A game between the women’s basketball teams of LSU and Oklahoma got chippier than expected and a fight broke out leading to wild scenes on the court and the sidelines.
The No. 7 ranked LSU Tigers survived a close encounter with the No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners in Thursday night’s 107-100 win.
But from the start of the game, the two sides got too physical with each other. It eventually led to a fight on the court and an overreaction from LSU head coach Kim Mulkey – who slapped a clipboard out of the hand of program legend and assistant coach Seimone Augustus.
In the first quarter of the game, Oklahoma’s Beatrice Culliton was trying to win position from LSU’s Sa’Myah Smith.
Smith was called for a foul, but Culliton turned around and used an elbow to free herself from Smith’s hands. Smith then shoved her to the ground and a small brawl began.
OU’s Liz Scott rushed over to help her teammate and shoved Smith herself. Smith was blocked from further retaliation when a fellow Tiger and a coach held her back.
LSU coach Kim Mulkey slapped a binder out of the hand of LSU legend Seimone Augustus
Augustus, an assistant on Mulkey’s staff, stared dumbfounded as Mulkey continued raging
Earlier in the game, LSU player Sa’Myah Smith (5) shoved an Oklahoma player to the ground and was subsequently ejected from the game. LSU went on to win the game 107-100.
Both Scott and Smith were ejected from the game – despite there being three quarters remaining.
Addressing the ejections after the game, Mulkey said, ‘I always was told from my old mentor, Leon Barmore, you’ve got to keep a cool head in a hot game. Never let ’em see you sweat.’
She added: ‘I guess it was entertaining for the fans’ and also said, ‘Pushing, I guess, is considered fighting.’
Mulkey then made some headlines of her own while the team was leading 67-45 in the third quarter.
In a rage over a call, Mulkey slapped a binder out of Augustus’ hands. Augustus, a four-time WNBA champion, stood there in shock with her hand held out as Mulkey continued screaming. Later, Mulkey would earn a technical foul for arguing a call against Flau’jae Johnson.
In total, five technical fouls, 53 combined fouls and 63 combined free throws attempted in the game.
‘We saw a lot of things tonight,’ Mulkey said. ‘You saw ejections. You saw two teams score over 100. You saw a technical on the second flop. … I got tee’d up and she told me I got tee’d up for pointing at the big screen.
‘I was definitely looking at the big screen and I was not real happy, but I don’t know if I point. But she’s across the way. Whatever.’
