Commit the act, face the consequences.
During a college basketball clash between the Providence Friars and the Kansas State Wildcats on Friday night, tensions escalated at various points throughout the game. In the latter part of the first half, Bryce Hopkins, a key player for the Friars, shoved Tylor Perry of the Wildcats to the floor amid a scrum for the loose ball. This action earned Hopkins a technical foul. While the intense competition on the court could be considered part of the game, the events that unfolded at the game’s conclusion were more serious.
With just seven seconds remaining in the game, Dai Dai Ames of Kansas State poked Garwey Dual of Providence in the face during an inbound play. In response, Dual confronted Ames and threw a punch. Both players were subsequently ejected from the game.
Kansas State emerged victorious with a final score of 73-70 in the Baha Mar Hoops tournament held in Nassau, Bahamas. The head coach of Kansas State, Jerome Tang, maintained an undefeated record of 6-0 in overtime games in his career, as reported by The Kansas City Star.
Tang acknowledged the team’s preparedness for critical game situations, stating, “We work on those game situations and play a five-minute segment every day called ‘five to grind’ and how we want to play and what goes into winning those close games.”
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Rodney Perry and Ulric Maligi, members of the coaching staff, were credited with contributing to the team’s success by making offensive and defensive adjustments during critical moments.
Despite the physical and gritty nature of the contest, Perry, scoring 24 points, played a pivotal role in Kansas State’s victory, including contributing five points during overtime. The Friars’ Devin Carter led his team with 19 points.
Following the game, Friars head coach Kim English acknowledged the battle on the court, describing it as a “gritty contest” and commending the Kansas State program.
However, the incident involving a punch to the face is considered unacceptable on the basketball court, and a significant suspension is anticipated for the involved players.
