Basketball season canceled for Indiana girls teams after fight
Two girls high school basketball teams in Indiana had the remainder of their seasons canceled as part of a punishment handed down Monday following a fight between the rivals during their game Saturday.
The Indiana High School Athletic Association canceled the rest of the season for the girls teams at Pike and Ben Davis, but it didn't stop there. The teams will be under probation next season, players must take a sportsmanship class and coaches must complete a behavior and role model class.
The schools are responsible for disciplining individual players for their roles in the melee.
[Stellar display of sportsmanship nets Matty Marcone his first goal>
The fight began Saturday when a player was fouled in the fourth quarter with five minutes remaining in the game and Pike leading 57-41. it initially involved only two players but it quickly escalated to other players on the court, players and coaches leaving benches and ultimately fans, friends and family members coming out the stands.
Pike was trying to win a third consecutive sectional title this season and maybe more. The end of the season means the end of high school careers for three seniors on the team, including Tyana Robinson, the team's leading scorer, who has earned a scholarship to Florida Atlantic.
“My first reaction was to walk away from the whole thing,” Robinson told the Indianapolis Star. “I went toward our bench. I have a scholarship and knew that could be taken away. I tried to stay clear of the whole situation. I couldn’t believe what happened. It happened so fast it was hard for me to process it all.”
The IHSAA handed down a similar punishment in February last season to two boys teams involved in a fight. Those schools sued seeking to be allowed to participate in the state tournament and a judge granted their request. It remains to be seen if Pike and Ben Davis go to court as well.
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[Kyle Ringo is a contributing writer on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo
