Look: Bench-clearing fight ends season for two southern Oregon high school basketball teams

Seasons end prematurely and the game was ruled a no contest after punches were thrown between North Medford, Willamette

A high school basketball season ended in a no contest for two teams in southern Oregon after a fight broke out on the court in the third quarter Friday night. 

North Medford (Medford) led 6A-7 Southwest Conference foe Willamette (Eugene) 37-23 when a Willamette player was whistled for a reaching foul.

After the play was called dead, a live broadcast of the game shows the ball-handler brushing shoulders with a defender. Players on opposite teams appeared to exchange words, several became tangled up and shoves were exchanged. 

A North Medford player can then be seen in the mix throwing two punches at the head of a Willamette player. Both benches cleared as coaches, officials and event personnel worked to control the conflict.

"Well, we have got a mess," Table Rock Sports play-by-play broadcaster Joe Brett said on the call moments after the melee.

Officials sent both teams to their respective locker rooms and canceled the remainder of the game and ruled it a no contest, The Rogue Valley Tribune reported Saturday.

The incident marks an abrupt, unceremonious end to the season for both teams in the regular-season finale. Neither North Medford (7-15, 5-6) nor Willamette (9-14, 3-8) qualified for the OSAA 6A state playoffs. 

North Medford had an outside shot at nabbing a playoff berth if it had won. 

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Video from Table Rock Sports and the NFHS Network