Facing a double-digit deficit in the second half of the NAIA Men’s Basketball Sweet 16, Langston showed the heart of a champion when it mattered most — rallying late to pull off a thrilling 56-55 upset over top-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan.
The win marks Langston’s second victory over Oklahoma Wesleyan this season after edging them 73-70 back on November 1.
The Lions’ offense came out ice-cold, missing their first nine shots and falling behind 10-0 in the opening seven minutes.
They couldn’t find much rhythm through the first half, shooting just 4-of-22 from the field and trailing by as many as 15 points. Still, a 7-0 burst just before halftime trimmed the deficit to 26-18 and breathed life into the comeback effort.
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Early in the second half, Langston cut the margin to five before Oklahoma Wesleyan answered with a 7-0 run to push the lead to 38-26 with 14:40 remaining. A jumper by forward Omar Henry made it 40-30 before both offenses went cold for nearly four minutes. Then the Lions caught fire, draining four straight three-pointers during an 18-7 spurt to seize their first lead of the game with under three minutes left.
Guard Orlando Thomas carried Langston down the stretch, scoring 14 of his 20 points after halftime — including the go-ahead basket that sealed the win.
After Oklahoma Wesleyan hit a clutch three to grab a 55-54 lead with 34 seconds remaining, Thomas answered with a driving layup on the next possession. The Lions held their ground on the final defensive sequence, overcoming a brief miscommunication to lock up the victory.
The triumph sends Langston to the Elite Eight for the second time under head coach Chris Wright, who guided the program to the 2024 NAIA national title game. The Lions now advance to face No. 2 seed Rocky Mountain for a spot in the Final Four.
