A heated overtime battle between the Kansas State Wildcats and the Providence Friars turned violent on Friday night, when two players exchanged punches in the face during a dead-ball situation.
What Started the Fight Between #4 Darrin Ames and #3 Garwey Dual
With about seven seconds left in overtime, Kansas State freshman guard Darrin Ames appeared to punch Providence sophomore guard Garwey Dual in the face as he was pushing off him on offense. In retaliation, Dual punched Ames in the face with a lot of force, while he wasn’t looking. This gave Ames no chance to brace himself for the punch, but he should have seen it coming.
Players and coaches from both teams quickly intervened to separate the two players before the fight could escalate further. The referees reviewed the video and ejected both Ames and Dual from the game. Kansas State went on to win the game holding on to their lead.
The commentator speculated that the incident might have been connected to another altercation that happened earlier in the game, when Providence senior forward and Kansas State junior forward got into a verbal exchange after a foul call. It was clear that emotions were running too high during this highly contested game, which was part of the 2023 Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship.
The way Garwel Dual punched Darrin Ames while he wasn’t looking reminds me of how Draymond Green sneak punched Jordan Poole.
The Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship is a four-team tournament that features Kansas State, Providence, Miami (Fla.), and Georgia. The tournament is in its third year and is broadcasted on CBS Sports Network.
This fight was bad look for both players, and they might even face a fine or suspension. Thankfully no one got seriously injured.