Raiders plan postgame changes after brawl with Moberly
DAILY AMERICAN REPUBLIC/Scott Borkgren
Three Rivers College will likely change its postgame policy for players and family due to a fight between more than a dozen players broke out following Wednesday’s game against Moberly Area.
Currently, players typically greet friends and family in the gym and stands following home games, which is what the Raiders also did when they played at the Bess Activity Center. Three Rivers coach Brian Bess said he met with Three Rivers President Dr. Wesley Payne, and the two agreed it would be a good idea to have family meet the players in the Gene Bess Weight Room, located next to the Raider locker rooms, instead of having players meet family in the gym.
“Us being out there, and them being out there, that’s not a good idea,” Bess said.
No Three Rivers players were seriously hurt during the fight and any disciplinary measures will take place during practice, Bess added.
Moberly Area coach Pat Smith did not return a call for comment.
Bess conducted interviews with multiple players on his team to try and get a better idea of what happened and why.
During the pregame warmups, both teams met at center court and had to be separated. Bess was told this started after Three Rivers’ Jonathan Ninkingira was pushed by Moberly Area’s Sincere Parker.
The testy atmosphere carried over into the game, and each team received two technical fouls for things players’ said.
About 20 minutes after the game had ended, the Greyhounds left their locker room to go to the team bus. Several players took out their phones while standing on the Raider logo at midcourt, and the Three Rivers players in the stands walked over to confront them.
At this time most fans and any security present for the game had left. Bess, having finished postgame media interviews, had left the gym and was told about what was happening by Three Rivers women’s basketball trainer Jeff Dawes. Smith was also not in the gym.
What started with some finger pointing and shouting eventually escalated into a brawl.
“I think we have different views on what exactly happened to start it all,” Bess said. “When I got back out there, it had already been going, so I don’t know what started it.”
Several adults in the gym, including team staff and family members, attempted to separate the teams.
Three Rivers players told Bess that a player's family member was pushed to the floor by a Moberly Area player, and that’s what escalated things into a brawl that took 3-4 minutes to break up.