A tremendous effort in the NAIA tournament falls short in the championship game, as unforced errors doomed the Langston Lions in their 76-71 loss to Freed-Hardeman.
Orlando Thomas ended the season with yet another 20-point performance, shooting 55% from the field, adding eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
In six tournament games, Thomas scored at least 20 points in four of them, bringing his average to 19.3 points per game in the entire run.
Antonio Lewis contributed 10 points, hitting a pair of three-pointers. Meanwhile, Jay Wilson and Cam McCoy combined for 14 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting from the field.
In what was a competitive first half, the difference came in Langston’s inability to take care of the basketball.
The Lions committed 13 turnovers in the first half, limiting their ability to gain a rhythm offensively, putting shot attempts at a premium.
That being said, they kept the game close thanks to their effort defensively, limiting Freed-Hardeman’s fastbreak opportunities and crashing the glass.
They also made the most of their shot attempts, shooting 53% from the field in the first half compared to 36% by their opponent.
When the first half came to a close, Langston trailed 33-30, marking the third time in their last four games that they went into halftime at a deficit.
While Langston would begin the second half scoring six unanswered points, their opponent’s efficiency proved to be too much to overcome.
Despite the Lions only committing three turnovers in the second half, Freed-Hardeman shot 64% from the field, including 10-of-12 shooting from inside the arc.
A four-minute stretch without making a shot from the field spelled the beginning of the end for Langston, with Freed-Hardeman going on a 13-4 run to put the game out of reach.
Langston’s journey to the NAIA National Championship began by finishing with a 22-6 record in the regular season, but finished short of a third straight Sooner Athletic Conference tournament championship.
They were selected as an at-large bid to the NAIA tournament as the four-seed in the Liston Quadrant, opening with a pair of wire-to-wire wins against Bethel (Tennessee) and Eastern Oregon.
The Lions took down the Quadrant’s number-one seed, Oklahoma Wesleyan, in the Sweet 16, overcoming a 15-point deficit to advance to the Regional Final.
They then moved on to the Fab Four by fending off a furious rally by Rocky Mountain before clinching a spot in the championship game by beating Ave Maria.
Langston’s season comes to an end with a 29-8 overall record.
