WICHITA, Kan. – The Friends University Falcons overcame a slow start to power past the Bethany College Swedes 75-66 to extend their winning streak to nine games tonight (Feb. 3) inside the Garvey Center. The nine straight wins is the most for the Falcons since winning 15 in a row during the 2017-18 season. Friends is now 17-5 overall on the season and remain third in the KCAC with a 14-2 conference mark.
Trailing by double-figures at 19-9 at the end of the first quarter, the Falcons got going and outscored the Swedes 28-15 in the second period.
Rayland Garner ignited the turnaround with eight points to ignite a 12-0 burst to begin the quarter.
Following an 11-2 spurt that put the Swedes back in front, Kori Babock drew a foul and hit three free throws before nailing a trey to bookend an identical 11-2 push for the Falcons and make it 35-32.
Friends carried that same margin of 37-34 into the break.
The back-and-forth action continued through the first half of the third quarter before a three-point play from Taylor Jackson and three-pointer by Trinity Johnson capped a 13-2 run to turn a one-point deficit into the Falcons' first double-digit lead of the game at 56-46.
The Falcons were up by nine going to the fourth and with the lead still at nine points, R'Manie Pulling scored four straight to help the Swedes claw within four at the 5:21 mark.
It was still a four-point lead for the Falcons when Jackson scored inside and then nailed two free throws to increase the lead back to 73-65 and Friends wasn't seriously threatened from that point.
"Tonight was good for us," said Friends women's basketball head coach Dean Jaderston. "We got a taste of the pressure and intensity that teams play with at the end of the season. That was the hardest we've been pressed all year, and once we adjusted to it we were fine. I thought we did a good job of not panicking after a slow start, but instead got back to what we do best. I was also pleased with the performance off our bench. We got a great surge at both ends of the court and we'll need that coming down the stretch."
Jackson, the KCAC Defensive Player of the Week for the fifth time this season, anchored the Falcons with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds along with three blocks. Garner scored 17 and Lauryn McIver led Friends with four assists. Babcock also finished in double-figure scoring with 10 points.
Pulling paced the Swedes (12-10, 10-6 KCAC) with 18 points, with Lauren Gleason and Jaden Newfarmer each pulling down a team-leading nine boards.
Friends held a 46-42 edge in rebounding and outshot Bethany 43.5 percent to 37 percent.
The Falcons will next 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.
