SPOKANE, Wash. — The Gonzaga University president and Director of Athletics addressed students in a letter regarding the actions that took place at Gonzaga men vs. Saint Mary’s basketball game.
On Saturday, the GU student section reacted to a missed call by the referees, which prompted students to start throwing what looked to be trash and towels onto the court.
McCarthey Athletic Center staff quickly ran out to clean the court, and Gonzaga players were seen trying to calm the student section. GU guard Ryan Nembhard was seen picking up trash from the floor and motioning for the students to stop. GU Head Coach Mark Few was also seen running to the middle of the court and motioning students to stop.
In the last two minutes of play, there were multiple reviews. A technical foul is commonly assessed on fan sections throwing objects on the court. However, Gonzaga was not given a technical in this scenario.
After the game, when asked about the reviews, Coach Few said, "That's a hard game to officiate. Those are two teams going at it, they are physical... I thought they did a nice job of calling the ones they needed to call and letting the guys play."
Only two days later on Monday, February 5, university president Dr. Thayne McCulloh and Director of Athletics Chris Standiford sent out a letter to the students and other GU community members.
In the letter President McCulloh and Standiford called out the actions made by students and said “Saturday’s inappropriate conduct was, quite simply, unacceptable.”
At Saturday’s game, incidents like students yelling profanity at the Saint Mary’s team and throwing objects onto the floor, occurred and were noted by the ESPN broadcast team.
The letter continues, “The McCarthey Athletic Center has, through the commitment and dedication of many students who consistently bring positive support and energy to every game, earned a well-deserved reputation for being one of the most exciting game environments in college basketball. Unfortunately – and in a major departure from the conventional experience – numerous incidents of inappropriate behavior on the part of some students on Saturday were observed by attendees and noted by sports commentators on national television. Expressions of profanity towards the opposing team and throwing of material and liquids onto the court impacted play and reflected a student community wholly atypical and unbecoming of our university. As a result, these behaviors negatively impacted the hard work of the student-athletes, coaches, officials, and staff as well as the experience of our fans, guests, and home audiences.”
According to the University, the GU Athletics department is working with GU Student Affairs to address the students who interfered with the game.
“Those who acted out through verbal abuse or by throwing items or substances onto the court will be held accountable,” McCulloh and Standiford said.
The letter encourages students to come to athletic events with respect in mind and that if students do not do so, they will be escorted out of the arena and “held accountable under the University’s Code of Conduct.”
The West Coast Conference(WCC) has not put out a statement yet regarding the Gonzaga student section's actions.
The Gonzaga men’s team plays in the Kennel again this Wednesday, Feb. 7 against the Portland Pilots at 5 p.m.
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