TWIN FALLS, Idaho — The CSI Golden Eagles faced off against the top-ranked Snow College on Thursday night, ultimately falling 93-89 after a dramatic game that included a serious injury to one of their players.
The game, held in front of a packed house, saw the Golden Eagles start strong, tying the game at 25 with a slam dunk by Nathan Ahner.
They led 48-42 at halftime after a buzzer-beater three-pointer by Kahryi Dunn.
However, a freak accident during warm-ups after the break resulted in sophomore center Brandon Oloumou breaking his leg, impacting the team's momentum.
"The loss hurts but the loss of Brandon breaking his leg in warmups is emotionally a tough one," said CSI Head Coach Jeff Reinert. "We lost two players at halftime; Gerry Guerrero was so emotionally upset that he couldn't play, and Gerry played great in the first half."
Despite the setback, Kahryi Dunn continued to perform well, hitting another three-pointer to keep CSI in the lead at 56-52.
However, Snow College, demonstrating why they are the number one team, regained control with key plays by Mark Brown and Issac Finlinson, securing their victory.
Oloumou underwent emergency surgery and is now recovering, with his team rallying around him for support.
“He’s close with every one of these guys, we all love that kid," said Coach Reinert. "We feel so bad for him, he's worked so hard; he came back from a broken kneecap, then he broke his leg in warm-ups— it's a tough go for him. We’re just going to be there to support him.”
The Golden Eagles will have another opportunity to face Snow College on February 27 in Ephraim, Utah.
