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Jacksonville State Gamecocks men’s basketball players were seen in a heated confrontation with a UTEP fan following the conclusion of their final regular season game on Saturday night.
The incident occurred at the end of the handshake between the Gamecocks and Miners players. The game itself ended with Jacksonville State defeating their Conference USA opponent when Mostapha El Moutaouakkil hit the buzzer-beating 3-pointer for the win.
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Conference USA logo shown on the floor before a college basketball game between the Liberty Flames and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks at Liberty Arena on February 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 the two men. Another woman also joined in the shouting.
Somehow the incident escalated even more when the fan picked up a chair in one arm. The Jacksonville State basketball staff tried to defuse the situation. UTEP players stepped in trying to bring the safety to the floor.
The referee holds the ball during the first half between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the McNeese State Cowboys in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament 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 with both [athletic directors]but we don’t have a statement at this time,” a league spokesman told ESPN.
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UTEP athletic director Jim Senter said the school would “review the video” once they capture it. Jacksonville State said it would “defer” comment to Conference USA.
It is unclear what triggered the incident. ESPN broadcasters said during the game that some fans were said to have been kicked out of the gym long before the unrest broke out.
A Wilson official NCAA Evo NXT basketball with the March Madness logo approaches the rim and net. The action will take place at the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas on March 19, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
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The Conference USA men’s basketball tournament begins Tuesday.
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