Teamwork potentially helped save life of South Carolina State player
NC State set a PNC Arena record with 31 assists en route to a 103-71 win over visiting South Carolina State, but that wasn’t the biggest assist Saturday.
South Carolina State senior point guard Tyvoris Solomon collapsed by the Bulldogs bench with 13:08 left in the first half. First various players and coaches tried to cool Solomon down, but when he hit the floor the Bulldogs trainer immediately sprang into action to give CPR.
The public address announcer at PNC Arena alerted the medical people and a scary scene unfolded with shrieks from some of the South Carolina State fans behind the bench urging Solomon to stay alive. Players from both teams huddled around each other and said prayers.
Solomon was revived and taken to Rex Hospital in Raleigh where he was reported conscious and stable. South Carolina State head coach Murray Garvin went to the hospital with Solomon, and the players decided they wanted to continue to play the game. Assistant coach Rio Pitt took over the coaching duties.
South Carolina State played inspired ball, but eventually wore down and NC State took over, led by centers Lennard Freeman and Omer Yurtseven, who combined to go 15 of 16 from the field for 36 points. Redshirt junior forward Torin Dorn made all eight field goals and finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Keatts said it wasn’t easy to play the game after Solomon’s collapse, but the Bulldogs players input led to that decision after a delay.
“It puts everything else in perspective and basketball is not important,” Keatts said. “Our guys were really bothered. If you look at it, that could be one of your teammates. The decision to play actually came down to South Carolina State.”
Keatts remembers when he was a Louisville assistant coach, wing Kevin Ware gruesomely broke his leg against Duke in an Elite Eight game March 31, 2013.
“That was another tough situation,” Keatts said. “This wasn’t to that extent, but something similar to that.”
Basketball is one sport where tragedy is well remembered due to players dying too young due to heart conditions, which could be unrelated to what Solomon experienced. Loyola Marymount star Hank Gathers passed away literally on the court. Former Boston Celtics super star Reggie Lewis also died with similar health problems.
Tragedy had also struck in North Carolina prep basketball to a well known player.
The Josh Level Classic the last four years has helped raise awareness for the exact scenario that just occurred, only with North Carolina high schools. Josh Level died on the court during a game with Greensboro New Garden Friends High on Feb. 19, 2013. The JLC helps raise money for high school gyms to have automated external defibrillators, which could have saved Level’s life.
NCSU fifth-year senior shooting guard Sam Hunt played with Level at Greensboro Dudley High when both were freshmen, and former Wolfpack wings Cody Martin and Caleb Martin played with Level on Team Loaded NC 16s. Freshman point guard Lavar Batts Jr. and Wolfpack class of 2018 prep signee Ian Steere have been participants in the Josh Level Classic, which is usually played each May. The Martin twins and Dennis Smith Jr. also played in the JLC in the past.
NC State redshirt junior small forward Torin Dorn was familiar with Level’s background.
“I am familiar with the story and being from North Carolina,” Dorn said. “We were looking at Markell [Johnson] after he went down [with a knee twinge], and we saw something going on on the other bench. Any time something like that happens, it isn’t about basketball anymore.”
Johnson, who returned to the game, wasn’t sure what was going on, but after the team regrouped, he learned about the scary situation. He had never been in a game with that kind of life-threatening situation before.
“It’s scary when you hear somebody is not breathing or not responding,” Johnson said. “How scary could that get?”
The teamwork between everyone involved helped insure nothing tragic took place, and that was the biggest assist in sports.
“I am very thankful that our EMS did a great job, our doctors and trainers and South Carolina State’s trainers did a great job,” Keatts said. “I’m happy to hear the young man is doing better, but I don’t have a full report.”
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