LANGSTON, Okla. – Texas Wesleyan University(18-9, 14-9 SAC) struggled to find its offensive rhythm early and couldn't recover in a 74-56 loss to Langston University (20-7, 16-7 SAC) on Thursday in Sooner Athletic Conference play.

Montez Young Jr. led the Rams with a dominant performance, scoring a game-high 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting while grabbing 10 rebounds for a double-double. Vegas Evans added 12 points, hitting two three-pointers, while Trey Sinegal chipped in seven.

Langston jumped out to an early lead, fueled by strong three-point shooting and defensive rebounding. The Lions opened with back-to-back threes from Amoro Lado and Tony Hunter, taking a 6-0 lead. Texas Wesleyan got on the board at the 14:23 mark in the first half with a bucket from Evans, but Langston maintained control, stretching its lead to double digits.

Despite efforts from Young Jr. and Sinegal to close the gap, Langston responded with timely buckets and free throws from Aaron Lemon-Warren and Joshua Smith. The Rams trailed 37-20 at halftime after shooting 30.8% from the field and 9.1% from beyond the arc in the first half.

Texas Wesleyan opened the second half with improved shooting, including a three-pointer from Evans and inside scoring from Young Jr., but Langston remained steady. The Lions extended their lead with a three from Jamison Epps and key baskets from Smith and Bryce Monroe.

The Rams shot 41.4% from the field in the second half, but the Lion's balanced scoring and defensive stops kept Texas Wesleyan from mounting a comeback. The Lions sealed the game with late free throws and interior scoring, handing the Rams their ninth conference loss of the season.

The Rams close out the regular season on Saturday with a game against Central Christian College on the road with a scheduled tip-off time of 3:45 p.m.