It’s never too late to call foul on unsportsmanlike conduct.
University of Memphis point guard Jamirah Shutes has been charged with assault by the Bowling Green State University Police Department after Shutes allegedly punched an opponent, Bowling Green’s Elissa Brett, on Thursday night.
According to Sports Illustrated, Bowling Green Athletics announced the altercation that followed the Falcons’ WNIT win against the Tigers.
“Violence is never acceptable and
our priority remains the health, safety and support of our student-athlete, who is recovering and doing well,” the university said in a statement. “This is an active investigation in conjunction with the City of Bowling Green Prosecutor and no further comment is available at this time.”The reason for the physical exchange remains unclear, and the incident is under investigation.
Fox 13 Memphis reported that the University of Memphis also released a statement addressing the incident.
“The incident that occurred following Thursday’s women’s basketball
game was extremely unfortunate and certainly not consistent with, or representative of, our expectations for our programs and student-athletes. Because the incident occurred after the game, jurisdiction falls in the hands of local authorities, and we are cooperating fully with their process. To be respectful of that process, we will not comment further until it is complete,” the university said.In a video review of the confrontation, both teams lined up to shake hands after Memphis lost 73-60. Footage showed Shutes stop as she approached Brett right before striking her in the face with enough force to knock her to the ground. A teammate is seen escorting Shutes away from Brett after the knockout.
Reportedly, Shutes took an elbow to the face within the final 24 seconds of the opening quarter, played eight minutes of the first half, and was a part of the starting lineup in the second half of Thursday night’s game.
Shutes is a fifth-year player and finished the game as the leading scorer for the Tigers. The basketball star was also a second-team All-AAC selection this season.