The Greenville Police Department arrested and charged the brother of LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson with assault and battery as well as disorderly conduct for his involvement in a brawl that broke out after his sister was shoved to the court by South Carolina forward Kamilla Cardoso during an SEC Tournament game.
In the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against LSU at the Southeastern Conference women’s tournament final on Sunday, March 10, 2024, in Greenville, South Carolina, benches clear due to a player altercation. (Photo by Chris Carlson/AP)
GREENVILLE, South Carolina? The Greenville Police Department arrested and charged the brother of LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson with assault and battery as well as disorderly conduct for his involvement in a brawl that broke out after his sister was shoved to the court by South Carolina forward Kamilla Cardoso during an SEC Tournament game.
The 24-year-old Trayron Milton leaped over the scorer’s table to get to the court. According to the police, Milton pushed down and stepped on the shoulders of an SEC employee in order to get past them and into the court on Sunday.
Cardoso spoke with Milton for a little while before being taken away by the police.
Milton was freed from custody on Monday after posting $1,087.50 bail for each charge. South Carolina law classifies both charges as misdemeanors. Each offense is punishable by up to 30 days in jail, a fine, or both.
Both the men’s and women’s college basketball teams have come under fire for court-storming, in which supporters swarm the court to celebrate their team’s victory. even before the players, coaches, and staff of the other team can leave for the locker room.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, the all-time highest scorer in NCAA history, was knocked down following a collision with a spectator following the Hawkeyes’ defeat against Ohio State in January. After becoming entangled in a throng of Wake Forest supporters reveling in the Demon Deacons’ 83-79 victory last month, Duke guard Kyle Filipowski needed assistance leaving the court.
Following each of them tragedies, there have been calls for reform and increased protection for the opposing teams. After Filipowski was hurt, Jon Scheyer, the coach of Duke, wanted things done right away.
“You can try to implement a zero tolerance policy, but how are you going to enforce that?” inquired Brandon Allen, the National Center for Sports Safety and Security’s director of research. “And how does that appear?”
Four of the six major basketball conferences penalize their host schools for failing to keep spectators off the court on the first transgression. The Big Ten waits until a third transgression, and the ACC does not impose fines.
Police and security in Greenville moved swiftly to diffuse the tension. Before the officer intervened to guide Cardoso away, Milton managed to get past the barrier and scorer’s table and gave him a back shove.
Two other individuals, according to the police statement, managed to cross from the stands to the scorer’s table before being swiftly confronted by law enforcement and stopped from proceeding.
Cardoso’s teammates were dismissed for leaving the bench area, and she was ejected for fighting. A pair of LSU players who participated in the game were also substituted out. At the end of the game, LSU had five players and South Carolina had six.
Without the four players who were removed to the locker room, the six Gamecocks went on to celebrate their eighth championship in the previous ten years.
Cardoso will miss South Carolina’s next game, which is its NCAA Tournament debut, per NCAA regulations.
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The following links provide information about AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball