OKWU Eagles ride dream to end of the line, finish as national runner-up
Oklahoma Wesleyan University senior Jaden Lietzke (5) reacts during an earlier season game. The Eagles are NAIA national championship runner-ups, after falling to The College of Idaho 93-65 on Tuesday evening.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
The Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles are the NAIA national championship runner-ups after falling to The College of Idaho 93-65 on Tuesday evening.
PHOTO PROVIDED
By Mike Tupa
March 26, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
There are two ways of looking at second place.
One glum viewpoint sees it as one step short of the mountaintop.
Another more satisfying perspective perceives it as the best of the rest of the scrambling, frenzied madding crowd.
Almost no one expected Oklahoma Wesleyan University to be fighting Tuesday night for the NAIA men’s basketball national championship.
A Noah’s Ark full of skeptics doubted whether OKWU could even advance to the Sweet 16, let alone play for the title.
The Eagles winged into the NAIA tournament ranked No. 23 in the nation and seeded somewhere between No. 25 to No. 28 in the tourney.
But this scrappy convocation of battling warbirds made it all the way to Tuesday’s Final Dance— only to lose to prohibitive favorite The College of Idaho, 93-65, at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
To put it simply, the Eagles lived out their dream to the end— a dream that more than 200 other teams in the nation would have gladly taken from OKWU.
All that is true — true, true, true.
But winners are winners for a reason — they want to win. The post-game disappointment among the Eagles was as palpable as pound cheesecake.
“There’s nothing you can really tell them,” Eagle head coach Donnie Bostwick said about the distress felt by his players after the final buzzer. “Right now, they were expecting to win.”
Beyond the instant sting of throbbing heartache — they’ve invented remedies for all kinds of physical ailments but no one’s created an antidote for a broken heart — the Eagles will have every reason in time to come to hold their heads high.
“What a tremendous accomplishment,” a subdued but sincere Bostwick said about what his players achieved in clawing to the championship game. “That run they (Idaho Yotes) had before half buried us.”
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s head coach Donnie Bostwick talks with his team during the NAIA national championship game Tuesday evening. The Eagles fell to The College of Idaho, 93-65.
Photo by Cody Meade
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Even though OKWU didn’t grab the big prize, they still brought home the runner-up trophy and — more importantly — proved the climb they made toward the top belongs only to the courageous, the focused, the brave, the battlers, the well-prepared, the resourceful and those who trust in a confidence bigger than themselves and a quest beyond the sum of their individual talents.
In the history of NAIA postseason basketball no non-RPI team played for the championship before OKWU did it this year, Bostwick said.
“Honestly, we felt like tapped into a higher source,” he added. “God truly gave us some strength. … Our three seniors (Derrick Talton Jr., Jaden Lietzke and Dylan Phillip) have to be recognized for what they’ve done over their career and advancing every year in the tournament. They won a lot of games.”
But for whatever reason the Eagles came up just shy of their ultimate goal. Idaho was just too good on this night — and too hot.
The Yotes buried a flurry of early three-pointers — they would finish hitting 16-of-30, compared to 3-of-15 for OKWU — to surge to a quick double-digit lead.
OKWU made multiple spirited rallies, but just didn’t generate the firepower needed this night to turn the tide.
Oklahoma Wesleyan University senior Derrick Talton, Jr. moves the ball during an earlier season game. The Eagles are NAIA national championship runner-ups, after falling to The College of Idaho 93-65 on Tuesday evening.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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Lietzke and Nick Bene drained 15 points each to lead the Eagles’ scoring attack. Lietzke also pulled down 10 rebounds to record a double-double in his final game in an OKWU uniform.
Idaho’s defense, meanwhile, did an incredible job on OKWU’s senior guard Talton, holding him to just six shots and two points. Talton had averaged 20 points in the previous five tourney games. Talton contributed in other ways, including six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Both he and Lietzke were named to the NAIA Nationals All-Tournament team. Without either one, the Eagles wouldn’t have swooped to the final.
Other OKWU main contributors included Jaden Wilson, 9 points, 4 rebounds; Ethan Williams, 7 points; Phillip, 5 points; and Isaac Stanek, 5 points. Phillip joined Talton and Lietzke in playing their final game.
OKWU also made an uncharacteristic 16 turnovers and came up short on rebounds (35 to 37).
For the Yotes, Samaje Morgan drained 28 points —on 11-of-15 shooting, including four three-pointers. Johnn Radford added 12 points.
Idaho pulled out to an early lead of 11-4, but the Eagles clawed back to tie the score, 15-15, on a bucket by Williams set up by Phillip’s defensive rebound.
But Idaho then drained four three-pointers within a span of three minutes to help break the game open, 33-18.
By halftime Idaho led by 20, 49-29.
Oklahoma Wesleyan University senior Nick Bene blocks out during an earlier season game. The Eagles are NAIA national championship runner-ups, after falling to The College of Idaho 93-65 on Tuesday evening.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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However, OKWU still had an amazing uprising left.
With 12:15 remaining in the game, the Eagles powered to a 14-4 run to pull within 16 points, 68-52, with plenty of time (9:10) remaining. Lietzke and Bene each scored several points during the comeback.
The rally lost steam however. Idaho finished up the game on a 27-13 run to earn the right to cut down the cords.
Bostwick’s next order of business will begin the preparation for next season, which means adjusting to the departure of Talton, Lietzke and Phillip.
“Our young guys are just barely cutting their teeth,” he said about next year’s returnees. “As this point we just trust in God that He’ll help us get what we need and we praise Him for what He’s done before.”
The Eagles finished at 28-8 — including winning 19 of their final 21 games.
The verdict is in. Beyond the tears of Tuesday night will be a warm realization the Eagles rode their dream as far as they could and out-battled past a lot of incredible teams — and everyone’s doubts — to get there. Winners on the scoreboard? No. Winners of the heart? Yes.
Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles coach Donnie Bostwick gives Derrick Talton, Jr. a hug during the NAIA national championship game. The Eagles are NAIA national championship runner-ups, after falling to The College of Idaho 93-65 on Tuesday evening.
Photo by Cody Meade
Oklahoma Wesleyan University senior Jaden Lietzke during tip-off of the NAIA national championship game. The Eagles are NAIA national championship runner-ups, after falling to The College of Idaho 93-65 on Tuesday evening.
Photo by Cody Meade