Gathers Followed Doctors’ Orders : Tragedy: Although it made him feel sluggish, the Loyola Marymount basketball star took his heart medication, his doctor said.

A cardiologist says college basketball star Hank Gathers had been taking his heart medication before he collapsed on the court and died.

The cause of Gathers’ death Sunday night won’t be known for a week or more. But the Loyola Marymount University player had also collapsed during a game Dec. 9 because of an irregular heartbeat and had been on medication.

The 23-year-old senior from Philadelphia died after sinking a thunderous slam dunk in a tournament game against the University of Portland. Efforts to resuscitate him on court, in an ambulance and at Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital failed.

Gathers, after his heart rhythm disturbance was diagnosed, had complained that the medication made him feel sluggish, and with doctors’ consent he reduced the dosage. He said the lower dosage made him feel his strength was returning.

Dr. Mason Weiss, attending cardiologist at the hospital, said: “As far as I know, everything was done to make sure that it was safe for him to play. And to the best of what medicine can do to predict these things, everything was correctly done. He was still taking his medication. He took it Sunday afternoon.”

Bo Kimble, a teammate and one of Gathers’ best friends, said Gathers “was taking his medication.” And the hospital issued a statement Monday saying Gathers had been monitored regularly since the heart problem was discovered in December.

Coach Paul Westhead added that “he was under constant care, and we thought things were OK.”

Bob Dambacher of the Los Angeles coroner’s office said the results of an autopsy would not be known for a week to 10 days.

Sunday’s game and tournament were canceled and Loyola, which was leading 25-13, was declared the league champion by virtue of its record.

Students and faculty were meeting today for a memorial service for Gathers at Gersten Pavilion on the Loyola Marymount campus.