A conference matchup 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 off by one of the Highlanders.
With just a minute remaining in the second half and Radford leading by three, a young fan burst out onto the court and began running around as players and coaches watched in confusion.
“And we have a kid on the floor,” the game’s broadcasters said in shock. “The sixth man is on the floor here. I don’t know who’s 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, stepped in and lifted the small child up before handing him over to a staffer near the court.
The distraction did not derail the Highlanders, who won the game 79-75 to improve to 3-1 in Big South Conference play and tie for the top spot in the standings alongside High Point and UNC Asheville.
The Big South released a statement after the game about the “pint-sized” interruption, adding the child was safely reunited with his parents.
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“In an unprecedented and truly pint-sized moment of 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 shy of kindergarten eligibility, showcased impressive agility as he dodged staff and bewildered players. Thanks to the quick thinking of a Radford player (and apparent aspiring babysitter), the situation was safely resolved when the child was carried off the court.”
Radford coach Darris Nichols joked after the game that he pleaded with officials not to penalize the team for the young fan’s excitement.
“It was a huge part of the game,” he said laughing. “When the kid ran onto the court, I just told the ref, ‘Please don’t give me a technical for this.'”
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