The Lowdown: Bethel College at (RV) Friends University

Location: Garvey Center

When: Wednesday, Jan. 22 @ 8 pm

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Flying with the Falcons: The (RV) Friends University Falcons outscored the Bethany College Swedes 46-29 in the second half and got career-high performances from three different players in an 89-68 victory Saturday night (Jan. 18) in Lindsborg Kan. The win keeps the Falcons in a tie for the second spot in the league with a 9-3 conference mark. Read the full recap vs. Bethany HERE!

KJ Spiller leads Friends with 16.8 ppg along with a team-leading 6.2 rebounds per game. Cahlese Lee (12.2 ppg) and Randy Woolf, Jr. (10.8 ppg) are also scoring in double-figures this season to give the Falcons a balanced offensive attack. Wolf, Jr. has dished out a team-leading 3.9 assists that is tied for fourth in the KCAC, with Lee recording a team-leading 1.6 steals.

Scouting the Threshers: The Bethel College Threshers come in on a five-game winning streak and are now 12-6 overall and 8-4 in the KCAC.

Carmelo Yakubu is anchoring the Threshers this season, posting team-highs in points (16.2 ppg), rebounds (7.3 rpg) and assists (3.8 apg). Bethel is also getting double-digit scoring from Eli Wiseman (13.2 ppg), Cade Kittrell (11.3 ppg) and Harper Jonas (10.6 ppg).

The Series: The Falcons won the first meeting this season 76-74 on the road to snap a four-game losing skid in the series. Friends is 32-11 vs. Bethel since 2005, including a 23-game winning streak from 2005-2015. The Falcons are also 18-4 against the Threshers in Wichita during that span.    

Quoting head coach Phil McClintock:      

"This is a big game for us with Bethel coming in playing really well and on a win streak. It will require a lot of toughness, and togetherness to compete with them. We are excited for the challenge!"

FCA Night: Tonight is FCA Night, with $1 of every ticket sold going to support the Friends University FCA program, operated by Keith Townsend. Anyone unable to attend tonight is still able to donate to Townsend's program by clicking HERE!

Glass House: The Falcons have won all 11 games when leading in rebounding but are just 2-5 when the opposition controls the boards.

Half Good: When taking a lead into the locker room this season, the Falcons have won 10 of 11 games. But they've gone 3-4 when trailing at the break.

Straight Shooters: The Falcons are 11-2 when outshooting the opposition from the field but are 2-3 when the opposing team records a higher field-goal percentage.

SCHEELS: We are proud to have Scheels as a sponsor of Friends University Athletics this season!  Click HERE for more info on the Scheels store in Wichita.

Falcons by the Numbers: 

Overall record: 13-5

KCAC: 9-3 

Home: 5-3 

Road: 6-2

Neutral: 2-0 

When scoring:                                              

Under 50 points: 0-0 

50-59 points: 0-1 

60-69 points: 0-2

70-79 points: 3-2 

80-89 points: 6-0 

90+ points: 4-0 

When allowing: 

Under 50 points: 

50-59 points: 3-0 

60-69 points: 4-0 

70-79 points: 4-2 

80-89 points: 2-3

90+ points: 0-0 

When leading at halftime: 10-1 

When trailing at halftime: 3-4

When tied at halftime: 0-0 

When committing fewer turnovers: 9-2

When committing more turnovers: 4-3 

When turnovers are tied: 0-0 

When leading in field-goal percentage: 11-2

When trailing in field-goal percentage: 2-3 

When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0 

When leading in three-point percentage: 8-1

When trailing in three-point percentage: 5-3 

When three-point percentage is tied: 0-1

When leading in rebounding: 11-0 

When trailing in rebounding: 2-5 

When rebounding is tied: 0-0 

When leading in assists: 10-1 

When trailing in assists: 3-4

When assists are tied: 0-0 

In OT: 0-0 

The Coaches: 

Phil McClintock is in his second season as head coach of the Friends University men's basketball program.  

McClintock brings a stark familiarity of the KCAC to Friends, highlighted by an eight-year tenure as Associate Men's Basketball Head Coach at Ottawa University. 

At Ottawa, McClintock served as the recruiting coordinator and was responsible for film breakdown and scouting reports. 

2019-20 was a breakout season, as McClintock brought in six of the team's top 10 players that produced a school-record 28 victories, a regular season KCAC championship and an NAIA Sweet 16 appearance (tournament ended early due to COVID-19). 

In addition to his basketball coaching experience at Ottawa, McClintock has also been the Braves Men's and Women's Golf head coach for the past four seasons. 

McClintock's first basketball head coaching position came at Salem high school, where he spent three seasons and guided the team in the 2014-15 campaign to their first winning record in eight years. 

A strong developer of young players, McClintock has served as a Camp Coach at the KU Bill Self Basketball Camps every year since 2012. His responsibilities at the camp include running drills, coaching teams and developing player skills. 

His first career coaching job was a two-year tenure as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at William Woods University from 2010-12. 

McClintock also played collegiately at Ottawa and enjoyed immense success, earning two NAIA All-America honors, a pair of All-KCAC nods while finishing his career as the all-time leader in blocked shots and top five all-time in scoring, rebounding and steals.

An Ottawa University Hall of Fame inductee in 2021, he helped the Braves to two conference titles and a pair of NAIA Sweet 16 berths. 

A 2009 graduate of Ottawa University in Physical Education and Health, McClintock then earned his Master of Education in Athletics/Activities Administration from William Woods University in 2012. 

McClintock and his wife Kirsten have three boys, Lawson (15), Jackson (11), and Bodie (three).  

Jayson Artaz is in his seventh season at the helm of the Bethel College Threshers and has guided the Threshers to three NAIA National Tournament appearances in the last four years, including consecutive appearances in the Round of 16 for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Artaz was named the KCAC Coach of the Year for the 2020-21 campaign after leading the Threshers to the conference regular season and tournament championship.

Artaz began his head coaching tenure at Bethel with a stark familiarity with the program, having served as the team's lead assistant coach from 2014-18. Prior to arriving at Bethel, Artaz spent eight years coaching at the high school as both an assistant and head coach, including a stop as an assistant coach at Valley Center High School.

Artaz also played at Bethel and was a second-team all-conference selection in 2005 while still holding the program's single-season three-point record (96, 2004-05). 

Up Next: The Falcons will play at Kansas Wesleyan University Saturday night (Jan. 25) at 8 pm in Salina, Kan.