A referee knocked out on Saturday night caused quite a stir. Rick Crawford was doing OK after being stretchered off the court after he was inadvertently struck in the face by Vanderbilt center Damian Jones following the opening tipoff of the consolation game of the Barclays Center Classic on Saturday night.
Crawford threw the ball up for the opening tipoff and as Jones came down, it appeared as if his arm struck the 19-year official flush on the face. Crawford immediately fell to the court, and was tended to by trainers and medical professionals for roughly 10 minutes before being stretchered off the court.
Crawford told The Associated Press he “felt an elbow hit me across my right eye and then I just went down,” following the tipoff.
“It was a little scary,” Crawford said, who added he did not have concussion symptoms. “I think after the elbow hit my eye, my head hit the floor. I was fully conscious. I was aware of what was going on. So it was a little scary. Just a little knot over my right eye.”
According to a Barclays Center spokesperson, Crawford was taken to Brooklyn Hospital.
Jones led four players in double-figure scoring with 16 as Vanderbilt topped La Salle 68-55.
AP via Yahoo Sports
