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Howard College wins second NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Title, tops Southern Idaho 82-67

Story & photos by Dale Grosbach

Rica Simpson

• 4 min read
Howard College wins second NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Title, tops Southern Idaho 82-67
Howard College Hawks No. 15 Terry Copeland and No. 32 Elijah Tshibangu celebrate at the final horn as Howard College captures its second men's national championship. Copeland recorded a double-double and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. The Howard College Hawks defeated the College of Southern Idaho 82-67 in the championship of the 2026 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at the Hutchinson (Kan.) Sports Arena on Saturday, March 28, 2026.

Howard College completes its journey to the NJCAA 2026 national championship, defeating the College of Southern Idaho 82-67.

The Howard College (Texas) Hawks faced the College of Southern Idaho Golden Eagles in the championship final of the 2026 National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Men's Basketball Championship at the Hutchinson (Kan.) Sports Arena on Saturday, March 28, 2026.

The College of Southern Idaho entered the 2026 championship as the No. 2 seed with a 31-2 record. The Golden Eagles qualified for the tournament by winning the NJCAA West District Tournament. Southern Idaho is a member of the Scenic West Athletic Conference.

Howard College secured a place in the 2026 championship by winning the NJCAA Southwest District Tournament. The Hawks entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed, boasting a 29-4 record.

The College of Southern Idaho won its opening-round game against New Mexico Junior College 73-66. In the quarterfinals, the Golden Eagles defeated Walters State Community College-Enid 85-64. In the semifinals, Southern Idaho defeated Gulf Coast State College (Fla.) 82-70. Leading Southern Idaho are sophomore Jalen Lyn and redshirt freshman Cooper Kesler.

Howard College began its tournament with a 96-75 victory over Daytona State College. In the quarterfinals, the Hawks defeated Butler Community College in double overtime, 134-128. In the semifinals, Howard defeated the Trinity Valley Community College (Texas) Cardinals 72-66. The team features a strong backcourt that includes 6-foot-10 freshman Kuai Deng, 6-9 freshman Terry Copeland, and 6-4 sophomore Elijah Tshibangu.

Closely contested possessions characterized the first half. Howard quickly gained an advantage on the scoreboard by effectively utilizing a strong inside game, supported by accurate outside shooting. Southern Idaho capitalized on Howard's early fouls, converting them into points. At the 9:00 mark, the Hawks had built a 10-point lead, but the Golden Eagles slowly chipped away at that margin, ultimately taking a one-point lead by the end of the half.

At the start of the second period, the game continued in the same style as the first. The Golden Eagles would score, and then the Hawks would quickly respond. Howard tightened its lane defense, limiting Southern Idaho to outside shots. At 12:29 into the period, the Hawks took a lead they would not surrender. After another four minutes, the Hawks had extended their lead to seven points, and their control over the pace of play helped them secure a final score of 82-67.

Statistics show that Howard improved its overall shooting percentage and 3-point shooting percentage in the second half. In the game, the Hawks outrebounded Southern Idaho by 10.

Southern Idaho redshirt sophomore Ben Thornbrue and sophomore Jalen Lyn each scored 19 points. Sophomore Nathan Ahner led the Golden Eagles with eight rebounds.

The Howard Hawks were led by freshmen Terry Copeland and Kuai Deng with 23 and 20 points, respectively. Copeland recorded a double-double for the game, pulling down 16 rebounds.

With the 82-67 victory, Howard College recorded its second men's national championship. The Hawks finished the season 33-4. Howard's Terry Copeland was named the William French Most Valuable Player at the 2026 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. Copeland had 100 points and 47 rebounds, averaging 25 points per game throughout the national tournament. Copeland finished with a double-double in three of the Hawks' four games. Kyle Cooper, head coach of the Howard Hawks, was named Coach of the Tournament. Hawk freshmen Kuai Deng and sophomore Brandon Ivery were named to the All-Tournament Team.

The College of Southern Idaho finished the year as national runners-up with a 34-3 record. The Golden Eagles were recognized with the Charles Sesher Sportsmanship Award. Sophomore Jalen Lyn and freshman Ace Reiser were named to the All-Tournament Team.

Howard College freshman No. 15 Terry Copeland goes to the rim against the College of Southern Idaho. Copeland recorded a double-double with 23 points and 16 rebounds and was recognized as the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
Howard Hawk No. 32 Elijah Tshibangu puts up a shot from the baseline against the Southern Idaho Golden Eagles. Tshibangu scored 43 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the tournament.
Southern Idaho Golden Eagle No. 33 Guyjustone Kasenga takes the ball to the rim against Howard Hawk No. 3 Daniel Culbertson.
Southern Idaho Golden Eagle No. 12 Ace Reiser puts up a jump shot, guarded by Howard Hawk No. 3 Daniel Culbertson. Reiser was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Golden Eagle No. 1 Jalen Lyn guards the ball against the Howard Hawks. Lyn scored 19 points for the Golden Eagles and was named to the All-Tournament Team.