The Langston Lions’ historic men’s basketball season has come to an end after they were eliminated in the Round of 16 of the NAIA tournament following a 76-62 loss to Georgetown (Ky.).
Tristan Harper was Langston’s leading scorer, finishing with 22 points.
Elsewhere, Toru Dean scored 14 points, connecting on three 3-pointers and AJ Rainey posted 11 points and six rebounds.
With 5:23 remaining in the first half, Rainey made two free throws to give Langston a 22-12 lead. It was the beginning of the end for the Lions as Georgetown went on to go on a 15-0 run to end the half with a five-point lead.
Final from KC.
Tristan Harper – 22 pts
Toru Dean – 14 pts
AJ Rainey – 11 pts#goLions #FeartheRoar pic.twitter.com/wL1C1lOzug— Langston Athletics (@LangstonSports) March 14, 2023
Langston was unable to recover as Georgetown kept their momentum up in the second half, leading by as many as 19 points.
In their first season under head coach Chris Wright, Langston improved their overall record from 1-31 to 31-3 winning their first Sooner Athletic Conference championship in school history.
The Lions will have some time to build off their incredible turnaround season with Wright after signing him to a four-year extension.
As a result of Langston’s loss, Tougaloo is now the last remaining HBCU team in the NAIA tournament.
