Tis the season for hot chocolate, Christmas presents, spending time with family, and fights during college basketball games. For the second time in just over a week, players can expect to face suspensions for fighting during a game. This time, the culprits came from Arizona State and Southern Miss.
On Monday night during the first half of Southern Miss’ 64-61 victory over the Sun Devils, Torye Pelham snuck a cheap shot in on Arizona State’s Ruslan Pateev after a basket was scored. Pateev then jogged up behind him and sucker-punched him in the back of the head. A scrum broke out after the exchange which resulted in three players being ejected. Check out the Arizona State-Southern Miss fight video:
Fights like this and the one between Xavier and Cincinnati over a week ago are unacceptable. There was no need for Pelham to whack Pateev in the face and certainly no need for Pateev to punch him in the back of the head. Thankfully, no player from either side referred to their team as a “bunch of gangsters” after the game, but there’s still no excuse for a lack of self control like that. Both players can expect suspensions similar to the ones that Yancy Gates and company were given, which still won’t be enough.
