Win-win! Syracuse fan proposes at Battle 4 Atlantis championship game
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A tournament victory for the Syracuse basketball team turned into a win-win for two of its fans: They got engaged at the big game.
Killian Hartough stunned girlfriend Kiri Fabela by proposing during a timeout at Friday night's Battle 4 Atlantis championship game in Paradise Island, Bahamas, The Post-Standard of Syracuse reported. She burst into tears and nodded yes, as the crowd cheered.
''I had no idea,'' she said. ''How did you do this?''
Hartough had some help from tournament officials, who made him the winner of a daily fan contest. That put Hartough, Fabela and her two sons, 9 and 6, on special courtside sofas, where photographers could easily capture the moment.
RT @Atlantisresort: Not your average TV timeout! Congrats to engaged couple Killian and Kiri! #Battle4Atlantis pic.twitter.com/viJc94ZByC
— Donna Ditota (@DonnaDitota1) November 27, 2015
Fabela and Hartough met in Oregon while he was in the Coast Guard. The two now live in North Syracuse, New York, where Fabela recently moved to be closer to Hartough.
He'd been planning to propose for over a year, the Post-Standard reported.
Meanwhile, it also turned into a big night for Syracuse, which beat No. 25 Texas A&M, 74-67.
The game was tight throughout the second half and featured nine ties and 12 lead changes. But the Orange (6-0) outscored the Aggies (6-1) 13-6 over the final 5:38.
Launched in 2010, the three-day Battle 4 Atlantis tournament has quickly become one of the premiere early-season events in college basketball.
