Memphis women’s basketball team star, Jamirah Shutes, has been charged with assault after allegedly punching a Bowling Green player during a handshake line following a game between the two teams on Thursday night.
This incident has come as an unwelcome surprise to the basketball world, and many are now left wondering what caused such an event to occur.
Bowling Green, in a statement to Ohio CBS affiliate WTOL, confirmed that Shutes has been criminally charged. The incident occurred after the Falcons defeated Memphis 73-60 in the NIT’s Round of 16 in Bowling Green, Ohio.
In the handshake line after the game, Shutes stopped to exchange words with Bowling Green guard Elissa Brett, and it appeared that she threw a punch.
The university’s statement said that the Bowling Green State University Police Department had charged a member of the Memphis Women’s Basketball team with assault, and BGSU Athletics is conducting its review. Violence is never acceptable, and their priority remains the health, safety, and support of their student-athlete, who is recovering and doing well.
The city of Bowling Green Prosecutor is conducting an active investigation, and no further comment is available at this time.
It is unclear what sparked the incident, but according to The Commercial Appeal of Memphis, Shutes was elbowed in the face late in the first half. At 15.3 points per game this season, Shutes was Memphis’ leading scorer.
Memphis’ athletics department released a statement about the handshake-line incident on Friday, saying that the incident was unfortunate and not consistent with their expectations for their programs and student-athletes. The jurisdiction falls in the hands of local authorities, and they are cooperating fully with their process.
Since 2014, Benny A. King has been fully immersed in the world of combat sports. Starting with a blog about Greco Roman wrestling, Benny’s passion for combat sports has led him to explore various disciplines.