A junior college basketball player died Tuesday after he sustained a head injury during a weekend game in Texas, his school in eastern Oklahoma said.
Ethan Dietz, a 6-foot-8 forward for the Connors State College Cowboys, "was injured during a men’s basketball game on Saturday" before he died three days later, the school said in a statement.
“The Cowboy family has suffered an unimaginable loss,” the school said. “Ethan exemplified what it means to be a Cowboy, to value hard work and being part of a team. While the team and the Cowboy community are processing our own grief, our hearts go out to his family and friends.”
That initial statement posted Tuesday didn't elaborate on the nature of Dietz's injury or his cause of death.
Connors State spokesperson Shannon Rigsby disclosed Wednesday that "initial reports indicate it was a head injury."
“We have requested the tape of the game to look into that,” Rigsby said.
Dietz, a native of Conway, Arkansas, was injured in the second half of the Cowboys' 69-64 loss at Grayson College in Denison, Texas.
Connors State canceled its next two men's basketball games and the following pair of women's contests.
"Ethan’s loss reminds us all how precious life is and how much those around us impact our lives," the school said. "As we move through this loss together as a community, let’s be inspired by Ethan’s spirit, friendship and love."
Dietz averaged 11 points and 9.4 rebounds in eight games this season.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
