At 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) and 210 pounds (95 kg), Gathers was Loyola Marymount’s strongest inside player. He had a high field goal percentage because he seldom shot from beyond 10 feet (3.0 m). He used his power and quickness for follow-up baskets and scoring on fast breaks. “I don’t care much about the points,” said Gathers. “In fact, I should lead the nation in scoring because of my rebounding. Anybody can score 30 points a night if that’s what he’s concentrating on. But rebounding is special because it comes from the heart.”

On Sunday, March 4, Gathers collapsed again with 13:34 left in the first half of the semifinal game against the Portland Pilots. He had just scored a dunk on an alley-oop pass from point guard Terrell Lowery that put the Lions up 25–13. Thirteen seconds later while positioned around midcourt in the Lions’ fullcourt press,he collapsed a yard or two away from Pilots point guard Erik Spoelstra. He attempted to get up, telling the athletic trainers, “I don’t want to lay down!” Shortly after, he stopped breathing. Gathers was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital at 6:55 PM PST. He was 23 years old.