Update provided on status of referee Bert Smith following collapse
CBS provided an update on the medical status of referee Bert Smith following his collapse on the court Tuesday.
Smith collapsed just over four minutes into the Elite Eight game between USC and Gonzaga in the West Region. He received immediate medical attention and was taken off the court on a stretcher. He did wake up and become alert on the stretcher.
Official Bert Smith was conscious while being taken off on a stretcher after collapsing on the court during USC-Gonzaga. pic.twitter.com/BsX6XCiwCA
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 30, 2021
CBS rules expert Gene Steratore shared some positive news on Smith’s recovery.
“He was feeling lightheaded on the court and fell. He’s being attended to by trainers in the locker room. He is stable,” Steratore said.
A statement also said that Smith did not need to be taken to the hospital.
Official William Henderson was the alternate for the game and subbed in for Smith. Steratore shared that Tony Chiazza, who was the alternate for the UCLA-Michigan game scheduled for alter in the evening, would “be the stand-by alternate for this game and the remainder of the evening.”
