Hernando: Saint Leo men play first game after brawl

Saint Leo men play first game after brawl

By STEVE LEE

Coach Mike Hanks didn't know what to expect when his Saint Leo men's basketball team returned to the court for the first time since a Dec. 7 brawl with Florida Memorial players and fans.

"I'm anxious to see," Hanks said before Monday night's tipoff between the Lions (5-2) and the University of Puerto Rico-Humacao. "It's hard for me to tell if they're tentative from the melee."

Saint Leo's Javier Veloso, John Stolard, Daniel Fallon and Michael Wisman were injured in the post-game skirmish following Florida Memorial's 87-84 overtime victory in Miami.

All but Stolard, a junior center who had stitches removed from his right leg Monday afternoon and was listed as questionable, were expected to play Monday.

Hanks said the others might not have been available if Saint Leo had a scheduled game between Dec. 7 and Monday.

"If we had to play two days afterward, it would have been a fiasco," he said.

Saint Leo athletic director Fran Reidy said none of the Lions would be disciplined and no suspensions were doled out in one of the worst incidents in his 13 years at the school.

Reidy said that the Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Office is investigating the matter.

"We're waiting to see the report and if any charges are going to be filed," Reidy said.

Deputies "were called to the scene and took statements from players and everybody that was there," the AD said.

Reidy and Florida Memorial coach and athletic director Bernard Johnson have offered different perspectives on the fracas that erupted after Saint Leo's James Turner kicked aball to the ceiling after the final buzzer.

But Saint Leo assistant Conrad Foss said what followed went beyond players scuffling on the court. "This was about fans getting involved and kids getting hurt," Foss said.

Foss, Hanks and Lions assistant Brad Ash were "out there trying to get our kids in the locker room and we're taking blows," Foss said.

One of the worst blows resulted in Veloso's broken nose. The freshman point guard practiced on Saturday and Sunday and was expected to play Monday while wearing a plastic eye shield. "He's being a pretty tough kid about it," Foss said.

No additional security measures were anticipated for Monday and Wednesday's games.

Reidy was scheduled to be a game manager to keep a watchful eye on things in the gym and, as usual, two security guards were to be on hand.

"I wouldn't see any reason in the world for us to have any extra security," Foss said. "Actually, (Monday and Wednesday's games) will be under-attended because most of our students are done with finals and are off campus."

Reidy said the melee at Florida Memorial served as "a wake-up call for us."

"You have to have certain things in place," he said. "If there's fans getting out of control, you have to remove them or calm them down and prevent them from going on the court."

As for the players, Reidy said, "I think for them it'll be good to just get back on the court and get out and play basketball again."

Foss said: "I don't think you can ever go through something like we went through without it affecting you. Do I think it'll have an affect on the way we play? I don't think so. In the past couple of days (the Saint Leo players have) really stepped it up a notch in practice. They're getting ready to play again."

P-HCC BREAK: The Pasco-Hernando Community College men's team is 10-6 after a 4-4 start and does not play again until Jan. 3 at the University of Central Florida.

With six victories in the past eight games and having entered the holiday break by winning the Hillsborough Classic, coach Bobby Bowman said, "I think they left with a good, positive frame of mind."