The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) has announced the suspension of nine student-athletes resulting from an altercation during a basketball contest involving the women's basketball teams of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Bethune-Cookman University on February 14.

Following an internal investigation that included a review of the game's video footage, statements from the game's officials and neutral observer, and institutional staffs, five student-athletes from Maryland Eastern Shore and four from Bethune-Cookman violated the NCAA's Basketball Rule 4, Section 26, Article 2.  By rule, all individuals in violation shall be suspended from participating in the team's next regular-season game. 

"We have made a thorough review of the altercation and have concluded that nine of the student-athletes involved in the incident were in violation of conference and NCAA rules," said MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas.  "Obviously this incident is not indicative of the outstanding and talented student-athletes of the MEAC, Bethune-Cookman University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore."

All student-athletes will miss their team's next game excluding one inactive B-CU student-athlete who will serve a two-game penalty when reactivated to team play. 

Maryland Eastern Shore will travel to Baltimore, Maryland on Saturday, Feb. 19 for a 2 p.m. game against Coppin State.  Bethune-Cookman will also compete on the road in its next scheduled game, also on Saturday, against Hampton University in Virginia. 

The conference is working with both institutions to reschedule the game.  The game's date and time will be announced when confirmed.