Louisiana Tech's Boykins, UAB's Baxter suspended for fight

By AP
Published

IRVING, Texas (AP) Conference USA says Louisiana Tech's Jacobi Boykins and UAB's Hakeem Baxter are suspended one game for fighting in the benches-clearing mayhem that led to multiple ejections from Thursday's game.

Boykins will miss Louisiana Tech's game at Middle Tennessee. Baxter will miss UAB's home game against Southern Mississippi.

Players from both benches spilled onto the floor during the fight, and the entire Louisiana Tech bench was ejected for leaving the bench. Four of the six players on the UAB bench also were ejected. The head coaches remained, but assistant coaches and support staff on both sides were ejected.�

Louisiana Tech finished with just four players.

''Although the majority of the individuals involved were attempting to diffuse the situation, what occurred last night was unacceptable,'' Conference USA commissioner Judy MacLeod said in a statement.

MacLeod said the league had reviewed the incident through videos and photos, and determined officials had correctly enforced an NCAA rule requiring players who leave the bench area to be ejected even if they don't participate in the fight. MacLeod said the review determined an additional UAB player ''could have been ejected'' during the skirmish.

Boykins, a junior guard, is Louisiana Tech's No. 2 scorer at 14.7 points per game. Baxter is a senior guard averaging 8.0 points and 3.4 rebounds for UAB.

UAB won Thursday's game 79-70.

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