Loyola Coach Collapses : College basketball: Lions’ Olive faints while protesting call in 74-69 loss to Santa Clara.

Coach John Olive fainted during the second half of Loyola Marymount’s 74-69 loss to Santa Clara on Friday night at Gersten Pavilion, overshadowing a strong effort by the determined Lions against the West Coast Conference regular-season champion.

Olive, arguing a traveling call against Loyola forward Wyking Jones with about nine minutes to play, collapsed in front of the Loyola bench, then was helped into a chair by guard Robin Kirksey.

An ashen, listless Olive, who had paced in front of the bench most of the game, remained seated for most of the rest of the way while trainer Chris Tucker sat next to him, first loosening the coach’s tie and then monitoring his blood pressure and pulse.

Asked if he was OK as he walked slowly to the locker room afterward, a grim-faced Olive told a reporter, “I don’t know.”

Later, he said in a statement: “I feel fine now. I felt weak out there and kneeled down. I began to shake a little as well. I stayed kneeling down until the strange feeling passed.”

Olive, who will be 40 on Wednesday, underwent tests in the trainer’s room for about 30 minutes after the game before being taken to Centinela Hospital in Inglewood for further tests.

Tucker was overheard telling Athletic Director Brian Quinn that Olive’s symptoms included chest pains and an irregular heart beat. In a statement, Tucker said Olive collapsed from apparent “stress-related reasons.”

“I was nervous--scared--because I’ve been there,” said Quinn, who was the Lions’ athletic director on March 4, 1990, when forward Hank Gathers collapsed on the court during a game and was pronounced dead 1 hour 40 minutes later.

“It looked like he was sweating. The game pretty much left me after that and I watched him the rest of the game.”

Forward John Anthony was on the bench when Olive collapsed.

“It looked like he was just arguing the call--nothing more than what’s usual--and he put his hands down on his knees (and) seemed dazed,” he said.

With direction from Olive, who stood only during timeouts until the final minute, assistants Robert Burke and Chris Walker shouted instructions to the players.

“Sure, it was scary,” Burke said. “Throughout the half, they’re monitoring O’s blood pressure. I think you’ve got to give the guys all kinds of credit.”

Loyola (12-13, 4-9) fell below .500 for the first time this season. Santa Clara (21-4, 12-1) won its ninth in a row.