One person arrested following fight in stands during NEC championship game between Bryant and Wagner
The Rhode Island State Police confirmed Wednesday that they arrested one person after being called to Bryant University after a fight broke out in the stands during the Northeast Conference men's championship game at the Chace Athletic Center.
Connor Gleim, 20, of Raynham, Massachusetts, was charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer in execution of duty, according to the state police.
Gleim was taken to state police headquarters, where he was arraigned by a justice of the peace and released with a future court date, the state police said.
The state police, who sent seven troopers to the campus at the request of the Smithfield police, did not say whether Gleim is a student.
The fight in the stands started with less than five minutes remaining in the NEC championship game between Bryant and Wagner, causing a nearly 30-minute delay in action.
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NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris sent a tweet Wednesday, saying she was "disgusted" by the fan behavior and that the league would investigate its game management policies.
"I'm disgusted that on a day we were here to celebrate NEC men's basketball, it was marred by the actions of supporters who didn't respect the game and the hard work these two teams put forth to get to the championship," Morris wrote.
"We will conduct a thorough investigation of last night's incredibly disappointing events and begin an immediate review of our game management policies to address this type of unruly and disrespectful behavior."
Bryant University issued a statement Wednesday morning, saying the incident is under investigation and students involved will face consequences.
"While the large majority of students at the March 8 Men’s Basketball game were focused on the outstanding performance of our team and looking forward to celebrating Bryant’s first Men’s Basketball NEC championship, a small number of students engaged in unacceptable behavior," the university said in the statement.
"The incident is under investigation through our established internal processes and Bryant is working with appropriate bodies to ensure that those involved in last night’s incident are held accountable," the university said.
Bryant University President Ross Gittell "reached out" to Wagner's president, according to the university.
Gittell also sent a message to students, faculty and staff, expressing pride in the team's victory and congratulating coach Jared Grasso and the team but also addressing the disturbance.
"The team presented Bryant spirit and character that was unfortunately not demonstrated by all of our students in the stands last night," Gittell wrote. "At Bryant we know we are better than what some of our students demonstrated last night. Treating others with respect and care is who we are, and we did not do that as a community as well as we should have last night. We must and will do better going forward."
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Wagner's interim president, Angelo Araimo, released a statement Wednesday, saying he wanted to "echo Commissioner Morris’ statement that everyone who attends an NEC event must feel welcome and safe.
"After the game was stopped in the second half due to an altercation in the stands, we made the decision to remove our band, spirit teams and fans from the arena. No Wagner student was directly involved in the incident, but we decided to remove ourselves from the increasingly hostile and unmanageable environment.
"I am proud of Coach (Bashir) Mason, our team and coaches, and our other students and staff in attendance for the sportsmanship and character they displayed in the face of undeserved adversity.
"...We congratulate Bryant’s team for their Northeast Conference championship. Neither team deserved the ending they received last night, and I look forward to working with the conference to ensure our students' safety is prioritized at all events."
With reports from Caitlyn Kelleher