MORROW, Ga. — ESPN’s broadcast of the SIAC men’s basketball championship between Morehouse and Tuskegee included a flashpoint moment early Saturday. A recap of the Benjy Taylor handcuffing incident aired and then appeared on the arena videoboard, prompting immediate reaction from both schools’ leadership.
With Tuskegee leading 10-8 and 15:06 remaining in the first half, ESPN played footage connected to the viral postgame scene from Feb. 1 at Forbes Arena in Atlanta, when Tuskegee head coach Benjy Taylor was briefly detained in handcuffs following a game between the rivals. The clip was also shown on the jumbotron inside the SIAC title-game venue.
As the footage rolled, Morehouse athletic director Harold Ellis stood up from his seat along the sideline and walked toward the broadcast area. He appeared to confront ESPN personnel and the game announcers about the segment. Moments later, Tuskegee president Dr. Mark A. Brown also approached the broadcast seats, looking into it for himself.
Incident remains sensitive for Morehouse and Tuskegee
The handcuffing incident remains an active and sensitive topic across the conference. Morehouse President F. DuBois Bowman has previously acknowledged the “unfortunate incident” in a message to the Morehouse community. He said the school apologized to Taylor that night and that the detainment “did not reflect the desires that we have for Morehouse.” Bowman also said the college gathered video and witness information and challenged the process behind the SIAC’s subsequent fine of Morehouse. He argued the school was not asked for input before discipline was issued.
Tuskegee officials, meanwhile, have maintained that the postgame handshake line was disrupted when non-participants entered the floor area. Athletic director Reginald Ruffin previously told HBCU Gameday that the situation represented a “security breach.” He disputed claims that Taylor was the aggressor, saying the coach asked security to remove people from the handshake line.
Taylor’s family was reportedly in the crowd.
ESPN replay was a turning point
Saturday’s championship game — played in Morrow, Ga. — was already loaded with emotion because of that recent history. The broadcast recap added another layer, briefly shifting the spotlight from the on-court stakes to the unresolved off-court conflict between two of the SIAC’s marquee programs.
After the clip aired, the game continued with momentum swings. Morehouse went on to build a first-half lead that reached 14 points, but Tuskegee steadied itself and closed the period on top, taking a 33-24 lead into halftime.
By intermission, the title game had become what many expected: intense, physical, and high-stakes — with the added reality that the rivalry’s most talked-about moment was still hovering over the floor, and now, directly over the broadcast.