Shove in final seconds sparks bench-clearing brawl in Saint Louis-VCU college basketball clash

St. Louis coach Josh Schertz downplayed a brawl the broke out between Saint Louis and VCU, describing it as a "typical basketball fight." College Basketball Shove in final seconds sparks bench-clearing brawl in Saint Louis-VCU college basketball clash No. 18 Saint Louis defeated Virginia Commonwealth 88-75 By Chantz Martin Fox News Published February 21, 2026 5:23pm EST Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Fox News Flash top sports headlines for February 21 Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The No. 18 Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball team avoided what would have been its third loss of the season Friday. However, the Billikens' 88-75 Atlantic 10 Conference win over Virginia Commonwealth University was marred by a late-game brawl.With the outcome decided and Saint Louis dribbling out the final seconds as home fans stood and cheered, VCU’s Nyk Lewis swiped the ball from Billikens guard Quentin Jones and launched a half-court shot at the buzzer. Saint Louis guard Robbie Avila appeared to shove Lewis during the shot attempt. Moments later, both teams’ benches emptied, and a brawl ensued. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Saint Louis center Robbie Avila (21) drives to the basket during an Atlantic 10 Conference game against the Virginia Commonwealth Rams Feb. 20, 2026, at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. (Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Coaches from both teams were seen pushing and shoving near midcourt before officials quickly intervened to try and restore order. After a break in the action, both teams returned to the court.Lewis went to the free throw line and made three shows before the game officially ended. St. Louis coach Josh Schertz downplayed the incident, describing it as a routine flare-up that can happen in intense basketball games. "There were no punches thrown," Schertz told reporters after the game. "It was a typical basketball fight, a lot of pushing and shoving and nobody did anything." Officials disqualified players who left the bench area during the scuffle, including Jones and VCU’s Barry Evans. Saint Louis guard Isaac Holmes (12) drives to the basket as VCU Rams forward Barry Evans (5) defends during an Atlantic 10 Conference basketball game Feb. 20, 2026 at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. (Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) VCU coach Phil Martelli Jr. suggested that heightened emotions were inevitable in a matchup between two physical teams.DUKE STAFFERS 'GOT PUNCHED IN THE FACE' AS UNC FANS STORMED COURT AFTER UPSET WIN, COACH SAYS"I think there’s certainly a healthy intensity as there should be at the top of the league, right? We’ve got a lot of respect for them. I think they have some respect for us, I assume," he said. "It’s two tough teams, two very competitive teams, two physical teams. Stuff like that, you wish it didn’t happen, but, yeah, it’s an intense game. It’s an emotional game." VCU Rams forward Lazar Djokovic (17) holds the ball as Saint Louis forward Paul Otieno (25) defends during an Atlantic 10 Conference basketball game Feb. 20, 2026 at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. (Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Games between Saint Louis and VCU have gotten chippy in the past, with a wild fight breaking out in the stands when the two schools met last season.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP VCU returns to Richmond next Saturday for a matchup with Fordham. Saint Louis travels to Ohio for a meeting with Dayton Feb. 24. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. Brawl between No. 18 Saint Louis and VCU leaves Rams with only 4 players on court Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. Related Topics College BasketballVCU RamsSaint Louis BillikensTrending NewsSports Fox News First Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Arrives Weekdays By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time. Subscribe Subscribed Subscribe You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!