Sports

ACC Hoops Game Devolves Into Chaos As Midcourt Shove Sparks Ejection-Worthy Scuffle

#College Basketball
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© Zachary Taft-Imagn Images


A scuffle broke out between Virginia and NC State during ACC basketball action on Tuesday. Players had to be restrained at midcourt during the second half.

A bump and shove sparked the benches-clearing dust-up. Officials and coaches were able to deescalate the situation before it got too far out of hand.

The Cavaliers hosted the Wolfpack in Charlottesville in midweek conference play. The home team would cruise to an easy 90-61 win.

Virginia controlled the contest throughout. It started on a 15-3 run and never looked back. NC State never led. Frustrations got the best of the Wolfpack after halftime.

NC State basketball started a scuffle.

Play was stopped with a little over 17 minutes left in regulation. During a timeout, an NC State player appeared to bump a Virginia opponent.

The Cavalier responded with a shove, causing benches to empty onto the court.

The players involved in the initial scrum appeared to be Darrion Williams and Sam Lewis. Williams shoulder-checked Lewis, who then pushed back.

Technical fouls were awarded to both sides. One was given to Lewis. Another was assessed to Williams. NC State’s Scottie Ebube was also charged for leaving the bench and ejected.

Will Wade was called for a technical, too, though it was later rescinded.

What was said about the skirmish?

“I think it’s a hotly contested game, and there’s a timeout called, and then there’s a little bit of confusion,” said Virginia head coach Ryan Odom.

“Any time one team is in front of another team’s bench and there’s a timeout called, it just sometimes can happen. I think both teams have a ton of respect for one another, so it wasn’t a big deal.”

Will Wade didn’t get a good look at what started the situation. He was simply trying to get the attention of referees before chaos broke loose.

“I was calling timeout and then whatever happened, happened,” he recalled. “I didn’t get to see a good look at it, but I was trying to get a timeout.”

Darrion Williams, one of the instigators, called it guys “just playing basketball.” Emotions simply got the best of both sides in a heated rivalry matchup.

With the loss, NC State fell to 19-9 on the year. Virginia improved to 25-3 as they battle for the ACC basketball crown.