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When he noticed his starting point guard writhing on the floor in pain while clutching his face, Nicholls College coach Scott Faucher initially had no idea what happened.
Only after watching a clip of the play after the game did Faucher realize Nate Tenaglia had been the victim of a vicious cheap shot better suited for a WWE match than a basketball game.
The incident occurred Tuesday night with just under three minutes remaining in an 84-75 Nicholls victory over fellow Massachusetts Division III school Fitchburg State. Tenaglia had just drilled a corner 3-pointer to extend his team’s lead to 13 when Fitchburg State junior guard Kewan Platt apparently saw a chance to retaliate.
After appearing to turn his head to check whether the referee on the baseline was paying attention, Platt dropped Tenaglia with a right elbow to the face. Another referee spotted the malicious cheap shot, blew his whistle and slapped Platt with his second technical foul of the game, resulting in his immediate ejection.
“I was proud of how our guys handled the situation,” Faucher said. “They came together and focused on the next play.
“Nate actually made the two free throws and stayed in the game. He’s an extremely tough kid. He took the shot, rallied his teammates together and went right to the free throw line.”
Asked what he thought provoked Platt and led him to take his frustration out on Tenaglia, Faucher said he’s “not really too sure.”
“There wasn’t really anything before that, any incidents,” he added.
Full video of the game confirms that there were no previous physical altercations but does provide a bit more context. Fitchburg State’s previous possession ended with Platt attempting an ill-advised step-back 3-pointer that sailed several feet over the rim, perhaps leaving him frustrated enough to make a poor decision seconds later.
It’s unclear what further discipline Platt will face because neither Fitchburg State coach Titus Manderson nor spokeswoman Bettiann Michalik immediately returned messages left by Yahoo Sports. Faucher said that there are no plans as of now for Tenaglia to press charges, nor will Nicholls demand Platt face suspension.
“We trust Fitchburg is going to handle the situation and they’re on top of this,” Faucher said.
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