This is the shocking moment when a mass brawl erupts at a women’s college basketball game after one player accidentally pulls the hair of another.
The fight erupted Monday night during a regular-season game between TCU and George Washington University – and saw eight players ejected.
The sudden melee that erupted in the game’s second quarter stemmed from a game when Washington’s Essence Brown appeared to get tangled in the hair of 22-year-old TCU senior Bella Cravens.
As Cravens goes upstairs for a rebound, Brown, arms outstretched to block any passing lanes, gets caught in her taller opponent’s equally long tresses – at that point all hell breaks loose.
Multiple punches were thrown in the ensuing frenzy, dragging several other players into the chaos. The officials quickly put the kibosh on the unannounced scrimmage, and Cravens’ Horned Frogs managed a 70-56 victory.
Aside from the ejections, the consequences for the eight players involved have yet to be handed out. The fight has since gone viral as the matchup was televised mid-season.
Punches were thrown on the court at a Division 1 women’s basketball game Monday night after one player appeared to accidentally pull another’s hair
The sudden melee that unfolded in the game’s second quarter stemmed from a game when Washington’s Essence Brown (right, in blue) appeared to tangle in the hair of 22-year-old TCU senior Bella Cravens
It happened when Cravens (circled) went upstairs to grab a rebound. Brown, arms outstretched to block passing lanes, gets caught in her taller opponent’s equally long locks
Things got tricky soon after, and Craven was apparently outraged by what appeared to be an accidental haircut
Seemingly unhappy with the call on the pitch, Cravens, a 6’3′ forward, pointed to her hair as she yelled at Brown and danced intimidatingly towards the 5’11” guard
As the pair converged on center court, punches were thrown from parties – although most looked like glancing punches from teammates trying to stop the brawl before it simmered any further
Cravens and Brown, both seniors, were among the eight ejected after the flare-up, along with two other players from TCU – Lucy Ibeh and Roxane Makolo – and George Washington’s Nya Robertson, Nya Lok, Jayla Thornton and Caia Loving.
Players from both schools in Texas and Washington, DC, respectively, had tried to separate Brown and Cravens, who got in each other’s faces after Craven appeared outraged by the hair pulling, which was ruled a foul.
Apparently unhappy with the call on the pitch, Cravens, a 6’3′ forward, pointed to her hair as she yelled at Brown and danced intimidatingly to the much smaller guard.
As the pair converged on center court, punches were thrown from parties – although most looked like glancing punches from teammates trying to stop the brawl before it simmered any further.
At one point, the fight spread to the sidelines, threatening to draw viewers who appear in awe at the clips circulating on social media.
In the footage, the crowd of players moves towards where two cheerleaders had been standing, with the two women being forced to duck as the skirmish continues.
Forward Cravens (pictured here) stood at 6’3′ trying to initiate the unannounced action
George Washington guard Essence Brown (pictured) appeared to tangle in the hair of the 22-year-old TCU senior
After the players involved were successfully separated, all eight were sent to the showers just before half-time.
After a hard-fought second half, TCU head coach Raegan Pebley addressed the incident in a post-game interview.
“We never want to be a part of anything like that. It doesn’t matter to me who started it, who said what, it doesn’t matter, we never want to be a part of anything like that,” the coach told reporters when asked about the ongoing impact of the fight.
Pebley, whose team’s record improved to 4-4 with the win, further downplayed the incident, explaining that it was due to the competitive nature of “strong character kids.”
He said, ‘You all missed that moment.’
reached out to representatives from both schools for more insight into the aftermath of the incident. All eight players are now released for their next games.