Eight active players -- four from each team -- were ejected from Wednesday's SEC women's basketball tournament game between Florida and Kentucky because of a skirmish.
The 14th-seeded Wildcats defeated the 11th-seeded Gators 72-57 in their first-round game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, but the scuffle -- which delayed the game 22 minutes as officials sorted out penalties -- overshadowed the action on the court.
The incident started with 5:26 remaining in the second quarter, when Kentucky's Ajae Petty pushed the ball at Florida's Tatyana Wyche and rolled it up her face after the Wildcats scored. Wyche then threw the ball in Petty's direction -- it did not hit anyone -- and ran toward her.
Multiple players then engaged in a brief scrum in front of Kentucky's bench. Wyche was called for a technical foul and ejected for fighting. Petty was also called for a technical but was not ejected.
Seven other active players were ejected for leaving the bench: Florida's Taliyah Wyche [Tatyana's sister] and starters Ra Shaya Kyle and Faith Dut; and Kentucky reserves Saniah Tyler, Eniya Russell, Cassidy Rowe and Zennia Thomas.
Florida's Zippy Broughton, out for the season with an injury, was inactive for the game but was also tossed for leaving the bench.
Wildcats guard Robyn Benton and Gators guard Myka Perry were called for technical fouls but not ejected.
"That is not how we want to represent ourselves as Florida women's basketball," Gators coach Kelly Rae Finley said in her opening statement to reporters after the game. "So first and foremost, I apologize for that. Because that is not representative of the SEC, the University of Florida, or how we compete.
"Beyond that, though, I was very, very proud of our student-athletes for how they finished the game."
Kentucky coach Kyra Elzy, who was briefly knocked over when both teams flooded toward the Wildcats' bench, did not address the incident in her opening statement.
When asked about the situation by the media, Elzy called it "a learning experience."
"Things happen," Elzy said. "This is two teams battling for wins. The intensity was high. The emotions were high. Obviously, myself or Coach Finley, that's not how we want to play out, and we'll both address our teams.
"So it was an unfortunate situation. And it's a learning experience for all coaches and student-athletes."
Kentucky will next face No. 6 seed Alabama in the second round of the SEC tournament on Thursday.