WINONA LAKE, Ind. — Southeastern continued its postseason run on Friday night by defeating Madonna 91–80 in the First Round of the 2026 NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center. The victory marks the Fire's first win in the national tournament since 2023 and advances Southeastern into the Second Round of the Winona Lake Bracket hosted by Grace College.
Behind a dominant performance from
Daivion Traylor and a balanced offensive attack, the Fire controlled much of the game and used a strong second half to separate from the Crusaders after a tightly contested opening period.
Southeastern finished the night shooting 51.4 percent from the field while outrebounding Madonna 41–40 and forcing 19 turnovers. The Fire also scored 54 points in the paint and added 18 fast-break points, repeatedly turning defensive stops into transition opportunities.
The Crusaders struck first in the opening minutes, briefly building a small early lead before Southeastern settled in offensively. A three-pointer from
Mylo Santos and several interior finishes by Traylor helped the Fire erase the early deficit and begin to establish rhythm on the offensive end.
Both teams traded runs throughout the first half. Madonna relied heavily on Joey Liedel, who connected on several three-point attempts and kept the Crusaders within striking distance. The back-and-forth pace continued as neither team was able to create much separation.
Southeastern responded with timely scoring from multiple players.
Anthony Kangah knocked down a pair of three-pointers,
Nathan Mikkelson provided interior rebounding and second-chance opportunities, and Santos continued to attack the basket.
In the closing seconds of the first half, Santos delivered a key play that sent the Fire into the locker room with momentum. After a missed jumper, he gathered the offensive rebound and converted a layup with two seconds remaining to give Southeastern a narrow 47–46 lead at halftime.
The second half opened with more back-and-forth action as Madonna briefly reclaimed the lead early in the period. Southeastern quickly answered, however, as
Jayson Nixon and Santos sparked a run that shifted the momentum back toward the Fire.
Traylor then began to take control of the game inside. The forward dominated the paint with a series of finishes at the rim, including multiple dunks and put-back opportunities that extended Southeastern's lead. His physical presence on both ends helped the Fire maintain control through the middle portion of the half.
Midway through the second half, Madonna fought back to tie the game at 70–70 following a fast-break layup by Makyle Doss. The Crusaders appeared poised to threaten the Fire's lead, but Southeastern responded immediately.
Mikkelson converted a layup to put the Fire back in front, and Traylor followed with another strong finish inside to push the advantage to four. Nixon added a transition basket moments later, giving Southeastern a 76–70 lead and forcing Madonna to chase the game down the stretch.
With just over three minutes remaining, Kangah delivered one of the game's most important shots. After an offensive rebound, the ball swung to the perimeter where Kangah buried a three-pointer to stretch the Fire lead to seven at 83–76.
From there, Southeastern closed the game at the free throw line and continued to dominate the glass. Traylor added a late three-point play and another basket inside to seal the victory as the Fire pulled away in the final minutes.
Traylor led Southeastern with a game-high 29 points on an efficient 13-of-14 shooting performance while also grabbing 10 rebounds for a double-double.
Santos added 24 points and five rebounds while contributing defensively with two steals. Mikkelson also recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, helping the Fire control the interior throughout the contest.
Nixon orchestrated the offense with 12 points and nine assists, while Kangah contributed 12 points and three made three-pointers to round out Southeastern's balanced scoring effort.
Madonna was led by Liedel's 28 points and eight rebounds, while Ahmoni Weston added 15 points and Doss chipped in 14 off the bench. Despite their offensive production, the Crusaders struggled to match Southeastern's efficiency in the second half, shooting just 36.4 percent from the floor after halftime.
The Fire's defensive pressure also proved significant. Southeastern recorded five steals and five blocks while forcing difficult shot attempts down the stretch. The Fire held Madonna to 42.3 percent shooting overall and just 16.7 percent from three-point range in the second half.
With the win, Southeastern moves on to face host Grace on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET for a chance to claim the bracket title and advance to the NAIA Round of 16 in Kansas City.
