March 25, 2026
Langston University Loses NAIA Basketball Championship Game
The team was unable to avenge its 2024 championship loss to Freed-Hardeman.
Langston University scored an overtime win, sending them back to the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) national championship game. Still, it fell to the eventual champions, Freed-Hardeman, 76-71 in a rematch of the 2024 NAIA championship, which ended in the same result.
According to Sports Illustrated, the HBCU lost the contest on March 24 after the team tried to avenge the 2024 loss to Freed-Hardeman at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. This was Freed-Hardeman’s second championship victory in three years as Langston finished the season with a 29-7 record.
The Lions did not go down without a fight after being down by eight points in the second half, closing within three with under two minutes to go in the game. But it couldn’t muster up enough to overtake the Freed-Hardeman squad.
“This is not our time yet,” Langston head coach Chris Wright said after the disappointing loss. “But I believe with my whole heart we’re going to be back and we’re going to win one of these one day.” Adding, “This hurts. But I’m extremely proud of our guys. I told them we have absolutely nothing to hang our heads about.”
They arrived at the championship after being the No. 4 seed in the tournament. They were able to etch out a win to advance to the championship after beating Ave Maria, according to HBCU Gameday, with a 72-69 overtime victory.
Orlando Thomas was the top scorer with 20 points while grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out three assists for the losing team, as Antonio Lewis added ten points, while Tajahri Cave and Jay Wilson contributed with eight points apiece.
Although the guys fell one game short of the title, Wright is proud of the group of players he has.
“These guys left everything they had out there,” Wright said. “They’re really good people. They care about each other. They love each other. They’re unselfish. And to see the growth we’ve had even in the past two or three weeks — I think that’s remarkable.”
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