Brawl erupts at Anoka-Irondale basketball game

ANOKA, Minn. (KMSP) - Anoka police are taking a closer look at a fan brawl that erupted at an Anoka High School basketball game Wednesday night.

Punches began to fly at the end of a close, overtime matchup between Anoka and their rival, Irondale High School and five Irondale students were ejected from the field house. Police say the students could face charges for disorderly conduct.

Steven Froemming, a local high school sports blogger, was in the stands. In the waning moments of overtime, his attention was drawn off the court to the lower rows of the bleachers near the Irondale student section, where a fight quickly erupted on the floor with a couple fans apparently throwing haymakers.

Staff and security separated the combatants. Froemming believes the brawl could have easily escalated if the violence had ensnared the two teams.

"Both head coaches ran out to try to get the players away from what was going on. The assistant coaches kept the other kids on their benches,” Froemming told Fox 9.

One student caught up in the melee told Fox 9 the fight began when an Irondale fan hamming it up and running the floor along the bleachers was tripped by an Anoka supporter.

Police say there were no injuries and no arrests. The case will be forwarded to prosecutors to decide whether those five Irondale students should be charged with disorderly conduct.