LSU-South Carolina Had A Benches-Clearing Scuffle After Kamilla Cardoso Laid Out Flau’jae Johnson

Benches cleared and a player’s brother was arrested late in the SEC Championship game between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 8 LSU after South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso knocked Flau’Jae Johnson to the ground.

The Gamecocks led by 7 points with 2:08 to go when MiLaysia FulWiley stole the ball and started heading the other way. Johnson grabbed FulWiley’s jersey and then pushed both forearms out at South Carolina’s Amani Bartlett as she passed by.

Cardoso did not like that, and ran in and two-hand-shoved the smaller Johnson, who tumbled quickly to the ground.

Johnson’s brother, who was sitting near courtside, made it on to the court after leaping over the scorer’s table but was intercepted quickly and arrested.

Players ran out from both benches, some to hold back and some to defend their respective teammates, but the coaches were able to get everyone separated relatively quickly and it did not escalate beyond that.

The officials then had to sift through what had happened and who would be ejected. They elected to give Johnson an intentional foul and eject Cardoso for fighting. All of the players that left the bench were also ejected, leaving LSU basically without one.

There was immediate concern that ejected bench players would be suspended for their next game — which is the first round of the NCAA Tournament — but ESPN issued a clarification and said only Cardoso would be suspended.

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley — whose Gamecocks took home the SEC crown, 79-72 — talked to ESPN sideline reporter Brooke’s Weisbrod after the game and brought it up herself to apologize.

“I just want to apologize to the basketball community. When you’re playing in championship games like this in our league, things get heated,” Staley said. “No bad intentions. Their emotions got so far ahead of them that sometimes these things happen. So I want to apologize for us playing a part in that because that’s not who we are and not what we’re about.”

Weisbrod asked Staley how she’d address it with her team, and Staley said she constantly reiterates that you can’t leave the bench and you have to keep your cool. But she seemed to acknowledge everyone’s human side as well.

“It’s hard when you’re playing,” Staley said. “I’ve played this game a long time and I can’t tell you I was a saint at all times. Your emotions get the better of you.”