A New Mexico basketball player has been suspended after he shoved a Boise State player at the end of Tuesday night's game between the two teams.
The Mountain West Conference announced the one-game suspension for senior forward Joe Furstinger on Wednesday. In a release, the conference also issued a public reprimand to Boise State guard Justinian Jessup for his response to the incident.
The altercation occurred as the clock ran out in the 73-71 Broncos win. When Boise State's Marcus Dickinson grabbed the final rebound, he was shoved to the floor by the Furstinger, who appeared to be attempting to foul Dickinson before the clock ran out.
With Dickinson still on the ground, Jessup retaliated by shoving Furstinger, prompting a benches-clearing melee between the teams.
The conference admonished students and support staff who rushed the court during the altercation, noting that it "could have resulted in a much more serious incident."
But officials commended Boise State coach Leon Rice and New Mexico coach Paul Weir, along with their coaching staffs, for their efforts in controlling and diffusing the situation. Weir was also applauded for his post-game apology.
"What happened at the end of the game was completely unacceptable," Weir said after the game. "I apologize to fans, to the Mountain West, to Boise State University, their whole staff, the program. I didn't see everything that happened, but just completely unacceptable behavior. I am sick about it, as sick as I am about the game."
Furstinger's one-game suspension will be served this Saturday during the Lobos' game at Air Force. He is the second New Mexico player to be suspended by the conference this season. Junior guard Troy Simons was suspended after the Jan. 3 game at Boise State in which he was ejected for drawing two technical fouls - one for an altercation with Chandler Hutchison, and the other for talking back to one of the officials.
