LANGSTON – The No. 5 Langston University men's basketball begins their march to the NAIA National Championship tonight, March 7 at C.F. Gayles Field House. Here's a quick preview and rundown of information for Lions fans to answer the most frequently asked questions leading up to the game.
The Matchup:
The No. 2 seed Langston Lions (29-2) earned a second-seed by winning the Sooner Athletic Conference regular season title and conference tournament title. They will host No. 15 seed Southern Oregon (20-10) in the 2023 NAIA Men's Basketball First Round presented by Ballogy at 6 p.m. inside the historic C.F. Gayles Field House.
About the Raiders:
Southern Oregon enters the opening round matchup at 20-10 overall and a 15-7 mark in the Cascade Collegiate Conference. The Raiders are based out of Ashland, Oregon and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament as an at-large bid.
Offensively, Southern Oregon boasts three players averaging double-figures beginning with Atmar Mundu (16.5 ppg) and followed by Will Graves (12.8 ppg) and Tez Allen (10.2 ppg).
Matt Zosel is in his first year at the helm of the Southern Oregon Raiders.
About the Lions:
Langston returns to the national tournament for the first time since the 2017-18 season under first-year head coach Chris Wright. The Lions boast a record of 29-2 overall and 20-2 mark in the Sooner Athletic Conference. Langston qualified for the NAIA National Tournament by winning the SAC regular season title and the conference tournament championship.
Offensively, the Lions are led in scoring by Tristan Harper (15.3 ppg), AJ Rainey (13.6 ppg), D'Monte Brown (12.2 ppg) and Cortez Mosley (10.8 ppg)
Chris Wright is in his first year as the head coach of the Langston University Lions.
Q. What time is the game?
The No. 2 seed Langston Lions (29-2) tip-off tonight, Tuesday, March 7 at 6 p.m. CST against No. 15 seed Southern Oregon; should the Lions advance they will play tomorrow, March 8, at 7 p.m. CST.
Q. Where is the tournament being held?
The 2023 NAIA Men's Basketball First and Second Rounds presented by Ballogy are held at campus sites throughout the country. Langston University was awarded a host site bid and historic C.F. Gayles Field House will host the first and second rounds on March 7 and March 8.
Tickets for the men's tournament are $8 for adults and $5 for college students with college ID and $5 for students (ages 5-18), free for kids ages 4 and under.
Fans can purchase tickets at www.langstonsports.com and click TICKETS at the top.
Q. I will not be able to attend the game, how can I stay updated on the game?
The 2023 NAIA Men's Basketball First Round presented by Ballogy matchups will be streamed live on the SAC Sports Network, fans can watch live by clicking here or by downloading SAC Sports Network app in the app store.
There is live statistics for free during every game. Click LIVE STATS to view live stats for the entire NAIA National Tournament. You can also follow us on Twitter @LangstonSports and on Instagram @LangstonSports for up to the minute action.
Additional information including the complete bracket for the men' tournament can be found here.
