Referee dies after collapsing at high school basketball game, Pennsylvania reports say

A 45-year-old referee died after he collapsed during a high school basketball game, Pennsylvania reports say.

Michael Roebuck was officiating a junior varsity game between Yough High School and Mount Pleasant Area High School on Friday, Feb. 2, when he collapsed before the third quarter was set to begin, according to TribLive.com.

He died while being taken to a hospital, the publication reported. Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said Roebuck died “from an acute cardiac event.”

“This is terrible,” Westmoreland County officials chapter assigner Bernie George told TribLibe. “He was new, and I saw him recently and he said how much he enjoyed officiating. This puts what we do in perspective.”

The rest of the game was canceled, and officials also postponed that night’s varsity matchup, according to KDKA.

Roebuck was a married father of two who also was a coach, his obituary states.

Brian Pici, who coached alongside Roebuck, described him as a friend who he respected “for so many reasons.”

“He was a genuinely great person, loving son, husband, and father,” Pici said in a Facebook post. “He adored and believed in (his children) Kaelyn and Luke with all of his being, yet somehow still had room to care for, mentor, nurture, and share his knowledge with so many young athletes from around the area.”

Jerica Roebuck, Michael’s wife, told WTAE she was in attendance at the game, calling it “odd ... the way it happened.”

“You know, he died doing the thing that he loved doing,” Doug Yannascoli said in an interview with WTAE.

Westmoreland County is about 45 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

This story was originally published February 5, 2024 at 5:35 AM with the headline "Referee dies after collapsing at high school basketball game, Pennsylvania reports say."