Dick(inson) move: Freshman’s actions warrant, require lengthy suspension
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012On Sunday afternoon, the Binghamton Bearcats were soundly beaten on their home floor by the previously one-win Hartford Hawks. The loss dropped the Bearcats to 0-17, leaving Binghamton as one of only two Division-I teams that remain winless (the other is Towson). Yet the loss itself, and the Bearcats continual entrenchment as the worst basketball team in America East history, was a distant second to the heinous aspect of Sunday’s game.
With Hartford leading 58-44 and 5:22 left on the game clock, Hartford point guard Andres Torres made a bounce pass to Genesis Maciel and headed to screen Binghamton freshman forward Ben Dickinson, who was standing at the left side of the free-throw line. As Torres, who stands shorter than his listed 5’10″, slowed, clearly bluffing a screen on the 6’8” Dickinson, Dickinson turned and cold-cocked an unsuspecting Torres in the face with a forearm/elbow punch that lifted Torres completely off the ground and left him sprawled on the hardwood.
Following an immediate ejection, a seemingly defiant Dickinson ripped off his jersey before leaving the floor. (more…)