A postgame handshake line erupted right into a two-team fracas in Fargo when Oral Roberts College males's basketball coach Paul Mills confronted North Dakota State over some perceived showboating.
The incident happened after Mills's Golden Eagles fell, 77-59, to an NDSU group that punctuated its victory with an emphatic, celebratory dunk as time expired. Guard Maleeck Harden-Hayes stole the ball from Oral Roberts' Max Abmas with the sport in hand and just a few seconds on the clock earlier than cruising in for an uncontested dunk simply after the buzzer.
Though the basket did not rely, some NDSU gamers celebrated as if it had, whereas others lined as much as shake palms with the defeated Golden Eagles.
Mills, apparently objecting to the dunk or the celebration, then confronted NDSU gamers and Bison head coach Dave Richman off display screen, which immediately ignited a shoving match.
'Some attention-grabbing phrases being exchanged right here between Paul Mills and Dave Richman,' one of many announcers stated because the cameras shifted to get the postgame skirmish in body. 'Mills not blissful there on the finish of that recreation. And now some pushing and shoving.'
'That is ridiculous,' the opposite announcer responded.
A final-second dunk resulted in phrases being exchanged & a scuffle between @ORUMBB & NDSU throughout the postgame handshake.
Paul Mills exchanged phrases with NDSU coaches and gamers.
Elijah Lufile was concerned within the scuffle and needed to be restrained from re-entering the fray. pic.twitter.com/Q5ZcHFD32D
- Cayden McFarland (@caydenmc) February 18, 2022
On the middle of the fray seemed to be North Dakota State's Boden Skunberg, who could possibly be seen taunting and pointing at a member of the Oral Roberts teaching employees that's believed to be Mills.
The scenario escalated rapidly when Oral Roberts' 6-foot-7 ahead Elijah Lufile began swinging punches, none of which appeared to attach, and was finally subdued by a trio of teammates.
Undeterred, Lufile tried to run across the throng of our bodies to re-enter the melee, however was in the end tackled by one other teammate.
The video doesn't clearly present which group threw the primary punch, nor does it clarify why Lufile was 'incensed,' as one of many announcers described him.
There's a postgame fracas which will lead to some suspensions right here. WILD scene. Precisely what you'd count on from a Paul Mills-coached group. pic.twitter.com/3ch8qHnUCK
- Bison Report (@BisonReport) February 18, 2022
When contacted by DailyMail.com, a spokesperson for Oral Roberts, an evangelical college in Tulsa, referred to a press release launched by Mills on Twitter:
'I'm very saddened about what transpired on the conclusion of our recreation tonight v NDSU. ORU nor NDSU wish to be represented in a adverse mild. Dave Richman & I've spoken & I've the utmost respect for the Bison program. Congratulations to the Bison on a dominant efficiency.'
The Summit League, the NCAA convention by which each groups play, is investigating the incident and has not but launched a press release, a spokesman instructed DailyMail.com.
North Dakota State didn't instantly reply to DailyMail.com's request for remark, however Richman did communicate after the sport.
'You see the feelings of the sport. You noticed two groups taking part in till the tip and a few issues spilled over,' Richman stated, as reported by InForum's Mike McFeely. 'That is not something that I would like this program to be part of. There are conditions which are going to be studying experiences for myself and our group as we transfer ahead.
'Something from our finish, I'll apologize to Oral Roberts and coach Mills. However I additionally requested our guys to play till the tip and we performed to the tip tonight.'
With the win, North Dakota State transfer into second place within the Summit League with a 12-4 convention report. Oral Roberts now sits in third place with a 11-4 in-conference mark. South Dakota State leads the Summit League at 15-0.