Referee knocked to the floor, injured in South Alabama-Coastal Carolina women’s basketball brawl

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Tensions boiled over in a second-round Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball tournament game between South Alabama and Coastal Carolina.

A fight erupted with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, and a referee was inadvertently knocked to the floor. The official remained on the court in visible discomfort for several moments as medical personnel provided aid.

The game’s other referee assessed a double technical foul, leading to eight ejections, most of them from South Alabama's roster.

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The Sun Belt logo at mid-court during a game between Arkansas Little Rock and South Alabama at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans March 12, 2015. (Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

South Alabama’s Amyah Sutton, Daniela Gonzalez, Saneea Bevley, Terren Coffil, Princess Okafor Nweze and Jeriyah Baines were reportedly among the Jaguars ejected, while Coastal Carolina’s Tracey Hueston was also tossed.

The altercation began after Coastal Carolina’s Hueston and South Alabama’s Cordasia Harris exchanged words in the paint. The situation escalated when Hueston appeared to throw a punch toward Harris, prompting coaches and players from both teams to rush onto the court.

"Well, first of all, our program, we never want to be put in that situation. And we never want to act out like that. So, we don’t condone that, what happened today. It’s a very unfortunate situation for two talented basketball teams that have played in Pensacola in the tournament," South Alabama coach Yolisha Jackson told reporters after the game.

A ball drops through the net during an SEC women’s