A conference game between the Radford men’s basketball team and Gardner-Webb was briefly delayed Wednesday night when a young fan stormed the court and had to be escorted out by one of the Highlanders.
With just a minute left in the second half and Radford leading by three, a young fan burst onto the field and began running as confused players and coaches looked on.
Radford Highlanders head coach Darris Nichols leads his team against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half at Colonial Life Arena on December 22, 2024. (Jeff Blake/Imagn Images)
“And we have a child on the pitch,” the match broadcasters said in shock. “The sixth man is on the ground here. I don’t know who it is. Do we have relatives?”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
The young fan continued running before Radford guard Truth Harris, a redshirt senior, intervened and picked up the small child before handing him to a courtside staff member.
The distraction didn’t derail the Highlanders, who won the game 79-75 to improve to 3-1 in Deep 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 “pint-sized” interruption, adding that the child was safely reunited with his parents.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL FANS BREAK THE SILENCE AND TAKE THE COURT AS PART OF A UNIQUE CHRISTMAS TRADITION
“In a moment of unprecedented and truly minimal excitement, a young ‘fan’ stormed the court with one minute left in last night’s thrilling Gardner-Webb vs. Radford basketball game,” the statement said .
The fan, estimated to be about three feet tall and just short of being eligible for kindergarten, displayed impressive agility as he dodged disoriented staff and players. Thanks to the quick thinking of a Radford player (and apparently a wannabe babysitter), the situation was safely resolved when the child was taken off the field.
Radford Highlanders guard Truth Harris (4) gets around South Carolina Gamecocks guard Morris Ugusuk (15) in the second half at Colonial Life Arena on December 22, 2024. (Jeff Blake/Imagn Images)
Radford coach Darris Nichols joked after the game that he begged officials not to penalize the team because of the enthusiasm of the young fans.
“That was a big part of the game,” he said with a laugh. “When the kid ran onto the field, I just said to the referee, ‘Please don’t give me a technique for that.'”
