With 1:06 remaining in the second half of a close Big South Conference game at Radford on Wednesday night, a young fan broke loose onto the floor and sprinted nearly the length of the court, causing a brief delay in the action before being escorted back to the sideline.
The court-storming interruption came with Radford leading 74-71 over Gardner-Webb. The young fan avoided being captured by a staffer before Radford guard Truth Harris scooped him up and delivered him to a bystander.
"It was a huge part of the game," Radford coach Darris Nichols said postgame with a chuckle. "When the kid ran onto the court, I just told the ref, 'Please don't give me a technical for this.'"
And the Sixth Man of the Year Award goes to…👀😂@ContextFreeCBB | @RadfordHoops pic.twitter.com/eKhJhhoafT
— Big South Conference (@BigSouthSports) January 16, 2025
Nichols' request was granted and Radford went on to win, 79-75, after which the team had some fun with the interaction.
Kid on the court. 𝐃𝐔𝐁𝐒 on the board. 😏#ForTheShield x #RiseAndDefend pic.twitter.com/HdW5ObBXxj
— Radford Men's Basketball (@RadfordHoops) January 16, 2025
The win, no doubt helped by their young fan's Sixth Man of the Year-like heroics, moved Radford to 3-1 in Big South play tied atop the league standings with High Point and UNC Asheville.