Nebraska basketball player appears to chip tooth after being punched in back of head during game

Nebraska defender Connor Essegian suffered what appeared to beryllium a chipped bony aft helium was punched successful the backmost of the caput during the Cornhuskers’ 84-72 triumph implicit New Mexico connected Thursday night. 

The disfigured country unfolded successful the archetypal fractional of the crippled erstwhile 1 of the Lobos’ starring scorers this season, Deyton Albury, took purpose astatine the backmost of Essegian’s caput with conscionable implicit a infinitesimal remaining successful the half. 

Nebraska Cornhuskers defender Connor Essegian (0) reacts aft scoring against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the 2nd fractional astatine Pinnacle Bank Arena successful Lincoln, Nebraska, connected March 1, 2025. (Steven Branscombe/Imagn Images)

Albury was assessed a flagrant foul 2 for the interaction and ejected from the game.

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"It looked similar determination was interaction to his head, which is what they called it," New Mexico manager Eric Olen said aft the game, via The Santa Fe New Mexican. "That was a pugnacious infinitesimal for us, losing Deyton similar that and that took the upwind retired of our sails and we didn’t truly decorativeness the half."

Essegian finished the crippled with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 1 assistance successful 31 minutes successful the triumph that extended Nebraska’s triumph streak to 9 games. But helium walked distant with different trophy of sorts. 

Nebraska Cornhuskers defender Connor Essegian (0) celebrates aft a play successful the archetypal fractional of the title crippled of the College Basketball Crown tourney against the UCF Knights astatine T-Mobile Arena successful Las Vegas, Nevada, connected April 6, 2025. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)

The elder from Indiana took to societal media aft the crippled to amusement what appeared to beryllium a chipped tooth.

"Well that was a archetypal for me," helium wrote successful a station connected X, with a representation of a portion of his bony successful his hand. 

He joked successful a aboriginal station that users connected the societal media level were "undefeated" aft idiosyncratic created an relationship with the handle, "Connor Essegian’s Tooth."

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"Y’a’ll are excessively quick," helium wrote. 

Albury posted an apology connected X aft the game, calling his actions a "selfish decision." His connection did not see an apology to Essegian.

"Lobo Nation you merit amended than what I displayed tonight. Regardless of what led to my selfish determination I enactment myself earlier the squad during a clip erstwhile I needed to show composure and leadership.

New Mexico defender Deyton Albury shoots implicit Nebraska defender Sam Hoiberg (1) during the archetypal fractional of an NCAA assemblage hoops crippled astatine T-Mobile Center successful Kansas City, Missouri, connected Nov. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

"My actions are not a reflection of our players, coaches oregon the UNM hoops program. I sincerely apologize to Coach Olen and the remainder of the staff, my teammates, Lobo fans and supporters, particularly the young kids who witnessed my foolish determination connected a nationalist TV stage.

"Representing UNM and the metropolis of Albuquerque is simply a privilege not a right. I judge afloat work for what happened. I volition ne'er fto our team, fans and the metropolis down similar this again."

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The Cornhuskers are 5-0 to commencement the season, and their triumph streak dating backmost to past play is the longest streak successful the nation.

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