Two county rivals have been banned from their state tournaments after brawling during a men’s basketball game on Thursday night.
Camden and Eastside High Schools were playing in the Camden County Tournament championship game at Cherry Hill High School in New Jersey before a fight broke out between opposing players that led to spectators storming the court.
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With 4:23 left in the second quarter, Camden’s Cornelius Robinson hit Eastside’s Titus Bacon after the latter attempted to set up a screen. The two started throwing punches, and chaos ensued.
Officials called the game off as Camden led, 30-17. It was the inaugural final of the Camden County Tournament.
«Two top teams in one city. It’s unfortunate. Hopefully whatever it takes will get done. It’s unfortunate.» Kenny Avent, East Side Head Coach he said after the tumult.
According New Jersey Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NJSIAA), «Any varsity team that accumulates three (3) or more player or coach disqualifications prior to the start of the tournament will be ineligible to participate in the state tournament. Seeded teams will forfeit their right to compete if a disqualification threshold is reached before the start of the tournament for the team».
«This initiative is taken to ensure that our school athletes know that responsibility for their actions is paramount not only in basketball but also in the larger game of life,» Camden City Superintendent Katina McCombs said in a statement. . «In summary, the district and the students fully understand the violations that took place at last night’s game.»
Camden was the No. 2 seed in the South Jersey Group 2 tournament, led by Kentucky members and McDonald’s All-Americans DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw.
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Eastside was scheduled to be the third seed in Group 3. Both schools won their respective tournaments last season.
The Camden City School District said: «No one was seriously injured.»