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YEATESVILLE, N.C. — A member of the Bear Grass Charter boys’ basketball team who was taken to the hospital Friday night after he hit his head hard on the court at Northside High School following a foul during a play in their game is now home.

Nate Gurganus, a senior and captain for the Bears, left ECU Health Beaufort on Saturday morning. He was injured during a play with 3:48 left in the first half. He was dashing up the court with the ball and ran into Northside’s Max Vansant, who was looking to draw a charge. As the two players collided and as they were crashing to the floor, Northside’s Zi’Mier Alexander also ran into the two.

Vansant fell backward and Gurganus landed hard on the floor, hitting his head. The officials quickly blew their whistles and players from both teams stepped away from the fallen players. School personnel rushed to the court and were joined by several others with medical experience, along with members of Gurganus’ family.

An eerie silence fell all around the gymnasium as people were stunned at what had happened and were watching with a lot of concern, some praying.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, which was doing security at the game — part of the Northside Basketball Kickoff Tournament — called an ambulance and EMS. Officials continued to assist Gurganus, who could be seen moving his feet and even making some of those with him on the court laugh.

About 20-plus minutes later, an ambulance arrived and EMS officials came in with a collapsible wheeled stretcher. Towels were placed under Gurganus and a neck brace was applied. They were able to lift him onto the stretcher with the towels and wheel him out of the gym and to the emergency room at ECU Health Beaufort in Washington.

As he was wheeled out of the gym, the large crowd cheered and clapped for Gurganus as a show of support. Mike Williams, the public address announcer, said a prayer for Gurganus and his family over the microphone before both teams decided to end the game. Members of both teams also gathered in a prayer circle before Bear Grass Charter’s team left.

“He’s just playing basketball, doing what he does all the time, being aggressive,” Bear Grass Charter coach Nick Cumbee said. “I hate to see that happen, and I hate the way the game ended this way. I mean, game aside, in school, I want to make sure my guy, my player, is OK.

“And that’s what we all agreed on. We’re going to go meet him in the hospital, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Players on both teams were obviously upset at what had happened. Coaches and other school officials from Northside were rushing around to assist in the situation before EMS arrived. Both teams ended up sitting on the floor in front of their benches, watching until EMS arrived.

“I mean, when we go into a competition, as a coach, you don’t like to see anybody down,” said Northside’s Jared Adams, the boys basketball coach and athletic director. “I want to play somebody when they’re 100. And any time something like that happens, a team is devastated.

“I want them in the right frame of mind when we lace it up and we go play. I mean, if it happened to one of my players, I would do the same thing.

“So I wholeheartedly, I left it up to them. (Cumbee) said he wanted to go check on his player (in the hospital). And by all means, I think he should.”