Connor Essegian suffers a tooth injury after being punched in the head during the win over New Mexico
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Nebraska guard Connor Essegian suffered what appeared to be a chipped tooth after being punched in the back of the head during the Cornhuskers’ 84-72 win over New Mexico on Thursday night.
The ugly scene unfolded in the first half of the game when Deaton Albury, one of the Lobos’ leading scorers this season, fired a shot into the back of Essegyan’s head with just over a minute left in the first half.
Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Connor Essegian (0) reacts after scoring against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, on March 1, 2025. (Stephen Branscombe/Imagine Images)
Albury was assessed a flagrant foul 2 for contact and was ejected from the game.
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“Apparently there was contact with his head, which is what they called it,” New Mexico coach Eric Olin said after the game. Santa Fe New Mexico. “That was a tough moment for us, losing to Deaton like that and it kind of blew our sails out and we didn’t really finish the half.”
Essegyan finished with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 1 assist in 31 minutes in the win that extended Nebraska’s winning streak to nine games. But he came away with another title of sorts.
Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Connor Essegian (0) celebrates after playing in the first half of the College Basketball Crown Championship game against the UCF Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 6, 2025. (Ian Mulley/Getty Images)
An Indiana senior took to social media after the game to show off what appears to be a chipped tooth.
“Well, this was a first for me,” he wrote in a post on X, along with a photo of a piece of his teeth in his hand.
He joked in a later post that users on the social media platform were “undefeated” after someone created an account called “Connor Essegian’s Tooth.”
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“You will be very fast,” he wrote.
Albury posted an apology on X after the match and described his actions as a “selfish decision”. His letter did not include an apology to Issegyan.
“Lobo Nation, you deserve better than what you gave tonight. Regardless of what led to my selfish decision, I put myself in front of the team during a time when I needed to show composure and leadership.”
New Mexico guard Deaton Albury shoots over Nebraska guard Sam Hoiberg (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
“My actions do not reflect our players, coaches or UNM basketball program. I sincerely apologize to Coach Olin, the rest of the staff, my teammates, Lobo fans and supporters, and especially the young children who witnessed my foolish decision on a national television stage.”
“Representing UNM and the city of Albuquerque is a privilege, not a right. I take full responsibility for what happened. I will never let our team, fans and city down in this way again.”
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The Cornhuskers are 5-0 to start the season, and their winning streak dating back to last season is the longest in the country.
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