Bryant's conference championship overshadowed by a brawl in stands

By Peter Santo - The Washington Times - Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Bryant University secured its first trip to the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday, but a brawl in the stands overshadowed the 70-43 win.

The Providence, Rhode Island-area school held a 68-32 lead over Staten Island’s Wagner University in the Northeast Conference championship game with under five minutes remaining when a fight broke out behind the Wagner bench. Several Wagner players were irate and attempted to enter the stands.

Coaches and support staff held players back as they resisted.

Officials stopped the game and sent both teams to their locker rooms, and the game was delayed for 30 minutes. Wagner’s Will Martinez was ejected, and a large group of fans was also removed.

One fan was arrested in connection with the brawl, according to the Providence Journal.

Northeast Conference commissioner Noreen Morris condemned the actions on Wednesday.

“I’m disgusted that on a day we were all here to celebrate NEC men’s basketball, it was marred by the actions of supporters who didn’t respect the game and the hard work these two teams put forth to get to the championship,” Morris said in a statement. “Athletic competition should bring out the best in us. Sadly, we didn’t see that last night. We will conduct a thorough investigation of last night’s incredibly disappointing events and begin an immediate review of our game management policies to address this type of unruly and disrespectful fan behavior. Everyone who attends an NEC regular season or championship event must feel welcome and safe, including our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and fans. We did not meet that expectation last night.

• Peter Santo can be reached at psanto@washingtontimes.com.