Anthony Farris
Videos by OutKick
It’s not unusual to witness college guys filled with testosterone fighting on a thirsty Thursday. What is unusual is seeing those same college kids — and their coaches! — throw fists on a basketball court just minutes after a game.
But that’s exactly what happened Thursday night after North Dakota State topped Oral Roberts in men’s hoops.
NDSU’s Maleeck Harden-Hayes last-second dunk during the 77-59 Bison blowout, prompted ORU coach Paul Mills to exchange, um, pleasantries with the Bison players and staff in the post-game handshake line.
What happened next was a chaotic mess of pushing, shoving, punching, tackling and presumably more cuss words than a Scorsese film.
A last-second dunk resulted in words being exchanged & a scuffle between @ORUMBB & NDSU during the postgame handshake.
Paul Mills exchanged words with NDSU coaches and players.
Elijah Lufile was involved in the scuffle and had to be restrained from re-entering the fray. pic.twitter.com/Q5ZcHFD32D
— Cayden McFarland (@caydenmc) February 18, 2022
Not only did the on-court brawl spice up an otherwise ordinary February night in college hoops, it also provided one of the announcers the perfect opportunity to utter a term that hasn’t been used to describe a fight in at least two decades:
“And we’ve got a donnybrook here unfolding right near half court!”
Tempers eventually cooled and both teams made it to their respective locker rooms relatively unscathed. A short time later, Mills issued an apology via Twitter:
“I am very saddened about what transpired at the conclusion of our game tonight v NDSU. ORU nor NDSU want to be represented in a negative light. Dave Richman & I have spoken & I have the utmost respect for the Bison program. Congratulations to the Bison on a dominant performance.”
I am very saddened about what transpired at the conclusion of our game tonight v NDSU. ORU nor NDSU want to be represented in a negative light. Dave Richman & I have spoken & I have the utmost respect for the Bison program. Congratulations to the Bison on a dominant performance.
— Paul Mills (@CoachMills) February 18, 2022
Thursday night proved what we already knew: you can throw the records out when a couple of teams from the Summit League get together. You know it’s gonna be a real donnybrook.
Follow along on Twitter: @OhioAF
Brawl? Is that what you people call a brawl? really?
LOL good one!