The Lowdown: Bethany College at Friends University

Location: Garvey Center

When: Saturday, Feb. 3 @ 5 pm

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Flying with the Falcons: The Friends University Falcons have won eight straight games following a convincing 85-58 victory at McPherson College Wednesday night. (Jan. 31). The win extends the Falcons' longest streak since winning 15 consecutive games in the 2017-18 season. Read the full game recap HERE!

The trio of Rayland Garner, Taylor Jackson and Lauryn McIver are the Falcons' backbone this season, with Garner standing second in the KCAC in scoring (17.6 ppg) and Jackson tied for the league lead in rebounding (10.7 rpg) and ranking first in blocks (2.7 bpg) along with 13.7 ppg. Jackson's blocks per game are also second in the NAIA and McIver is second in the conference with a team-leading 4.8 assists per game.

The Falcons have been extremely stingy defensively, holding the opposition to just a 33.8 field-goal percentage overall and a 27.9 percent clip from the perimeter.  

Scouting the Swedes: The Bethany College Swedes also come in a hot streak, winners of six of their last seven games for a 12-9 overall record and a 10-5 mark in the KCAC. Included in that stretch was the Swedes handing the Tabor College Bluejays their only conference loss at home on Jan. 13.

R'Manie Pulling is leading the Swedes with 12.7 ppg this season, while Lauren Gleason is tops on the team in rebounding (6.1 rpg). Jaden Newfarmer averages 6.0 rpg and leads Bethany with 2.3 assists per game.  

The Series: The two schools split the season series last year, with the Swedes winning 61-49 at home in the regular season and the Falcons returning the favor with a 54-49 victory in the KCAC Postseason Tournament quarterfinal round in Lindsborg, Kan. Prior to a season split in the 2018-19 season, the Falcons had won 19 straight meetings in the series. In the 2019-20 and 20-21 seasons, each team won on their home floor, but the Swedes won the rubber matchup of the 19-20 campaign at home in the KCAC postseason tournament quarterfinal round.      

Quoting Head Coach Dean Jaderston 

"For the past couple of years Bethany has been a tough opponent for us. When we handle their pressure and take care of the ball, we are usually very efficient on the offensive end against them. This time of the year every game brings a little more pressure. With only seven more regular season conference games left, every game takes on a little more importance in the conference race. The keys for us every game are lowering turnovers, rebounding well from all five positions, and trusting ball movement. When we do that we're a pretty solid team."

Reliable Defense: Junior forward Taylor Jackson collected her fifth KCAC Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week honor of the 2023-24 campaign and the 14^th overall nod for her career on Monday (Jan. 29). Read the full release HERE!

Lending a Helping Hand: Friends University sophomore guard Lauryn McIver has made an immediate impact in her first season with the program, particularly distributing the ball. McIver tied a modern-era single-game record with 11 assists in the Falcons' 79-69 victory at Evangel University before dishing out 10 more helpers in a 85-58 win at McPherson College (Jan. 31). For the season, McIver leads the Falcons and is second in the KCAC with 4.8 assists per game.

70 is a Serious Number: The Falcons have won 15 of 16 games when limiting the opposition to below the 70-point mark, but are 1-4 when allowing at least 70 points. Conversely, the Falcons are a perfect 15-0 when scoring at least 70 points themselves, but have lost five of six games when failing to reach the 70-point mark.

Make or Miss League: Sometimes basketball can be broken down in its most simplistic terms: The team that shoots the ball better wins the majority of the time.  That has proven to be true thus far for the Falcons, as they're 15-1 when leading in field-goal percentage, but have lost four of five games the opposition has shot better from the field.

Sharing is Caring: The Falcons have won all 12 games when leading in assists, but are just 3-5 when the opposition records more helpers.  Friends won the only game that the assist count was even.

Block Parties: Taylor Jackson has been a major deterrent for the Falcons inside since joining the program for the 2021-22 season. Jackson has collected 14 KCAC Defensive Player of the Week awards for her career and has won five this year, including four of the last five weekly nods.  The Houston, Texas native is the Falcons' modern-era career leader in blocks with 260 swats for her career.

Sponsor Alerts: Friends University Athletics is excited to have Home2 Suites by Hilton as an official athletic sponsor this season! For more on what they can offer, click HERE to visit their official webpage.

Falcons by the Numbers

Overall record: 16-5

KCAC: 13-2

Home: 9-2

Road: 7-3

Neutral: 0-0

When scoring:                                          

Under 50 points: 0-2

50-59 points: 0-3

60-69 points: 1-0

70-79 points: 9-0

80-89 points: 4-0

90+ points:  2-0

When allowing:

Under 50 points: 4-0

50-59 points: 5-1

60-69 points: 6-0

70-79 points: 1-3

80-89 points: 0-1

90+ points: 0-0

When leading at halftime: 13-0

When trailing at halftime: 3-5

When tied at halftime: 0-0

When committing fewer turnovers: 8-1

When committing more turnovers: 5-4

When turnovers are even: 3-0

When leading in field-goal percentage: 15-1

When trailing in field-goal percentage: 1-4

When field-goal percentage is even: 0-0

When leading in three-point percentage: 11-1

When trailing in three-point percentage: 5-4

When leading in rebounding: 13-2

When trailing in rebounding: 3-3

When rebounding is even: 0-0

When leading in assists: 12-0

When trailing in assists: 3-5

When assists are even: 1-0

In OT: 0-0

The Coaches:

Dean Jaderston is in his fifth season at the helm of the Friends University women's basketball program. The Falcon women's basketball program has seen considerable growth under his leadership both on and off the court.  Last year the team finished 17-14, catching fire at the end of the season, making it all the way to the KCAC tournament championship game at Hartman Arena.

Jaderston brings a wealth of experience to Friends University, with over 30 years of coaching high school and college basketball (13 years high school and 23 years at the college level). Last season he recorded his 300th career collegiate win on December 13th vs. Tabor College.

As a men's basketball coach Jaderston was a two-time KCAC Coach of the Year. He coached six NAIA All-America performers during his tenure at Sterling College. He also led his teams to two KCAC championships and one KCAC tournament championship.

Prior to taking over at Sterling, Jaderston served in the dual role of men's basketball head coach and assistant athletic director at Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL for five seasons.

Before entering the college ranks he spent eight seasons as both the head girls' basketball and head girls' and boys' tennis coach at Rosemount High School in Rosemount, MN, and 4 years as the head boys' basketball coach at Eastview High School in Apple Valley, MN.

As an athlete Jaderston was a successful college basketball player at Crown College in St. Bonifacius, MN.  He was a four-time all-conference selection while helping the team advance to four national tournaments. He also earned All-America and Academic All-America during his college career.

He also competed in tennis for three years at Crown and was a two-time conference singles and three-time conference doubles champion.

Jaderston and his wife Julie have been married for 34 years and are active in youth and camping ministries. They currently serve as executive directors of a premier summer Christian family conference called Northern Pines of Minnesota. They have 3 married sons and 7 grandchildren.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts in History/Secondary Education from Crown College in 1989 and then completed a Master of Arts in Adlerian Counseling and Psychotherapy from Adler Graduate School in 1998.

Sarah Bartel is in her first season as head coach of the Bethany College women's basketball team. Bartel is familiar with the program, having served as an assistant coach for the Swedes for two seasons along with occupying the role of Resident Director and Administrative Assistant for the Athletic Department.

Prior to arriving at Bethany, Bartel was an assistant coach at Coffeyville Community College for two years.      

Up Next: The Falcons will be at Ottawa University Wednesday evening (Feb. 7) for a 6 pm tip-off in Ottawa, Kan. Friends knocked off the Braves 77-61 in the first meeting of the season back on Dec. 2 in Wichita.