HENDERSON, Tenn., March 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Freed-Hardeman University's Lions basketball team capped off the school's most successful season Tuesday evening by winning the 2026 NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship in Kansas City, Missouri. FHU (35-1) defeated the Langston Lions, 76-71, and brought the Maude Naismith Trophy and the Big Red Banner home to Henderson for the second time in three years.
kAmQr@249 WsC6HX $EFEED 2?5 WpDD:DE2?EX r@249 WvC2?EX qFC?D 92G6 5@?6 2? 6I46==6?E ;@3 @7 C2:D:?8 E96 DE2?52C5 @? 42>AFD[Q uw& pE9=6E:4 s:C64E@C y@?2E92? tDE6D D2:5] QxEVD C62==J :>AC6DD:G6 H92E E96JVG6 366? 23=6 E@ 5@ H:E9 5:776C6?E A=2J6CD]Qk^Am
kAmuw&VD 5@>:?2?46 E9:D D62D@? 92D 366? ?@E9:?8 D9@CE @7 C6>2C<23=6] %96 {:@?D DFC865 E9C@F89 E96 J62C H:E9 2 ba\82>6 H:??:?8 DEC62<[ :?4=F5:?8 2? F?56762E65 CF? E9C@F89 4@?76C6?46 A=2J 282:?DE 2 4@>A6E:E:G6 |:5\$@FE9 r@?76C6?46 7:6=5 E92E D6?E >F=E:A=6 E62>D 566A :?E@ E96 ?2E:@?2= E@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAm%96J 42CC:65 E92E >@>6?EF> :?E@ E96 A@DED62D@?[ 42AEFC:?8 E96:C 7@FCE9 4@?D64FE:G6 |:5\$@FE9 r@?76C6?46 %@FC?2>6?E 492>A:@?D9:A — 2? F?AC64656?E65 249:6G6>6?E 7@C E96 AC@8C2>] w@DE:?8 E96 @A6?:?8 C@F?5D @? E96:C 9@>6 7=@@C[ E96 {:@?D 4@?E:?F65 E@ 3F:=5 @? E96:C DF446DD 367@C6 25G2?4:?8 E@ z2?D2D r:EJ 7@C E96 }pxp }2E:@?2= %@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAm%96C6[ uC665\w2C56>2? H@? E9C66 82>6D :? 7:G6 52JD E@ 62C? 2 DA@E :? E96 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A[ D6EE:?8 FA 2 9:89=J 2?E:4:A2E65 C6>2E49 282:?DE {2?8DE@? W~<=2]X &?:G6CD:EJ 7C@> E96 a_ac E:E=6 82>6]k^Am
kAmr@>A2C:?8 E9:D E:E=6 E@ E96 @?6 96 96=A65 H:? :? a_ac[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^=:?<^nEl_U2>Aj=l6?U2>Aj@lced_agc\`U2>Aj9lbe_cdcbe_cU2>AjFl9EEADTbpTauTau8@79F=:@?D]4@>TauDA@CEDTau>6?D\32D<6E32==TauC@DE6CTauA9:=\9@CE@?TaudfahU2>Aj2l!9:=Zw@CE@?Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm!9:= w@CE@?k^2m D2:5[ Q%9:D @?6 766=D DA64:2=] x <?@H 9@H 92C5 :E :D E@ H:? :E @?46[ D@ H:??:?8 :E EH:46 :D 2>2K:?8]Qk^Am
kAmw@CE@? 9:>D6=7 H2D 2>2K:?8[ =625:?8 uw&VD @776?D6 H:E9 `g A@:?ED 2?5 2E E96 H:?5@H H:E9 D:I C63@F?5D] u@C 9:D 677@CED[ w@CE@? H2D 9@?@C65 2D E96 r9F4< %2J=@C %@FC?2>6?E |@DE '2=F23=6 !=2J6C]k^Am
kAmQx =@G6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^=:?<^nEl_U2>Aj=l6?U2>Aj@lced_agc\`U2>Aj9lbe_cdcbe_cU2>AjFl9EEADTbpTauTau8@79F=:@?D]4@>TauDA@CEDTau>6?D\32D<6E32==TauC@DE6CTauA9:=\9@CE@?TaudfahU2>Aj2l!9:=Zw@CE@?Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm!9:= w@CE@?k^2m[Q 49F4<=65 $EFEED] Qw6 92D 2==@H65 >6 E@ 4@249 9:> 92C5 2?5[ 3@J[ 5:5 :E A2J @77 E@52J]Qk^Am
More from this section
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^=:?<^nEl_U2>Aj=l6?U2>Aj@lced_agc\`U2>Aj9l`feh`fahffU2>AjFl9EEADTbpTauTau8@79F=:@?D]4@>TauDA@CEDTau>6?D\32D<6E32==TauC@DE6CTau;2:=6?\2?56CD@?Taudfb_U2>Aj2ly2:=6?Zp?56CD@?Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmy2:=6? p?56CD@?k^2m D4@C65 `e A@:?ED[ :?4=F5:?8 8@:?8 `_\7@C\`` 7C@> E96 7C66\E9C@H =:?6[ H9:=6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^=:?<^nEl_U2>Aj=l6?U2>Aj@lced_agc\`U2>Aj9lbhcg`hbch`U2>AjFl9EEADTbpTauTau8@79F=:@?D]4@>TauDA@CEDTau>6?D\32D<6E32==TauC@DE6CTau5;\>4:?EJC6TaudfbfU2>Aj2lsyZ|4x?EJC6Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmsy |4x?EJC6k^2m 4@?EC:3FE65 `c A@:?ED]k^Am
kAmpEE6?5:?8 2== @7 E96 82>6D :? z2?D2D r:EJ[ uw& !C6D:56?E s2G:5 #] $92??@? D2:5 23@FE E96 82>6[ QxEVD ;FDE 8C62E E@ D66 E96 E62> 2?5 E@ 36 23=6 E@ D66 D@ >2?J 72?D E92E 4@>6 2?5 92G6 E92E 6IA6C:6?46 E@86E96C]Qk^Am
kAmsC] |2EE r@@<[ 2? uw& q:3=6 AC@76DD@C[ >256 E96 EC:A E@ z2?D2D r:EJ[ 2?5 =@G65 D66:?8 D@>6 @7 9:D DEF56?ED 5@ H92E E96J 5@ 36DE]k^Am
kAmQ(92E H2D C62==J 4@@= :D x 925 2 4@FA=6 @7 7C6D9>6? :? >J {:76 @7 r9C:DE 4=2DD E9:D 72== E9:?<:?8 E96J H6C6 ;FDE 7C6D9>6? 2?5 H6C6?VE 8@:?8 E@ A=2J] qFE E96J A=2J65 2 3:8 A2CE 2?5 D@ xV> C62==J AC@F5 @7 r2=63 W%9@>2DX 2?5 #@5?6J Ww6?56CD@?X]Qk^Am
kAmp7E6C uw&VD >@DE DF446DD7F= D62D@? 6G6C[ E96 42>AFD 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ H:== 82E96C :? E96 4@>:?8 52JD E@ 9@?@C E96 E62>VD :?4C65:3=6 249:6G6>6?E[ >2C<:?8 2 >@>6?E @7 AC:56 E92E H:== 36 C6>6>36C65 24C@DD uw& 7@C J62CD E@ 4@>6]k^Am
k5:G 4=2DDlQ!#}0x>365565pDD6E#676C6?46Q :5lQs:GpDD6E!=246w@=56CaQmkAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>>2]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^ahcaf_h^uC6650w2C56>2?0&?:G6CD:EJ0}pxp0E9C660D62D@?D]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk^2mk^AmkAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>>2]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^ahcaf`_^uC6650w2C56>2?0&?:G6CD:EJ0r@2490sC6H0$EFEED]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk^2mk^AmkAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>>2]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^ahcaf``^uC6650w2C56>2?0&?:G6CD:EJ0r9F4<0%2J=@C0%@FC?2>6?E]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk^2mk^AmkAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>>2]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^ahcaf`a^uC6650w2C56>2?0&?:G6CD:EJ0}pxp0}2E:@?2=0492>A:@?D9:A082>6]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk^2mk^AmkAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>>2]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^ahcaf`b^uC6650w2C56>2?0&?:G6CD:EJ0}pxp0}2E:@?2=0q@E90E62>D]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk^2mk^Amk^5:Gm
kA :5lQ!&#{Qmk:>8 E:E=6lQr:D:@?Q H:5E9lQ`aQ 96:89ElQ`aQ 2=ElQr:D:@?Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^:>8^72G:4@?]A?8nD?l}*`hffgU2>AjD5la_ae\_b\adQ ^m ':6H @C:8:?2= 4@?E6?E E@ 5@H?=@25 >F=E:>65:2ik2 :5lQ!#}&#{Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQ 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^7C665\92C56>2?\=:@?D\42AEFC6\D64@?5\?2:2\?2E:@?2=\E:E=6\:?\E9C66\J62CD\27E6C\9:DE@C:4\ba\82>6\CF?\b_afadcfd]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^7C665\92C56>2?\=:@?D\42AEFC6\D64@?5\?2:2\?2E:@?2=\E:E=6\:?\E9C66\J62CD\27E6C\9:DE@C:4\ba\82>6\CF?\b_afadcfd]9E>=k^2mk^Am
kAm$~&#rt uC665\w2C56>2? &?:G6CD:EJk^Am
kAmk:>8 2=ElQQ DC4lQ9EEADi^^CE]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^CE]8:7n}6HDxE6>x5l}*`hffgU2>Aj%C2?D>:DD:@?0x5la_ae_bada`__!#0}t($0&$!#00000}*`hffgU2>Ajs2E6x5la_ae_badQ DEJ=6lQ3@C56Ci_AIj H:5E9i`AIj 96:89Ei`AIjQ ^mk^Am
