Camden-Eastside high school basketball game suspended after altercation on court
The game was held at Cherry Hill East High School, a neutral site for both teams.
CHERRY HILL, New Jersey (WPVI) -- An altercation broke out Thursday night in the middle of a high school basketball game in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
It happened during the Camden County Tournament Championship game between Camden High School and Eastside High School.
The game was held at Cherry Hill East High School, a neutral site for both teams.
The scuffle broke out with four minutes left in the second quarter of the game. Camden was leading Eastside 30-17.
A video posted on social media shows fans, players and coaches rushing the court.
It's still unclear what sparked the altercation.
No one was seriously injured in the melee.
The Camden City School District said Friday that both teams have been withdrawn from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) state tournament.
Superintendent Katrina McCombs released the following statement on Friday afternoon:
In the Camden City School District, we pride ourselves on sculpting scholar-athletes and students that understand the importance of character and integrity. Our number one objective at the district is to raise students that meet the standards that we set for society and that we want our very own children to embody.
Nevertheless, last night, at the Cherry Hill High School East gym those standards were severely undermined by an incident between Camden High School and Eastside High School during the championship game of the Camden County Basketball Tournament.
Let me be clear, I am saddened and disappointed with the conflict from last night, but I believe we need to make this a learning experience for our student body.
Furthermore, we know meaningful action must be taken and it must be done swiftly which is why the District will be withdrawing both teams from NJSIAA tournament play.
This initiative is being taken to ensure that our scholar-athletes know that accountability for their actions is paramount not only in basketball but also in the larger game of life. In short, the district and the students fully understand the infractions that took place at last night's game.
The students involved in the incident from both schools have had a tremendous season and have worked incredibly hard to be successful. We are not taking away any of the prior successes they have had this year, but we want them to know their actions have consequences.
That said, even though we will be making this a growth opportunity for our students, we will also continue to contest the unfounded allegations being investigated by the NJSIAA.
