Langston University’s men’s basketball team is headed to the NAIA Fab Four after defeating Rocky Mountain (MT) 60-55 on Saturday in the Round of 16. The Lions advance to the NAIA national semifinal appearance, capping a gutsy second half that featured clutch free-throw shooting, stout rebounding, and a tenacious defensive effort that has defined Langston’s tournament campaign this season.
“We work hard all week, all season,” Jay Wilson said in a postgame interview. “We fought hard all week. We fought hard in every game… it was a great win for us.”
The Lions outscored the Battlin’ Bears 35-33 in the second half and never relinquished the lead after freshman guard Jaden Williams sealed the game at the charity stripe in the final seconds, converting two free throws to push the final margin to five.
Orlando Thomas led all Langston scorers with 14 points, going 9-of-10 from the free-throw line to pace the Lions’ offensive attack. His efficiency at the line proved decisive as Rocky Mountain struggled to match Langston’s physicality down the stretch.
Jay Wilson added 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, converting all six of his 2-point attempts to post a 60.0 field goal percentage. Antonio Lewis chipped in nine points, going 2-of-5 from three, while Robert Alexander contributed nine points off the bench. Trey Clarke closed with seven points and anchored the Lions’ rebounding effort with a game-high 12 boards — including 10 defensive rebounds.
Langston shot 34.8 percent from the field, neutralizing Rocky Mountain’s offensive efficiency at 38.0 percent.
Langston University is the only HBCU men’s basketball program still standing in the postseason. They entered Saturday’s game having already earned their spot in the NAIA Tournament by winning the Red River Athletic Conference championship.
The Lions had two close calls in the Round of 16 from Rocky Mountain and Oklahoma Wesleyan.
The No. 4 Lions’ Final Four berth will pit them against No. 3 Ave Maria (FL) in the semifinal round on Monday, Mar. 23 at 7:30 p.m. CT in Kansas City, MO.