The altercation erupted with 5:39 remaining in the last quarter. South Alabama's Cordasia Harris tussled with Coastal Carolina's Tracey Hueston in the paint for position. According to ESPN+ commentator Brooke Kirchofer, Hueston likely took exception to something Harris said.
Hueston turned and threw a punch at Harris, missing her target and instead striking referee Ryan Durham. Referee Marla Gearhart ended up on the floor following the melee, with security staff and assistant coaches gathering around her as she remained still. Both Hueston and Harris received technical fouls and subsequent ejections once the disturbance subsided.
Six additional South Alabama players were also dismissed, the majority for leaving the bench. South Alabama managed to hold firm for the final 5:39 of the match to claim an 80-70 victory, earning a third-round tie against Texas State. The squad will likely be without its three leading scorers owing to suspension.
' Coastal Carolina boss Kevin Pederson said, 'It's unfortunate we had the incident with South (Alabama) today. ' What exactly did Cordasia Harris say to Tracey Hueston that likely provoked the altercation remains unclear. Specific suspensions or disciplinary actions for the ejected players have not been announced.