When we threw together our plans to travel to the Ferrell Center for tonight’s Baylor/Texas A&M clash, the thought was that we’d get to see not just another great installment in this rivalry, but a game that just so happened to have post-season implications for both teams. And until the last few minutes of the second half, we were treated to exactly that. The Bears and Aggies were nip and tuck down the stretch, headed for another thrilling finish. But in a matter of moments, an insane series of events stole the spotlight from the game on the court. With just under two minutes left, Baylor’s Tweety Carter ran full-speed into a pick by A&M’s Joseph Jones. As anyone familiar with the size of these two players could guess, the ensuing collision was best described as hitting a brick wall. Carter crumpled to the court, the Aggies scored an easy lay-up, and the lead was pushed to eight points. The Baylor fans were restless, booing relentlessly as trainers tended to the fallen player. Words were exchanged between the two huddles, various players and coaches were held back from brawling, and a Nerf basketball was thrown on to the court. Earlier in the half, the P.A. announcer had warned fans that objects thrown onto the court would result in a technical foul against the Bears. So as Curtis Jerrells quickly scooped up the ball, all eyes in the Ferrell Center turned to Section 121 to find the culprit. Immediately fingers were pointed at two young Aggie fans, and a random man pushing 50-odd years rushed up the stairs to scream in their faces. Another Aggie ran down from his seat two rows above, got in the face of the old man, and the shouting match was on. The crowd was on edge and it honestly felt like a riot was about to break out. Security escorted the two accused Aggies out of the arena, although I’m convinced it was more for their own safety than any proven guilt. The angry Baylor fans voiced their disapproval with the original chant shown in this video, despite the fact that any sensible Aggie supporter could just happily point to the scoreboard.

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After more fouls and desperation threes from the Bears, time seemed to finally be winding down to the merciful conclusion of the game. But after Donald Sloan stole the ball near mid-court, he decided to play Harlem Globetrotter and throw it off the backboard to himself for a dunk with 1.8 seconds left. Ignoring the fact that his team was already up 12 with seconds to go, Sloan’s And-1 Mixtape highlight quickly brought the wrath of the Baptists. Dr. Pepper bottles sailed from the stands, more Nerf balls were sent airborne, and the court at the Ferrell Center became the new town landfill. The Aggies hustled off the floor to avoid the debris while Baylor Coach Scott Drew grabbed the mic &emdash; not to chastise the fans for their behavior, but to thank them for their great support all year. Remember Baylor fans, good sports recycle. One can only hope that somehow these two teams meet up again in Kansas City next weekend. While the bad blood won’t get quite as nasty in a neutral site environment, this thing is turning into a down-and-dirty rivalry along the lines of the Duke-Virginia Tech fued. (Or is it just Greg Paulus vs. Deron Washington?) Even if things don’t come to a head next weekend, this is the kind of game that fans of both schools will mutter about eight years from now when explaining why they hate the other fans. This was truly the kind of night that bitter rivalries are all about.