Brawl at Coastal Carolina, South Alabama Women's Basketball Game Injures Referee, 8 Players Ejected

Referee Marla Gearhar was knocked to the floor in the melee between South Alabama and Coastal Carolina players.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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A brawl between the women's basketball teams of South Alabama and Coastal Carolina during the Sun Belt Tournament in Pensacola, Florida on Wednesday left eight players ejected and a referee injured. Referee Marla Gearhar was knocked to the floor and required medical attention after the fight broke out with less than six minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Why it matters

Violent incidents like this in college sports raise concerns about player conduct, officiating, and the overall culture surrounding competitive athletics. The suspension of multiple players for the remainder of the tournament also impacts the teams' ability to compete.

The details

The fight started when South Alabama's Cordasia Harris and Coastal Carolina's Tracey Hueston began fighting under the basket. Hueston turned around and started pushing and swinging at Harris, who pushed back. In the melee, referee Marla Gearhar was knocked to the floor and lay motionless as staff members attended to her. Hueston and Harris were both given technical fouls and ejected, along with six other players involved in the fight.

  • The incident occurred with less than six minutes left in the fourth quarter of the game on Wednesday, March 5, 2026.

The players

Tracey Hueston

A Coastal Carolina player who was suspended for the rest of the 2026 postseason due to her involvement in the fight.

Cordasia Harris

A South Alabama player who was ejected and suspended for one game along with two of her teammates.

Marla Gearhar

The referee who was knocked to the floor and required medical attention during the brawl.

Amyah Sutton

A South Alabama player who was suspended for one game.

Daniela Gonzalez

A South Alabama player who was suspended for one game.

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What they’re saying

“I know Tracey Hueston regrets that. She's an incredible model citizen off the floor and she knows she can't act that way.”

— Kevin Pederson, Coastal Carolina coach (The Athletic)

“Well, first of all, our program, we never want to be put in that situation and we never want to act out like that, so we don't condone that, what happened today. It's a very unfortunate situation for two talented basketball teams that have played in Pensacola in the tournament.”

— Yolisha Jackson, South Alabama coach (The Athletic)

“The incident that took place in Wednesday's game is extremely unfortunate and unacceptable. However, after an extensive internal review, I do not believe the actions of all three of our student-athletes rose to the level of being classified as fighting as defined by the NCAA rule book.”

— Joel Erdmann, South Alabama Athletics Director (N/A)

What’s next

South Alabama won the game 80-70 and is slated to play Texas State on Thursday. However, Sutton, Gonzalez and Harris will not be allowed to play in that game due to their suspensions.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the need for better player conduct and officiating protocols in college sports, as well as the impact that suspensions can have on teams' ability to compete in the postseason. It raises questions about the culture surrounding competitive athletics and the responsibility of coaches and administrators to promote sportsmanship.