This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Sports

Georgetown Hoyas Game in China Marred by Brawl

The Hoyas left the court in the fourth quarter after a fracas broke out with chairs and bottles thrown.

The opening game for the Georgetown Hoyas men’s basketball team in Beijing, China on Wednesday featured an appearance by Vice President Joe Biden and an easy victory. But the second game against the Baiyi Rockets ended abruptly and before completion after a bench clearing brawl, according to a Washington Post report via Twitter.

“Bedlam at Hoyas game vs. Baiyi. Benches cleared. JTIII pulls team off court in 4th quarter. Fans hurled bottles at team," reporter Gene Wang, with the team in China, tweeted Thursday morning (7:44 a.m. EST). 

Wang has the full story here.

Find out what's happening in Georgetownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Hoyas are in the midst of a 11-day cultural and athletic tour of China. They are scheduled to play four exhibition games against teams of the Chinese National Basketball Association and participate in the first-ever Nike Festival of Sport in Shanghai.

“Tonight, two great teams played a very competitive game that unfortunately ended after heated exchanges with both teams," Hoyas coach John Thompson III said in a statement released by the school.

Find out what's happening in Georgetownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Subsequent tweets said “chairs were thrown”, one specifically at senior center Henry Sims after “benches emptied.” All Hoyas players and coaches are reported safe, according to Wang. 

This Washington Post link has photos of the melee plus an admitted partisan account of the event from a Hoyas fan in attendance.

"We sincerely regret that this situation occurred," Thompson said. "We remain grateful for the opportunity our student-athletes are having to engage in a sport they love here in China, while strengthening their understanding of a nation we respect and admire at Georgetown University.”

When play stopped for good there were nine minutes left and the score was tied, 64-all.

The proceedings were more tranquil earlier in the week, including a visit to the Great Wall of China. The Hoyas defeated the Shanxi Dragons 98-81 behind 16 points from freshman Otto Porter.

According to the Post it is not clear whether the team will continue on to Shanghai for the final five days of its trip.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?