In Kansas City, Missouri, Freed-Hardeman of Tennessee secured its second NAIA championship within a three-year span, triumphing over Langston of Oklahoma with a final score of 76-71 on Tuesday evening, propelled by Phil Horton’s 18 points and Jailen Anderson’s 16.
The Lions from Freed-Hardeman, holding the top seed with a 35-1 record, extended their winning streak to 32 consecutive games, thus earning their initial Red Banner since the 2024 season, which they also achieved by defeating Langston.
Horton’s efforts pushed Freed-Hardeman ahead 71-61 with two minutes and thirty-seven seconds remaining on the clock, prior to Langston’s spirited comeback attempt.
With only 14.5 seconds remaining, Langston’s first-year player, Jaden Williams, completed a three-point play after securing an offensive rebound, narrowing the deficit to 74-71. Following a called timeout, Freed-Hardeman managed to consume some clock time before Lane Lauderbaugh was fouled and successfully sank two crucial free throws, thereby securing their victory.
DJ McIntyre contributed 14 points for Freed-Hardeman. Notably, Anderson accumulated 10 of his points from the charity stripe, contributing to Freed-Hardeman’s impressive 23-for-26 performance in free throws.
Orlando Thomas spearheaded Langston’s offense with 20 points, supported by Antonio Lewis’s 10 points for the fourth-seeded Langston (29-8), who were contending for the Red Banner trophy for the second occasion in three seasons. Despite connecting on only 4 of 14 attempts from beyond the arc, the Lions achieved a 51% field goal percentage.
Just as the halftime buzzer sounded, Rico Sain executed a putback shot, giving Freed-Hardeman a narrow 33-30 advantage entering the intermission. Horton was the leading scorer for his team in the first half with 10 points.
Tajahri Cave provided Langston with its final lead of the contest, making the score 53-52 with nine minutes and fifty-four seconds remaining in regulation.
