Baylor dunk sensation Griner suspended for regular-season finale after punching opponent

Baylor’s Griner suspended 1 game for punch

DALLAS — Brittney Griner, the dunking freshman sensation for No. 14 Baylor, has been suspended for at least one game after throwing a punch that broke an opposing player’s nose in a Big 12 game.

League spokeswoman Joni Lehmann said Thursday that NCAA rules require Griner to sit out Baylor’s regular-season finale against 18th-ranked Texas on Sunday because of a “fighting act” that led to her ejection. She said the league is deciding whether further disciplinary action is warranted.

“The process will be completed in as timely of a manner as is practical,” Lehmann said in an e-mailed statement.

The Big 12 tournament is next week in Kansas City, Mo., and Baylor is all but guaranteed a spot in the NCAA tournament the following week.

Baylor officials said they were planning to issue a statement later Thursday.

The 19-year-old Griner is one the most talked-about women’s college players in years. The Houston native was an Internet sensation in high school with her incredible dunks and earlier this season she became only the second player (Candace Parker, Tennessee) to dunk more than once in a women’s college game during a 99-18 rout of Texas State.

She was tentative at first, but has become one of the most dominant frontcourt players in the country and gets the most attention from opposing teams. On Wednesday night, she punched Texas Tech’s Jordan Barncastle in the face after the two players tangled in the second half of Baylor’s 69-60 win in Lubbock.

The 6-foot-8 Griner and Barncastle were battling for position near the lane before Barncastle spun around and sent Griner lunging toward the baseline. As a foul was called on Barncastle, Griner straightened up and took two steps toward her before throwing a roundhouse punch with her right hand.

Players had to be separated in the scrum that ensued, and Baylor’s Morghan Medlock was given a technical foul.

Barncastle stayed in long enough to shoot four technical free throws but didn’t play again. Video showed her on the bench with gauze in her right nostril, smiling while describing the play to teammates by simulating a punch.

Barncastle’s father and former high school coach, Doug Barncastle, said his daughter’s nose was broken and declined further comment. Texas Tech spokeswoman Tammi Hoffman said Barncastle would be evaluated daily and it wasn’t clear when she would be cleared to play.

After the game, Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said she would deal with Griner but didn’t plan to discuss disciplinary measures publicly.

“There’s no place for that in sports,” Mulkey said. “It was ugly for women’s basketball.”

Griner is just the second woman to dunk twice in a game. She towers over opposing players forced to be physical with her around the basket.

Griner is averaging 19 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.1 blocks — second nationally — per game. She has season highs of 34 points and 21 rebounds, while recording 11 blocks in three different games. She already holds the Big 12 single-season blocks record.