court, he said.
“Unfortunately, something happened in the stands and when the little skirmish on the floor happened, the kids in the stands decided they had to support their home team,” Syracuse Academy of Science coach Cornelius Vines told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. “But other than that, there were no punches thrown by players. Coaches broke it up. There was a shove or two that happened. That’s as far as it went.”
After an investigation by the district that included speaking with administrators, the athletic director, both coaches and one of the referees, it was confirmed that no players were involved in the fighting, Henesey said.
“There were no unsportsmanlike conduct calls or ejections either, and in fact the student-athletes on both teams were commended for their response to the situation,” Henesey said.
The game was initially paused earlier because of a fight among spectators in the stands, Malinowski said. That altercation was quickly settled by officers and the game resumed, he said.
Shortly after the game resumed, a verbal altercation began on the basketball court among players from both teams, Malinowski said. This caused both benches to clear and a fight broke out between the teams, he said.
School officials deny the benches cleared or the players were fighting.
“Nobody came off the benches,” Speights said. “My assistant coaches were keeping kids on the bench. The officials complimented the coaches and the kids for not engaging.”
No injuries were reported and no arrests have been made at this time, Malinowski said.
The school district is still investigating the incident, and any fan who violated the school’s conduct policy will face the appropriate repercussions, Henesey said.
The game was ended in the fourth quarter, giving Henninger a 29-16 victory.
Staff writer James McClendon covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? Reach him at 914-204-2815 or jmcclendon@syracuse.com.
The Link LonkDecember 02, 2021 at 08:27AM
https://www.syracuse.com/crime/2021/12/fans-rush-henninger-basketball-court-after-hard-foul-fights-break-out-game-ends-early.html
Fans rush Henninger basketball court after hard foul, fights break out, game ends early - syracuse.com
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