Ethan Dietz, a sophomore basketball player at Connors State College in Oklahoma, died on Tuesday from an injury suffered during a game, school officials said.
Dietz, a 6ft 8in forward from Vilonia, Arkansas, was injured during the second half of the game on Saturday in Texas, the school said in a statement posted to its Facebook page. A spokesperson for the junior college said that initial reports indicate Dietz suffered a head injury.
“Ethan exemplified what it means to be a Cowboy, to value hard work and being part of a team,” the school’s statement said. “While the team and the Cowboy community are processing our own grief, our hearts go out to his family and friends.
Several of the college’s basketball games were canceled following Dietz’s death.
Dietz was averaging 11 points through eight games this season. A vigil in his honor is scheduled for next Monday at the college’s campus in Warner, Oklahoma.
