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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Phil Horton scored 18 points, Jailen Anderson added 16 and Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) beat Langston (Okla.) 76-71 on Tuesday night for its second NAIA championship in three seasons.
Top-seeded Freed-Hardeman (35-1) won its 32nd straight game to secure the program’s first Red Banner since 2024 — also against Langston.
Horton gave Freed-Hardeman a 71-61 lead with 2:37 left before Langston battled back.
Langston freshman Jaden Williams converted a three-point play, following an offensive rebound, with 14.5 seconds left to pull within 74-71. After a timeout, Freed-Hardeman ran off some time before Lane Lauderbaugh was fouled and made two free throws to seal it.
DJ McIntyre had 14 points for Freed-Hardeman. Anderson scored 10 of his points at the free-throw line to help Freed-Hardeman go 23 for 26.
Orlando Thomas scored 20 points and Antonio Lewis added 10 for No. 4 seed Langston (29-8), which was battling for the Red Banner for the second time in three years. The Lions shot 51% from the field despite going 4 of 14 from 3-point range.
Rico Sain made a putback shot just before the halftime buzzer to give Freed-Hardeman a 33-30 lead at the break. Horton led his team with 10 first-half points.
Tajahri Cave gave Langston its last lead at 53-52 with 9:54 left.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
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