Texas girls basketball fight leads to arrest warrant after fan body-slams player - USA Today
A fight at a girls basketball game in Texas on Tuesday night, Nov. 10, has led to an arrest warrant being pursued for an adult fan that was involved in the altercation.
According to a report from Bryan, Texas, TV station KBTX, the fight happened with two minutes remaining in the game between Brenham and Bryan. The game was later abandoned with Brenham leading 67-51.
The report notes that Cameshia Mathis, the mother of a Brenham senior player, said her daughter swatted the ball away and a Bryan player who was on the floor kicked at her. Mathis noted that her daughter "bucked back at her" and then was swarmed by four different Bryan players.
Video obtained by KBTX shows the fight in full as coaching staffs from both sides try to break up the situation.
However, the video also shows a female fan wearing a pink top coming over, picking up a Brenham player and body slamming her before moving over to the larger portion of the fight.
“Gut-wrenching. Heartbreaking," Mathis says in the report. "And it makes you feel rage. And all of the emotions.
"It’s heartbreaking, you know, that you have to worry about adults in this situation. Instead of de-escalating it, y’all are adding fuel to the fire."
The Brenham player that gets body slammed is picked up by a teammate and before she can get involved, she and her teammate are gestured away from the fight by one of their coaches.
Mathis' daughter and the player who was body slammed were each taken to the emergency room and checked out before being released. Each had bruises and scratches from the situation. Afterwards, both families went to the Bryan police station to file a report.
“I just want to do what’s right," Mathis told KBTX. "And I want them held accountable for what they did."
The fight on the court, however, was not the end of the situation according to Mathis, who said another fight broke out in the parking lot as the girls left the school approximately 30 minutes after the game.
“We were bum-rushed as we were coming out of the school again,” Mathis told KBTX.
Bryan police have yet to confirm the second fight.
Both school districts released statements regarding the incident and the ongoing investigation.
“Bryan ISD believes in the importance of good sportsmanship and in ensuring a safe and positive environment for student athletes, coaches, and fans," Bryan ISD Community Relations Manager Clay Falls said in a statement. "The district does not condone unsportsmanlike behavior by players or spectators at any time."
Brenham released a similar statement, stating the district is taking the appropriate steps to address all involved between student-athletes and spectators.
There have been no arrests made while both sides continue to investigate the situation.
Since the altercation, Brenham played two games on Nov. 12 and is scheduled to play two more on Nov. 13. Bryan has yet to play again but is also scheduled to play a pair of games on Nov. 13.
Follow Sports Reporter Joe Spears on X at @joe_spears7 or via email: JSpears@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow USA TODAY High School Sports onInstagram andX.
