A conference match between the Radford men’s basketball team and Gardner-Webb was briefly postponed on Wednesday evening when a young fan stormed the court and had to be escorted by one of the Highlanders.
With just a minute left in the second half and Radford leading by three, a young fan stormed onto the field and began running around as players and coaches looked on in confusion.
Radford Highlanders head coach Darris Nichols conducts his team against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half at Colonial Life Arena, Dec. 22, 2024. (Jeff Blake/Imagn Images)
“And we have a child on the ground,” the game’s broadcasters said in shock. ‘The sixth man is here on the ground. I don’t know which child that is. Do we have parents?’
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The young fan continued to run around before Radford guard Truth Harris, a redshirt senior, intervened and lifted the small child before handing him to an employee near the court.
The distraction did not derail the Highlanders, who won the game 79-75 and improved to 3-1 in Great South Conference play and tie for first place in the standings alongside High Point and UNC Asheville.
The Big South released a statement after the game about the “minor” stoppage, adding that the child was safely reunited with his parents.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL FANS BREAK THE SILENCE, STORM THE COURT AS PART OF UNIQUE CHRISTMAS TRADITION
“In an unprecedented and truly small moment of excitement, a young ‘fan’ stormed the court with one minute remaining in last night’s exciting Gardner-Webb vs. Radford basketball game,” the statement said.
“The fan, who was estimated to be about three feet tall and just shy of kindergarten eligibility, showed impressive agility as he dodged the staff and stunned the players. Thanks to the quick thinking of a Radford player (and apparently aspiring babysitter) the situation was safely resolved when the child was removed from the court.”
Radford Highlanders guard Truth Harris (4) drives around South Carolina Gamecocks guard Morris Ugusuk (15) in the second half at Colonial Life Arena, Dec. 22, 2024. (Jeff Blake/Imagn Images)
Radford coach Darris Nichols joked after the game that he begged the officials not to penalize the team for the young fan’s excitement.
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“It was a big part of the game,” he said, laughing. “When the boy ran onto the field, I said to the referee, ‘Please don’t give it to me.’ a technical one for this. ”
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