United Tribes Basketball Featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter [VIDEO]

When word got out that United Tribes Technical College's mens basketball team only had two players on the court during the final minute of Wednesday night's (2/24) game and still nearly won, it was only a matter of time until the national sports media took notice.

During Friday night's (2/26) SportsCenter broadcast, ESPN's Kevin Connors gave his 'Star of the Night' to UTTC's Shawn Craig and Trevor Shavehead, the only two players eligible at the end of Wednesday night's game for the Thunderbirds.

Here's a complete transcript from Connors' 'Star of the Night' segment, which you can see above:

All right, time for the KC Star. We pay attention to a lot of games here at ESPN, but I've got to be honest...beginning of the night, the United Tribes Technical College, Dakota College at Bottineau junior college basketball game was not on our radar. And, yet, here we are talking about it. Why? Because of what went down in one of the more bizarre games you'll ever see.

United Tribes has just five players on its roster, thanks to injuries. Also, departures to do homesick and academic issues. The officials in this game agreed that there would be no cheap fouls called and, yet, by the final minute of double overtime, UTTC had seen three players foul out. That meant only two guys were on the floor for the final minute of the game. They played five-on-two and, if not for Shawn Craig having the ball poked away in the closing seconds, United Tribes might have won. Instead, they lost 156 to 154.

Referee Brett Engbretson said it best, following the game. He said, his crews thoughts were: 1.) we're finally done and 2.) what just happened? And, so for being the last two men standing and nearly pulling it out, Shawn Craig and Trevor Shavehead of United Tribes Technical College, you are my stars of the night.

The loss may have ended UTTC's season, but the shout-out on SportsCenter is a nice consolation prize.

[YouTube]