March 30 (UPI) -- NCAA referee Bert Smith collapsed early in the first half of Tuesday night's Elite Eight game between Gonzaga and USC.
Smith was alert and stable as he was placed on a stretcher and transported off the court at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. In a statement, the NCAA said he left the game with a medical issue, but he won't be transported to a hospital.
On the TBS broadcast, rules analyst Gene Steratore said Smith was experiencing lightheadedness and was being tended to in the locker room.
Smith was standing near the baseline in front of the Gonzaga bench when he collapsed and hit his head on the floor. Medical personnel from both teams surrounded Smith on the court as players, coaches and staffers moved toward their respective bench areas.
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Smith remained on the floor for several minutes before standing up and moving to a stretcher. He was sitting up and fully alert while being moved to the locker room.
Standby official Tony Henderson replaced Smith in the game. The NCAA said Tony Chiazza, who is scheduled to be the standby referee for Tuesday night's Michigan-UCLA game, also will serve as the reserve official for the Gonzaga-USC game.
The Bulldogs held a 49-30 lead over the Trojans at halftime.
