Louisiana-Monroe was never in a position for success during Wednesday’s college basketball game at Louisiana-Lafayette. The Warhawks went down by as many as 19 points and went on to lose by eight.
They were frustrated, to say the least. ULM, a program that does not have any hope of competing for a Sun Belt title, was coming off of a three-game win streak. It came crashing down against the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Junior A.D. Diedhiou was especially exasperated. He finished the game with zero points, zero rebounds, zero blocks, zero steals and zero assists in eight minutes and 36 seconds of on-court action. His presence on the floor was -8 during the loss.
Diedhiou completely melted down after being subbed out during the first half. It is not entirely clear as to what led to the violent exchange amongst teammates, but the 6-foot-11, 250-pound forward was the first to initiate contact.
One of the Warhawks said something to Diedhiou as he made his way off of the court and back to the bench. It was not well-received.
Diedhiou turned around with remarkable speed, reared back and delivered a strong elbow to the chest of his teammate. The recipient was knocked off of his feet!
He ULMost knocked out his own teammate. 😳 pic.twitter.com/VKcaZ9tSzm
— Nick Domingue (@geauxnick) February 1, 2024
Unfortunately, the ugly scene did not end there. Diedhiou kicked a trash can and sent it flying as he made his way back into the locker room.
Louisiana-Monroe did not address the incident after the game. Whatever it was that triggered Diedhiou is unclear, but it makes for an awkward dynamic amongst teammates. His anger was clear while exiting the court. His teammate’s comment turned it into rage.
In no situation should two players on the same team exchange blows in such a manner. Head basketball coach Keith Richard will have to get this sorted out ASAP!
The Warhawks play next on Saturday.