CINCINNATI, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Four Cincinnati Bearcats basketball players suspended for involvement in a brawl during a game against Xavier publicly apologized Monday.
Cincinnati senior forward Yancy Gates, freshman forward Octavius Ellis, junior center Cheikh Mbodj and freshman guard Ge'Lawn Guyn appeared at a press conference to say they were sorry for incident at the end of Saturday's "Crosstown Shootout" game against the Muskateers.
Xavier suspended freshman Dezmine Wells, sophomore Landen Amos, junior Mark Lyons and the team's leading scorer, senior Tu Holloway.
Hamilton County, Ohio, prosecutors have said they're considering possible charges against Gates for punching Xavier center Kenny Frease during the game.
Gates wept as he delivered an apology for the incident, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
"I want to apologize really to the whole city of Cincinnati for my actions," he said, "because I'm homegrown. I'm from here. A lot of people expect me to represent not just the University of Cincinnati but everybody -- my family, kids back in Madisonville running around, from downtown."
"He's got to use this incident to make himself a better man," Bearcats Coach Mick Cronin said.
