HEARTBREAKING: Grand Canyon Antelopes’ Forward Oscar Frayer Passes Away After Playing In March Madness This Weekend

Published 03/23/2021, 11:56 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

The Grand Canyon Antelopes have been struck by tragedy. After their run to the annual March Madness tournament ended in the first round at the hands of the Iowa Hawkeyes, terribly sad news has hit the team. Senior forward Oscar Frayer, who had 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists in the game against Iowa, has passed away due to injuries sustained in a car crash.

Frayer is a native of Oakland, California, and was in his final year with Grand Canyon. This news will be devastating to the fanbase as many people had fallen in love with Frayer’s story. The thoughts of all his fans will be with the University, his teammates, and most of all, his family and loved ones.

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Frayer was a defensive player and had started in his first three seasons in GCU. However, he was academically ineligible for the 2019-20 season but got a second chance as a red-shirt senior. He was pivotal in helping the Antelopes reach the NCAA Tournament this season. Frayer averaged 6.6 points, 2 assists, and 2.5 rebounds this season, and his career averages are 8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.

Grand Canyon Antelopes: Oscar Frayer and his career

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Oscar Frayer was studying Political Science and Mass Communication at the university. He was a talented and athletic player, capable of being very effective on both ends in the NCAA. While he didn’t play to stuff the stat sheet, he did play to impact the outcome on the court.

USA Today via Reuters

His second season with the team was his best when he averaged 9.6 points and 5.3 rebounds. He also had a career-high of 1.2 steals that season. The GCU Antelopes haven’t been one of the more heralded teams in the NCAA, but their consistency and effectiveness cannot be doubted. The Antelopes were 17-7 this season, and Frayer started every game of the season.

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This news is devastating. Frayer was very young and just graduating from college. However, he made it a point to come back to basketball this season after his season’s ineligibility and led his team to the dance.

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Written by:

Ishaan Bhattacharya

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is an NBA, NCAA Basketball, and Combat Sports writer at EssentiallySports. Currently, Ishaan is pursuing a Post Graduate Degree in Journalism from Xavier's Institute of Communication. Previously, Ishaan has written for The Indian Express, The Quint, Sportskeeda, and WrestleClub.
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