Two players ejected in women's college basketball game after punches thrown over loose ball

Michigan and Maryland went into overtime after the ruckus

A Big Ten women's basketball game turned vicious for a few seconds earlier this week after a tussle for a loose ball turned fists flying.

A player from Michigan and Maryland were ejected after they each appeared to throw a punch at one another on Wednesday.

With just about three minutes left in the third quarter, Michigan's Chyra Evans lost the ball while driving in for a bucket. 

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Michigan basketball

A basketball with the Michigan logo on the court during a college women's basketball game between the Toledo Rockets and the Michigan Wolverines on December 8, 2022, at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Lauren Hansen of Michigan and Terps' Bri McDaniel then got tied up trying to get possession, leading to the refs calling a jump ball. 

But there was some extracurricular activity between the two after the whistle blew.

Hansen appeared to throw at least one punch. The two had to be separated, and they were both ejected.

The brouhaha seemed to light a fire under Michigan, who trailed by eight when it happened. Maryland's lead even grew to as much as 12, and they actually led by nine with just over three minutes to go.

NCAA logo outside the national office

The NCAA logo on the entrance sign outside the NCAA Headquarters on February 28, 2023, in Indianapolis, Indiana.  (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

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The Wolverines ended the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run, forcing overtime. Michigan kept its momentum for a 79-77 win.

"I thought [the ejection] was going to motivate us," Maryland head coach Brend Frese said. "But it didn’t really rally us in any way. I thought Michigan was just a lot more inspired [after the ejections]."

Lauren Hansen

Lauren Hansen, #1 of the Michigan Wolverines, drives to the basket during the Jumpman Invitational against the Florida Gators at Spectrum Center on December 20, 2023, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Wolverines improved to 14-6 on the season (5-3 in conference play), while Maryland dropped to 12-7 (4-4).

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Authored by Ryan Morik via FoxNews January 27th 2024