NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
Jacksonville State Gamecocks men’s basketball players were seen in a heated confrontation with a UTEP fan following the end of their final regular season game Saturday night.
The incident occurred at the end of handshakes between Gamecocks and Miners players. The game itself went down to the wire with Jacksonville State defeating its Conference USA opponent when Mostapha El Moutaouakkil hit a three-pointer before the buzzer to take the win.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Conference USA logo on the floor of Liberty Arena before a game between the Liberty Flames and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Feb. 27, 2025, in Lynchburg, Virginia. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The ESPN broadcast showed a fan in a white UTEP sweater pointing and yelling at Gamecocks players. Jacksonville State guard Jaye Nash was seen confronting the fan with benches and chairs between them. Another woman also got involved in the screaming.
The incident escalated when the fan grabbed a chair. The Jacksonville State basketball staff was trying to calm the situation. The UTEP players intervened, trying to get the safety down to the floor.
The referee holds the ball during the first round of the NCAA Tournament between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the McNeese State Cowboys at the Delta Center on March 21, 2024, in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Conference USA is investigating the incident.
“We are reviewing the incident together with both [athletic directors]but we do not have a statement at this time,” a league spokesperson told ESPN.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LATEST UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE
UTEP athletic director Jim Senter said the school would “review the video” when they obtain it. Jacksonville State said it would “defer” comment to Conference USA.
It is unclear what sparked the incident. ESPN announcers said during the game that some fans should have been kicked out of the gym long before the fight broke out.
The Conference USA men’s basketball tournament begins Tuesday. (Kirby Lee/Image Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pak Gazette APP
The Conference USA men’s basketball tournament begins Tuesday.
Related article
