NAIA: Langston Advances After Furious Rally to Defeat No. 1 Oklahoma Wesleyan, 56-55

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Orlando Thomas made a driving layup with 17 seconds left, and fourth-seeded Langston held on to upset top-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan 56-55 on Friday night at Municipal Auditorium, moving on to the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship quarterfinals.

“I'm just excited that we got it done,” Thomas said. “I mean, it was a battle. They're a great team. I'm just really excited for our guys to battle back. Being down the majority of the game, coming back, and digging in.”

Thomas led all scorers with 20 points, including 12 free throws, and grabbed a key defensive rebound with 11 seconds to go after Oklahoma Wesleyan's Ethan Williams missed a jumper. Angel Hidalgo's last-second three-pointer missed, and the Lions rushed the court.

A Defensive Grind From Start to Finish

This game was nothing like Langston's blowout win over Eastern Oregon last week. Instead, it was a hard-fought battle for NAIA bragging rights between two Oklahoma teams just 125 miles apart.

Langston shot only 30.6 percent from the field, while Oklahoma Wesleyan managed 37.8 percent. Both teams struggled from three-point range. The Lions made 28.6 percent of their threes, and the Eagles hit 26.7 percent. Together, they took over 100 shots but made less than half.

Oklahoma Wesleyan controlled the first half and led 26-18 at halftime. Langston struggled on offense, unable to get good shots against the Eagles' size and tough defense. After scoring 86 and 73 points in their first two tournament games, putting up just 18 in the first half showed how strong the No. 1 seed's defense was.

Langston's Second-Half Surge

Whatever Coach Wright said at halftime made a difference. Langston scored 38 points in the second half, outscoring Oklahoma Wesleyan 38-29 in the last 20 minutes to finish the comeback.

The Lions relied on Thomas, who led the offense in the final minutes. He made two free throws with 1:07 left to give Langston a 54-52 lead. After Angel Hidalgo hit a three-pointer to put Oklahoma Wesleyan ahead 55-54 with 34 seconds left, Thomas answered with the game-winning layup in traffic with 17 seconds remaining, putting the Lions up 56-55.

The Final Sequence

Oklahoma Wesleyan had one last chance. After Thomas scored the go-ahead basket, the Eagles moved the ball up and ran their play. Williams, who led the team with 13 points, got an open mid-range jumper with 11 seconds left.

The shot bounced off the rim, and Thomas grabbed the defensive rebound.

Thomas was Clutch! | Credit: LU Athletics

Langston called a full timeout with eight seconds left. After the break, Thomas was pressured and lost the ball, giving Oklahoma Wesleyan one more chance. The Eagles then called a 30-second timeout to set up their final play.

Hidalgo, who had made the go-ahead three-pointer earlier, got the ball with one second left and took a three, but missed. Langston's bench celebrated as the Lions moved on to the semifinals.

The Stat Sheet

Thomas led Langston with 20 of the team's 56 points. He made 12 of 15 free throws, which was key in a one-point game. Omar Henry scored 11 points, and Antonio Lewis added 9.

Williams led Oklahoma Wesleyan with 13 points, while Temaje Izuagbe had 12 and Blake Hamblin scored 10. The Eagles had more blocks than Langston, 7-1, and forced 24 turnovers to Langston's 19. However, they struggled on offense and committed 24 turnovers against Langston's tough defense.

Langston owned the glass with a 33-31 rebounding advantage — a slim but meaningful edge in a one-point game.

What It Means

Langston (27-7) is now one of eight teams left in the NAIA national championship. The Lions will play the winner of the Bellevue-Rocky Mountain game in the quarterfinals, with a spot in the national semifinals at stake.

Oklahoma Wesleyan (30-4) saw its season end after entering the tournament as the top seed and 2025 national runner-up. The Eagles won both the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles, and beat their first two opponents by a combined 68 points. Many expected them to win the Red Banner, but Langston would not give up.

With Coach Wright, the Lions have become a strong NAIA team and one of the most consistent postseason programs in HBCU sports. Langston is the only HBCU to reach the NAIA Round of 16 four years in a row, and now they have made it to the quarterfinals for the first time.

With Howard and Tennessee State out of the NCAA Tournament, Prairie View A&M and Langston are still representing HBCU basketball as the tournament goes on.

The Lions await to see who they will play again in Kansas City on Saturday. Will it be Bellevue or Rocky Mountain?

We shall see.