No. 2 Seeded LSUS Set to Face Tougaloo in NAIA First Round Friday Night

SHREVEPORT, La. – No. 2 seeded LSU Shreveport will open postseason play Friday night as the Pilots host Tougaloo College in the First Round of the 2026 NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship – Shreveport Bracket at The Dock.

Tip-off between the No. 2 seed Pilots and No. 15 seed Bulldogs is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, March 13. The winner will advance to the Shreveport Bracket Championship game on Saturday at 5 p.m.

This year also marks a historic milestone for the Pilots, as LSU Shreveport will host the NAIA Men's Basketball First and Second Round for the first time in program history.

LSUS enters the national tournament with a 26-5 overall record and a 20-2 mark in Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) play. The Pilots captured both the RRAC Regular Season Championship and the RRAC Tournament Championship, earning the opportunity to host the opening rounds of the national tournament.

The Pilots have been one of the most productive offenses in the NAIA this season, averaging 91.2 points per game while adding 42.4 rebounds, 17.4 assists, 7.4 steals, and 5.9 blocks per game across 31 contests.

LSUS is led by Hayden Brittingham, who averages 17.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game and was named the RRAC Player of the Year, RRAC Defensive Player of the Year, and First Team All-RRAC. Alexzaye Johnson, who leads the team with 5.2 assists per game, also earned First Team All-RRAC honors while serving as the Pilots' primary facilitator.

Tougaloo enters the tournament with a 19-9 overall record after winning the HBCU Athletic Conference Western Division title with a 10-2 conference mark. The Bulldogs narrowly missed out on the conference tournament crown, falling to Southern University at New Orleans, 84-81, in the HBCUAC Championship Game.

The Bulldogs average 77.5 points per game while posting 37.3 rebounds, 15.5 assists, 9.2 steals, and 2.8 blocks per game this season.

Tougaloo is paced by Antonio Patterson, who leads the team with 20.3 points per game. Jordan Ealey controls the boards with 6.8 rebounds per game, while Tyler Hudson directs the offense with 4.3 assists per contest.

Friday's matchup will be the first meeting between the two programs this season. The winner will face either No. 7 seed Morningside University or No. 10 seed Texas Wesleyan University, who will meet earlier in the day at 5 p.m.

The winner of the Shreveport Bracket will advance to the 88th Annual NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship Final Site, scheduled for March 19–24, 2026, at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.

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