OKWU EAGLES BEGIN NAIA TOURNEY PLAY AT HOME FRIDAY AGAINST SUNO KNIGHTS
Oklahoma Wesleyan Christian University’s Jaden Wilson (4) is congratulated after the Eagles won the KCAC conference title last week. The Eagles host the first and second rounds of the NAIA National Tournament and take on Southern University at New Orleans at 6 p.m Friday at the Mueller Sports Center.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports Report
By Becky Burch
March 13, 2026
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
The Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles (28-3, 20-2) are making history as one of 16 sites opening the NAIA tournament Friday at the Mueller Sports Center on the OKWU campus. This is the first time Bartlesville has been selected as a host site for the first and second rounds of the 64-team national tournament. Winners advance to the final site in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Eagles are the No. 1 seed in the Liston Quadrant and face No. 16 Southern University at New Orleans at 6 p.m. No. 8 Montana Tech (22-8, 15-7) meets No. 9 Oklahoma City (21-10, 15-7) at 8 p.m. The winners will meet Saturday at 5 p.m.
The SUNO Knights (17-13, 8-4) won their first HBCU conference title since 2012 to secure a spot, defeating Tougaloo 84-81 in overtime. This will be the first meeting between the Eagles and SUNO.
OKWU last met OCU in 2024, with OCU winning 87-81 in the Oklahoma City Classic; however, OKWU has never played Montana Tech. To reach this year’s national tournament, OCU defeated Langston University 74-67 in overtime. This is OCU's 26th appearance in the NAIA tournament. Montana Tech earned an at-large bid after being eliminated in the Frontier Conference tournament semifinals on a last-second buzzer-beater by Rocky Mountain College.
The Eagles, who hosted and won the KCAC conference tournament, return to the NAIA tournament for the 19th consecutive time. OKWU finished as the national runner-up last year and won the national title in 2009.
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Cameron Mennsfield (3) cuts down a piece of the net after the Eagles won the KCAC conference title last week.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports Report