In-state college basketball clashes are often among the fiercest contests we see in the realm of sports.
That intensity erupted into a dangerous brawl, though, at the close of a TBT basketball tournament matchup featuring alumni from the Kansas Jayhawks and the Wichita State Shockers.
The melee left at least one player with bloodshed on the court, and it sent a woman to the emergency room with a broken nose that could require extensive cosmetic surgery since her bone protruded through the skin.
JHX Hoops, featuring a number of former Kansas players, edged Aftershocks, which boasted former Wichita State players, 64-59 in a thriller at Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas.
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The Wichita State squads host their home games at that venue, which lent the game the aura of a heated rivalry you might expect during a regular college basketball season.
Yet the chaos erupted when Aftershocks point guard Marcus Keene charged at JHX Hoops’ Jacob Hanna. Keene shoved Hanna repeatedly during the melee; the final shove knocked Hanna to the floor near the baseline of the arena.
Keene’s reckless conduct left JHX Hoops’ social-media manager Maggie Gehring with injuries, as she was hospitalized with a broken nose after Keene shoved Hanna into her face. Gehring spoke about the extent of her injuries on Tuesday.
“Since there are already a ton of videos circulating, I might as well share what I’ve been through,” Gehring wrote on Instagram. “Spent last night in the ER.”
“Suffered a pretty gnarly injury at the hands of a poor loser. Nose broken in several spots + open fracture (meaning bone came through the skin) + deviated/broken septum.”
“I have to follow up with an ENT and likely a cosmetic surgeon soon to learn the full extent of my injuries.”
The fight threatened to spiral further when fans got involved. The shoving forced players into close proximity with the stands, heightening the potential for more chaos.
JHX Hoops’ Billy Preston was also seen swinging at a fan who appeared to strike Preston and grab his neck from behind during the melee.
TBT — short for The Basketball Tournament — began in 2014, and it regularly features some of the most recognizable names among former players from the top college programs across the nation.
There are eight teams on the “alumni” side of the bracket, while eight other “non-alumni” teams square off to meet the alumni bracket winner in the championship game.
Emotions typically run high, as the championship squad earns a total prize of $2 million.
JHX Hoops is set to take on La Familia, a squad that includes a number of former Kentucky Wildcats, in the TBT semifinals. The winner advances to the title game with a shot at the prize money.
