Seton/Leo game called after fight

Friday night’s game between host Seton and Leo in South Holland ended with 6.6 seconds left when a fight broke out between two players, resulting in both benches clearing and spectators spilling onto the court to join the melee.

Seton led 49-47 and was preparing to inbound the ball following a timeout when a Seton player threw a punch, sparking the fight.

Seton had been assessed two technical fouls earlier in the game, which was filled with hard fouls and verbal spats between the Catholic League foes.

“It’s crazy,” Leo coach Noah Cannon said. “For a kid to just wind up and punch my guy, it’s unbelievable. This should have been taken care of earlier in the game. We need refs who know how to take better control of the game. We have old guys reffing that shouldn’t be out here. Hopefully the state hears about this.

“This game was out of control a long time ago. We should have been shooting free throws instead of them letting all that go.”

After initially announcing the game was over, Seton officials attempted to clear the gym, clean the court which was filled with garbage, and finish the game. However, after about a 25-minute wait, the game was called and declared a forfeit for both teams, according to Cannon.

Leo’s team stayed on the floor throughout the delay, and Seton returned from the locker room after about 15 minutes. Both teams milled around the court without incident, but the referees never returned after leaving the gym when the fight broke out.

Shortly before the brawl, Seton’s Albert Haskins was called for a technical foul with 1:55 left in the game after committing a hard foul.

The Sting’s Tim Townsel was called for a technical in the first half.

Before the fight, Leo’s Darius Branch had scored 18 points and Seton’s Christopher Seaton 16 in a back-and-forth affair.