CINCINNATI — Cincinnati forward Yancy Gates received a six-game suspension Sunday for throwing punches in Saturday’s game against Xavier, and seven other players were disciplined for their roles in a brawl that ended the annual crosstown rivalry game.
Four Bearcats and four Musketeers were suspended. Three Cincinnati players got six-game suspensions, the longest of those handed out.
Gates punched Xavier’s Kenny Frease in the face, causing a nasty gash below his left eye, and hit at least one other Musketeer during the fracas, which prompted the referees to call Xavier’s 76-53 win with 9.4 seconds left.
The Bearcats also gave Cheikh Mbodj and Octavius Ellis six-game suspensions. Ge’Lawn Guyn was suspended for one game.
Xavier suspended point guard Tu Holloway for one game, guard Mark Lyons for two, and Dez Wells and Landen Amos for four games each.
The brawl left both programs with a black eye, prompting repeated apologies by both schools.
It started in the closing seconds when Holloway talked to the Cincinnati bench with 9.4 seconds left.
At a news conference Sunday, Holloway took responsibility for instigating it.
“Coach (Chris) Mack always reminds me, ‘You’re a leader of this team. The young guys are going to do what you’re going to do,’ ” Holloway said. “I brought the rest of my teammates down.”
