Fight breaks out at TCU-GW women’s basketball game, eight total players ejected

FORT WORTH, Texas — Several players were ejected from the TCU women’s basketball game against George Washington on Monday night after a fight broke out near the teams’ benches.

During the 2nd quarter of the Horned Frogs’ game at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, TCU’s Bella Cravens and George Washington’s Essence Brown got into a fight that includes some punches being thrown.

It appears what instigated the fight was Brown pulling Cravens’ hair as she was trying to take the ball away.

Women from both teams attempted to break up the fight, but as that happened, the fight also moved toward the baseline as the two women kept attempting to swing at each other.

TCU women’s basketball head coach Raegan Pebley spoke to the media about the fight after the game.

“We never want to be a part of anything like that,” Pebley said. “It doesn’t matter to me one bit who started it. Who said what. It doesn’t matter. We don’t want to be a part of anything like that.”

After nearly 20 minutes of game stoppage, the referees ejected eight total players from the game because of the incident, including five George Washington players and three TCU players.

• Essence Brown (GW)
• Nya Robertson (GW)
• Nya Lok (GW)
• Jayla Thorton (GW)
• Caia Loving (GW)
• Bella Cravens (TCU)
• Lucy Ibeh (TCU)
• Roxanne Makolo (TCU)  

“I definitely know that we have, as do they, high-character kids that the moment got away from all of them,” Pebley said. “I think whenever something like that happens right in front of a bench as opposed to the other sideline or the middle of the floor, it’s super vulnerable.”

TCU ended up winning the game 70-58 and is now 4-4 on the season.

“The way to respond, that’s a life lesson,” Pebley said. “You have to respond the correct way. you can control that element. That is not, what I know for sure, we did not do well.”

It is unknown yet if there will be further punishment for Cravens or Brown.