Look: Brawl ends New Jersey high school basketball game featuring DJ Wagner, nation's top prospect

Officials cancelled the tournament championship matchup between neighboring Camden, Eastside in the second quarter

An inaugural New Jersey high school basketball tournament featuring the Kentucky commit DJ Wagner, the nation's top prospect, was ended prematurely after a fight broke out during a game Thursday night.

Players, coaches and spectators poured onto the floor after players from Camden and Eastside (Camden, N.J.) traded punches early in the championship game of the Camden County Boys Basketball Tournament at Cherry Hill East (Cherry Hill, N.J.).

The full extent of ramifications for either team are not immediately known.

The nationally ranked Panthers (23-2) led 30-17 with 4:23 left in the second quarter when senior forward Cornelius Robinson hit Eastside's Titus Bacon with a forearm to the head while setting a screen. 

Footage from multiple angles of the incident shows Bacon throwing a punch in retaliation, which set both teams into a melee. Wagner, a 6-foot-3 combo guard, chased after Bacon with his fists raised before he was restrained by a teammate.

Here is a full video of DJ Wagner and Camden’s (grey) physical altercation tonight against Eastside (red). pic.twitter.com/wUuD0PaHe3

— Tristan Pharis (@TristanUda) February 17, 2023

The game was cancelled, officials cleared the gym and an incident report was filed to the the New Jersey high school state association (NJSIAA), according to multiple reports.

“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students and fans," Camden schools Senior Communications Manager Sheena Yera told The Courier Post in South Jersey Thursday night. “Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. This incident is not an indication of who we are ... and, we expect our student-athletes to compete with sportsmanship. The District will take all the necessary steps for appropriate disciplinary action.”

Eastside (16-4) is considered among the top boys basketball teams in New Jersey. Camden, the top-ranked team in New Jersey, beat Eastside in the teams' first matchup of the season 81-49 on Jan. 10. Both are in the Olympic League-National division.

Wagner, the son of former NBA player Dujuan Wagner, was named a Naismith High School Player of the Year finalist hours before tipoff. 

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Lead photo by Peter Ackerman, USA TODAY NETWORK

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