The Langston Lions’ NAIA National Championship hopes came up short in the title game, losing 71-67 to Freed-Hardeman.
The Lions sought to become the first HBCU to win an NAIA National Championship in men’s basketball since Texas Southern did so in 1977.
Anthony Roy led the way for the Lions with 17 points, five assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Cortez Mosley followed closely behind with 14 points and two steals.
Turnovers plagued the Lions all game, leading to several easy buckets in transition for Freed-Hardeman. However, their half-court defense and three-point shooting kept them in control as they went into halftime with a 40-31 lead.
They hit nine three-pointers in the first half, including two from Dean and Mitchell.
After building a 13-point lead in the second half, the turnover bug continued to rear its ugly head for the Lions, committing eight in the first 10 minutes.
What. A Game!!
What. A. Finish!!!
What. A. Comeback!! @FHULionsBBall is your 2024 NAIA National Champions!!
FHU 71
Langston 67 pic.twitter.com/dwudBGt3wB— NAIA Hoops Report (@NAIAHoopsReport) March 27, 2024
During that time, Freed-Hardeman went on a 12-2 run, trimming the score to 48-45 as the mid-way point of the second half approached.
Freed-Hardeman continued its run, eventually tying the game at 50-50 with 8:04 remaining. They would eventually take the lead, hitting two free throws to make the score 57-55.
After taking a 60-59 lead with 3:59 left, Roy went on a personal scoring run, hitting for seven straight to give Langston a 66-60 lead.
In the final minute, trailing 67-61, Freed-Hardeman began running a full-court press, leading to a 10-0 run securing the win.
Langston’s loss snaps a 16-game win streak, ending their season with a 35-2 overall record record.
