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Nebraska guard Connor Essegian suffered what appeared to be a broken tooth after being punched in the back of the head during the Cornhuskers’ 84-72 victory over New Mexico on Thursday night.
The ugly scene unfolded in the first half of the game when one of the Wolves’ leading scorers this season, Deyton Albury, took aim at the back of Essegian’s head with just over a minute left in the 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. (Steven Branscombe/Image Images)
Albury was charged with a flagrant foul 2 for the contact and ejected from the game.
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“It looked like there was contact with his head, which is what they called it,” New Mexico coach Eric Olen said after the game, via The New Mexican Santa Fe. “That was a tough moment for us, losing Deyton like that and that took our breath away and we didn’t really finish the half.”
Essegian finished the game with 6 points, 7 rebounds and an assist in 31 minutes in the victory that extended Nebraska’s winning streak to nine games. But he left with another kind of trophy.
Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Connor Essegian (0) celebrates after a play in the first half of the College Basketball Crown tournament championship game against the UCF Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 6, 2025. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
The Indiana senior took to social media after the game to show off what appeared to be a broken tooth.
“Well, that was a first for me,” she wrote in a post on X, holding a photo of a piece of her tooth.
He joked in a later post that users of the social media platform were “undefeated” after someone created an account under the name “Connor Essegian’s Tooth.”
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“They are too fast,” he wrote.
Albury posted an apology on X after the game, calling his actions a “selfish decision.” His message did not include an apology to Essegian.
“Lobo Nation you deserve better than what I showed tonight. Regardless of what led to my selfish decision, I put myself ahead of the team during a time when I needed to demonstrate composure and leadership.
New Mexico guard Deyton 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 Nov. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
“My actions are not a reflection of our players, coaches or the UNM basketball program. I sincerely apologize to Coach Olen and the rest of the staff, my teammates, Lobo fans and supporters, 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 accept full responsibility for what happened. I will never let our team, our fans and the city down like this 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.
