KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Langston University men's basketball team will battle for the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship tonight, March 24 at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. 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. 4 seed Langston Lions (29-7) advanced to the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship after defeating No. 3 seed Ave Maria (Fla.) 72-69 on March 23rd in the NAIA National Tournament Fab Four Round. The Lions journey to the National Championship matchup included defeating No. 13 seed Bethel (Tenn.) 73-65, No. 12 seed Eastern Oregon 86-59, No. 1 seed Oklahoma Wesleyan 56-55 and No. 2 seed Rocky Mountain 60-55. The Lions are set to face No. 1 seed Freed-Hardeman (34-1) at 7 p.m. tonight, March 24, inside the historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
About Freed-Hardeman
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) enters the NAIA National Championship at 34-1 and on a current 31-game winning streak. The Lions advanced to the title game after knocking off No. 8 seed Benedictine Mesa 96-71 in the Fab Four. The Lions are based out of Henderson, Tenn. and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament as an automatic bid after winning the Mid-South championship.
Offensively, the Lions are led by a trio of double-digit scorers in Phil Horton (14.1 ppg), Rico Sain (13.1 ppg) and Lane Lauderbaugh (10.8 ppg). Horton along with Blake Dean (9.8 ppg) were named Mid-South First Team and Sain was chosen as the Mid-South Defensive Player of the Year.
The Lions are led by Drew Stutts, who is in his eighth season at the helm of Freed-Hardeman. Stutt has led the Lions to five straight NIAA National Tournament appearances including three straight trips to the NAIA Fab Four and one NAIA National Championship during the 2024-25 season.
About Langston
Langston (Okla.) enters the NAIA National Championship matchup at 29-7 overall after defeating No. 3 seed Ave Maria (Fla.) 72-69 on March 23rd in the NAIA National Tournament Fab Four Round. Langston qualified for the NAIA National Tournament as an At-Large bid and is making their fourth straight tournament appearance under head coach Chris Wright. Tonight's matchup marks the second time in program history and second under head coach Chris Wright the Lions have made the National Championship game.
Offensively, Langston boats three players averaging double figures in Orlando Thomas (15.7 ppg), Antonio Lewis (12.0 ppg) and Trey Clarke (11.1 ppg). Omar Henry is right behind them at 9.9 points per game. Thomas was named the Sooner Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year and SAC All-Conference First Team; Henry was selected to the SAC All-Conference Third Team and Clarke was named to the SAC All-Conference Honorable Mention team.
The Lions are led by Chris Wright who is in his fourth year as head coach. Wright, his four years at the helm, holds a 121-20 win-loss mark at Langston University and has led the Lions to the NAIA National Championship game in two out of four seasons.
Q: What time is the game?
The No. 4 seed Langston Lions (29-7) tip-off on Tuesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. CT against No. 1 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) Lions.
Q: Where is the NAIA National Tournament being held? How much are tickets?
The 88th annual NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship takes place in Kansas City, Mo. at the historic Municipal Auditorium.
Tickets for the men's tournament are $25 per day for adults, NAIA students with NAIA student ID are $12 per day (available at box office only), high school students with student ID are $10 per day (available at box office only), student (ages 5-12) are $6 per day and kids (ages 4 and under) are free.
Tickets are available at the Municipal Auditorium Box Office or at Ticketmaster.com. For additional ticketing information click here.
Q: I will not be able to attend the game, how can I stay updated?
The NAIA Men's Basketball National Tournament will be streamed LIVE and for FREE on the Urban Edge Network at. Radio will be provided by PPBC at 92.1 KRMP in the Oklahoma City area and 99.1 KGTO in the Tulsa area Live statistics are available at the link here and as always follow us on X (@langstonsports), Instagram (@langstonsports) and Facebook (@langstonsports) for the latest updates.
