Playing with a target on their backs all season as the reigning NAIA Men’s Basketball National Champions, the No. 1 seed Freed-Hardeman Lions fought their way back to the semifinal of the 2025 NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship Presented by Ballogy. Against a hot seven-seed Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagle team the Lions fell 84-78 to conclude their season.
The Lions (30-6) took an early lead with a 3-pointer from Peyton Law before the Eagles netted three triples in the span of two minutes to take a lead of their own. Jordan Stephens would score on back-to-back possessions before Ryley McClaran’s 3-pointer helped give the Lions momentum. FHU went on an 11-4 run ending with Law’s layup giving the Lions a 31-24 lead. The Eagles began to chip away at the FHU lead until back-to-back treys tied the game 34-34. A late push from OKWU ended the first half with the Lions trailing 42-40. Oklahoma Wesleyan (28-7) came out of the locker room hot, scoring eight unanswered points to stun the Lions with a 53-44 lead. The Lions had difficulty getting shots from the floor to fall with the Lions only making one field goal across the span of 7:34. Meanwhile the Eagles were connecting for 3-pointers until a set of free throws made the OKWU lead 15. Stephens would then put the Lions on his back by scoring five straight points before Geraldo Lane’s tip-in made it an eight-point game.
Blake Dean and Law would hit late 3-pointers, but the Lions could never narrow the deficit more than two possessions before the season ended with the 84-78 defeat. The Lions out-rebounded the Eagles 36-32; however, OKWU grabbed 11 offensive boards and converted those to 19 second-chance points. FHU turned the ball over 15 times which the Eagles capitalized on for 21 points. Peyton Law ended the year with a Fab Four double-double: scoring a team-high 22 points and grabbing 10 boards. Jordan Stephens joined with 22 points. Geraldo Lane gave out a team-high three assists.
