WICHITA, Kan. -- The Friends University Falcons fell 78-65 to the Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes in a KCAC matchup today (Dec. 7) inside the Garvey Center. 

The game was even at 52-52 heading to the fourth quarter and the Falcons grabbed a one-point lead of 60-59 on a score by Kori Babcock at the 8:03 mark.  

But KWU took control from there, with a three-point play by Angel Lee igniting a 12-1 burst that put the Coyotes in front to stay. 

The Coyotes stayed in command and stretched the lead up to 14 with 2:03 left. 

The first quarter was competitive, with both teams exchanging leads. The Coyotes began with a 7-2 run, aided by LaMyah Ricks' early contributions, including a steal and a two-pointer. The Falcons responded with a strong sequence from Lauryn McIver, who hit a 3-pointer and later tied the game at 16 with a two-point shot. Kansas Wesleyan briefly regained the lead with Jill Stephens' three consecutive free throws, but Abigail Barr's late basket in the paint secured Friends a one-point advantage, closing the quarter at 20-19.

The second quarter began with Kourtney Kaufman hitting a 3-pointer , assisted by Angel Lee that put the Coyotes back in front. Friends quickly responded when McIver hit a three of her own followed by Babcock's assist to McIver for another basket, bringing the score to 25-22 in favor of the Falcons.  Ricks and Kaufman added 3-pointers for the Coyotes, but Friends regained momentum with Barr's two-pointer and Babcock's 3-pointer, leading to a 32-28 advantage. The quarter concluded with McIver converting two free throws, giving Friends a narrow 40-38 lead at the break.

The third quarter continued to be tightly contested, as a score by Barr was countered by Lee's 2-pointer for the Coyotes. Ricks tied the game at 42 with a shot in the paint, but Kyla Frenchers added four consecutive points to put the Falcons up 49-47 before Stephens hit a trey for the Coyotes to tie the score at 52, with Odessa Ozuna assisting. 

McIver led the Falcons (5-5, 3-2 KCAC) with 18 points, including two 3-pointers along with six rebounds and two assists. Barr also made a significant impact with 17 points and seven boards, shooting 7-for-13 from the field. Babcock added 12 points and led the team with two steals, while also securing five rebounds. Frenchers showcased her defensive skills with a team-high three steals and contributed seven points. 

Ricks paced the Coyotes (9-2, 5-0 KCAC) with 20 points, hitting eight of 16 field goal attempts, including three 3-pointers. She also recorded five assists and three steals, while Lee scored 16 points on five-of-nine shooting with four assists.  Jocelyn Hall collected a team-leading eight rebounds for KWU. 

With the KCAC's leading rebounder Taylor Jackson forced to miss her first game of the season due to an injury, the Falcons were outrebounded (29-24) for only the second time in the 2024-25 campaign. 

Game Notes:
- The Falcons will next play at Tabor College Wednesday evening (Dec. 11) for a 6 pm tipoff in Hillsboro, Kan.