The headline for Langston University is back-to-back champions, as the HBCU once again sits atop the Sooner Athletic Conference. Under the leadership of Chris Vincent, Langston secured consecutive SAC regular season championships and strengthened its place among the top programs in the NAIA. For Langston, the only HBCU this achievement carries even greater meaning. It is the only HBCU in Oklahoma and the only one competing in the SAC. Representing HBCU excellence at the highest level, LU continues to prove that sustained success is not luck. It is the standard.
The Lady Lions finished the regular season 24–4 overall and 18–4 in conference play. In the latest NAIA Women’s Basketball National Poll they earned a number 20 national ranking.
Langston Builds a Championship Standard
In just two seasons, Coach Chris Vincent has guided Langston to a 40–6 conference record. Last year making history by capturing its first-ever SAC regular season championship, a groundbreaking milestone for the HBCU program. This season, LU did it again. Going back-to-back in a competitive league like the SAC is no small accomplishment, especially for an HBCU institution carving out its own lane. Langston embraced the pressure that comes with being the defending champion and showed that last year’s breakthrough was only the beginning.
Overcoming Adversity With a New Roster
This season’s journey looked very different from the championship run before it. Unlike last season’s more experienced roster, Langston entered the year with uncertainty. Only four returning players were on the roster, and all four had redshirted the previous season. They had not experienced meaningful collegiate minutes. In fact, only four players on this year’s roster were actively playing during the 2024–2025 season. Some were sidelined due to injury, some were not active on a college roster, some received no minutes, and others were waiting at home for another opportunity. Building chemistry under those circumstances required resilience, belief, and development.
What emerged at Langston was a group of hungry newcomers, transfers determined to make their mark, and a coaching duo committed to proving the first title was no fluke. Coach Chris Vincent and associate head coach E’Donis Harris built a culture where Langston could thrive despite inexperience.
Leading the Lions has been standout guard Janiyah Tucker, a transfer from Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions, averaging 16.6 points per game. Alongside her is Areyanna Hunter, a transfer from Jackson State , contributing 13.7 points per contest. Their scoring and leadership gave Langston consistency on both ends of the floor.
Langston Focused on the Bigger Goal
Langston now enters the SAC Tournament as the number one seed, with games set to begin February 26 in Oklahoma City. Expectations are high, but Langston has shown it embraces pressure.
Beyond the conference tournament, Langston’s focus stretches to Sioux City, where the HBCU powerhouse advanced to the NAIA Round of 16 last season before falling to eventual national champion Dordt Defenders. That loss still lingers. For Langston, there is unfinished business.
With a new roster, renewed hunger, and the same championship mentality, Langston continues to make history. Back-to-back titles are impressive, but for this HBCU program, the mission is even bigger. Langston is looking to build its legacy.