The typically raucous crowd at Viejas Arena went silent midway through the first half Monday night when a San Diego State player collapsed on the court.
Senior forward Dwayne Polee crumpled to the ground without being touched while chasing the UC Riverside player he was guarding on defense. Polee appeared to be conscious while paramedics and medical personnel attended to him for 15 minutes and pumped his fist to the crowd while being wheeled off the floor on a gurney to a standing ovation.
The cause of Polee's collapse is not immediately known. A San Diego State spokesman told reporters at the arena that Polee was taken to a local hospital for testing but was "completely responsive."
Polee, a fifth-year senior who transferred from St. John's after his freshman year, became an impact player for San Diego State last season when he scored 13 or more points in the Mountain West semifinals and finals and all three of the Aztecs' NCAA tournament games. He recently lost his starting job to fellow senior Aqeel Quinn this season but remained an important player for San Diego State because of his athleticism and outside shooting.
Of course, the impact of Polee's potential absence on San Diego State's basketball season isn't even a concern at this point. Everyone from Polee's former coach Steve Lavin to leaders of the student section at rival UNLV wished the senior forward well on social media.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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