College Basketball Player Bizarrely Slaps Fan Sitting Courtside While Teammate Throws Down Monster Poster Dunk
Eastern Illinois basketball is not very good this year (outside of a huge upset win over Iowa) and lost its 17th game of the year on Thursday night. One Panthers player physically engaged a fan sitting court-side in the loss and it made for a truly insane sequence.
Late in the first half, Eastern Illinois had the ball on its own half of the court. Junior guard Caleb Donaldson dished down low to 6-foot-8 center Nick Ellington. He caught the pass with his back turned to the hoop, took one dribble in transition, and threw down a monster left-handed poster dunk on the head of the Lindenwood defender. It was a highlight jam.
However, as all eyes were focused on the action, Panthers guard Kinyon Hodges was up to no good. He began the play standing in the far corner beyond the three-point line.
Eastern Illinois junior Kinyon Hodges ended the play with a technical foul.
As the ball made its way into the paint, Hodges slowly meandered back toward half court. After about three steps, he turned away from the play.
Hodges took a direct path toward a fan sitting just beyond the sideline.
It is unclear from the video whether he said anything on his way over to the court-side seats, but upon arrival, Hodges cocked back and unleashed a vicious slap onto the face of an opposing fan. He seemed to make pretty solid contact with the fan, who stood up as Hodges approached him and (almost?) took a hand to the head. There may not have been contact.
Most of the gym may have missed the incident -- as did the game broadcasters -- but a referee was standing not too far from Hodges as he unleashed on the Lions fan. He, rightfully, called a technical foul on the Panthers offender.
Further details of what went down between Hodges and the fan have not been released. Hodges was allowed to stay in the game. He finished with just two points, one assist and one rebound in 24 minutes.