Fists Fly In Final Seconds Of Kansas, Kansas State Rivalry Game

Kansas State v Kansas

The final seconds of the rivalry game between Kansas and Kansas State descended into chaos as players from both teams left the bench and started fighting behind the basket. With three seconds left in Kansas' 81-60 blowout win, Kansas State guard DaJuan Gordon stole the ball from Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa and rushed down the court for a layup. De Sousa hustled down the court and managed to block the shot from behind. As Gordon crashed to the floor, De Sousa stood over him for a few seconds.

While De Sousa appeared to be taunting Gordon, Kansas State's Antonio Gordon and David Sloan rushed to their teammate and shoved De Sousa, sparking a melee between both teams that quickly spiraled out of control.

As security tried to separate the players, punches were thrown, and at one point, De Sousa picked up a stool and started swinging it around. After several minutes, officials managed to regain control, and both teams went back to their locker rooms. They had to come back out onto the court and finish the game after officials determined the ball went out of bounds with one-tenth of a second left on the clock.

After the game, Kansas coach Bill Self called the situation an "embarrassment."

"It's not something to be proud of," Self said. "What happened showed zero signs of toughness. It's a sign of immaturity and selfishness more so than toughness."

Kansas State coach Bruce Weber blamed his players for their role in the brawl. 

"It should have been avoided," Weber said. "It's my guys -- it's my fault. They came here wanting to have a game, compete, and we didn't compete the way we needed to, and probably a little frustration, especially the young guys."

Officials from both schools are reviewing the incident and said they would punish the players involved.

"There is no place for this conduct in college athletics or here at KU," Kansas' Athletic Director Jeff Long said. "I would like to apologize to the Big 12 Conference, Kansas State University, (Athletic Director) Gene Taylor, Bruce Weber, and all fans for the lack of sportsmanship from members of our team this evening."

On Wednesday, Self announced that the Jayhawks were suspending De Sousa indefinitely while the matter is reviewed. So far, no other players have been punished for their involvement in the fight.

Photo: Getty Images


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