Turkey’s Banvit wins away against Buducnost as players punch Montenegrin hooligan

PODGORICA – Reuters

Video footage from the match in Montenegro between hosts Buducnost Podgorica and Banvit showed a fan dashing onto the court and pushing Sammy Mejia in the back. AA Photo

A court invader at a Eurocup basketball game got more than he bargained for when he shoved a visiting Turkish side Banvit Bandırma player, but was then sent sprawling to the deck by a full-blown punch from his teammate.

Video footage from the match in Montenegro between hosts Buducnost Podgorica and Banvit showed a fan dashing onto the court and pushing Sammy Mejia in the back.

Banvit was 68 to 59 ahead when Mejia was at the free throw line only 32 minutes 17 seconds before the game’s end.

The assault prompted American guard Earl Rowland to run to his teammate’s rescue and throw a punch, which sent the offender crashing to the floor.

When Mejia also retaliated, a scuffle ensued, forcing security stewards and police to move in before the game finally resumed after a 15-minute delay.   

Both Mejia and Rowland were sent off, but Banvit managed to win the game 74 to 68.

Chuck Davis was unstoppable in the winning game. Davis amassed a career-high 28 points for 11-of-12 two-point shooting. Vladimir Dragicevic added 15 points and 10 rebounds for Banvit against his former team. Banvit led by as many as 16 in the fourth quarter before some technical fouls help usher in a late Buducnost comeback. However, Davis ensured the win for the visitors Subotic and Reynolds of Buducnost scored 13 points.

This scuffle added to recent Balkan tensions, with an Istanbul prosecutor demanding an 18-year jail term for Kadri Aktaş, who is accused of killing Red Star fan Marko Ivkovic ahead of a Euroleague basketball game on Nov. 21, 2014 in Istanbul, along with six others allegedly involved in the murder. 

Galatasaray will face Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade, another Serbian side on Jan. 16 in a third game of the Euroleague Top 16 match-up.