The Howard University athletic department has reinstated Kevin Nickelberry as men’s basketball coach after concluding an internal investigation of his conduct during a fight at the end of a Feb. 2 game between the Bison and visiting Norfolk State.
The Feb. 2 altercation involved several members of the Bison and Norfolk State as they gathered in a handshake line at the end of the heated and chippy game at Burr Gymnasium in the District. During the chaotic scene, several players threw punches and Nickelberry was seen being held back from a Spartans player.
After Howard let a 22 pts lead slip away, coaches and players from Howard and Norfolk State engage in a heated brawl pic.twitter.com/RDSpfYNufT
— Tramel Raggs (@Raggs_No_Riches) February 2, 2019
Three players from each team were suspended for one game by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for their roles in the incident. Princewill Anosike, Jalen Jones and Andre Toure of Howard were issued suspensions for violating conference policy “concerning the role of student-athletes and sportsmanship,” as were Jordan Butler, Kyonze Chavis and Nic Thomas of Norfolk State.
Nickelberry, 54, is in his ninth season as coach at Howard, where he has compiled an overall record of 89-190. The Bison are 12-13 overall and 6-4 in the MEAC this season entering Saturday’s game.
Ultimately, Norfolk State’s 80-78 win will be remembered more for campus police breaking up the scene than for the Spartans’ 24-point comeback over their conference rival.
The game had an edge from the start, with players jawing at each other and getting physical, often after the whistle. Play turned even more physical in the second half, with Bison freshman Akuwovo Ogheneyole getting ejected after receiving his second technical foul with 5:14 remaining in regulation. Ogheneyole’s technical came as he and Butler tried to keep a fragile peace with officials struggling to maintain control of proceedings.
After the Spartans completed their comeback and the teams went to the traditional handshake line, things went from chippy to ugly.
An on-court brawl broke out Saturday after Norfolk State’s 80-78 win at Howard in Washington. pic.twitter.com/RkSoJMWAWS
— David Hall (@DavidHallVP) February 2, 2019
While it was unclear how the melee started, by its end players were holding each other back, fans had streamed onto the court, concessions were being tossed from the stands and Nickelberry, the Bison coach, was captured on video being restrained from going after Thomas, a guard for the Spartans.
The Bison and Spartans were ultimately ushered into separate hallways as Howard police established order. The stadium public address announcer then asked fans to leave the premises, a request that mostly fell on deaf ears. The crowd later erupted with an enormous cheer when Howard returned to the court.
Javicia Cole, mother of Howard sophomore R.J Cole, found her way onto the Burr floor during the incident.
She said Norfolk State “started talking and shoving. What got me involved was when the [Norfolk State] coach started saying stuff to my son! That’s a no go. He’s a grown man, take your two-point win and go home.”
The two teams will meet again March 7 in Norfolk.