The Radford basketball team’s conference matchup against Gardner-Webb was briefly postponed on Wednesday night due to a juvenile fan’s sudden entrance onto the court, which caused confusion among players, coaches, and broadcasters.
The Child’s Disruptive Run on the Court
With only one minute remaining in the second half and Radford leading by three points, a young fan rushed onto the court and began running around, catching the attention of everyone in the arena. The broadcasters were in shock: “And we have a kid on the floor… I don’t know whose child that is. Do we have parents?”
Radford Guard Truth Harris Steps In to Escort the Child
Amid the chaos, Radford guard Truth Harris, a redshirt senior, acted quickly. He scooped up the child and handed him over to a staff member near the court, safely removing the young fan from the playing area.
Radford Wins the Game Despite the Disruption
The interruption did not affect the Highlanders’ performance, as they secured a 79-75 victory against Gardner-Webb, improving their record to 3-1 in Big South Conference play and tying for first place with High Point and UNC Asheville.
Big South Conference Reacts to the “Pint-Sized” Disruption
The Big South Conference released a statement after the game, referring to the incident as an unprecedented “pint-sized moment of excitement.” They added that the young fan, who was about three feet tall, was safely reunited with his parents following the court disruption.
“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 read.
Coach Darris Nichols Jokes About the Incident
Radford coach Darris Nichols made a joke about the incident after the game, stating that he had requested that the officials refrain from penalizing his team for the juvenile fan’s enthusiasm. Nichols chuckled, “It was a significant aspect of the game.” “I simply requested that the referee execute the action when the child entered the court.”
