The WPIAL spent part of Friday reviewing information and video of an on-court fight during the fourth quarter of Thursday’s Section 2-5A girls basketball game between rivals Gateway and Penn Hills at Gateway’s Furrie Sports Complex.
WPIAL executive director Vince Sortino said he had no direct comment on the fight itself, but he was working on getting statements from both schools and looking at video of the incident contained in the overall game footage shot by Gateway and posted to its Hudl page. He said he didn’t yet have any information as to what possible disciplinary decisions might be taken.
“The schools have until Monday to send me their reports of the incident,” Sortino said. “Typical PIAA rules apply to the ejections that were administered at the game.”
Early in the fourth quarter, Gateway brought the ball up court but turned the ball over. A Penn Hills player gained possession of the ball but was immediately fouled by a Gateway player. From there, pushing and shoving led to an intense melee between the teams with punches thrown.
The referees, along with game officials, coaches and others descended on the players and worked to separate the teams.
The referees remained on the court and spoke with game officials and determined that the game, with Penn Hills leading 32-14, would no longer continue.
Penn Hills coach Robert Cash said there was physical play throughout the first three quarters but nothing that would lead one to believe something larger would occur.
“That escalated quickly, and we tried to quickly get control of it,” Cash said. “There was a push here and there and other small things during the game, but nothing major.”
Gateway assistant coach Sam Salih, the man in charge of the Gators on Thursday as head coach Curtis Williams was not able to be at the game because of medical reasons, said the game action was chippy at times and hoped that nothing would escalate into a larger incident.
“Coach Cash and I were hoping the referees would be able to keep control of the game,” Salih said.
Gateway (2-17, 0-12) is scheduled to wrap up its season Tuesday against District 6’s River Valley.
“I kept the rest of the girls on the bench as long as I could,” Salih said. “It became one of those situations, and once we left the bench, unfortunately, in the back of my mind, I figured some kids might face suspension.”
Penn Hills came into the game having already having clinched a WPIAL playoff spot.
Thursday’s win put the Indians at 11-10 overall, and they wrapped up section play at 8-4.
Cash said he expects some type of discipline to be handed down to his team.
“As a program, we are not happy with what happened,” Cash said. “That is not what we do, and it’s not who we are. That is not how we play the game. We are very disappointed in what happened. We just have to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Penn Hills has a nonsection game scheduled Monday against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart before it begins its journey in the WPIAL playoffs. The WPIAL is scheduled to release the playoff brackets Monday afternoon.