The Lowdown: Bethel College at Friends University
Location: Garvey Center
When: Wednesday, Jan. 22 @ 6:00 pm
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Flying with the Falcons: The Friends University Falcons won both games this past week to stretch their KCAC winning streak to seven games. The Falcons outscored the Bethany College Swedes 31-9 in the fourth quarter to win 81-57 on Saturday (Jan 18) to remain in the second spot in the KCAC with a 10-2 league record along with a 12-6 overall mark. Read the full recap vs. Bethany HERE!
Lauryn McIver is tops on the Falcons in both scoring (14.8 ppg) and assists (3.3 apg), with Taylor Jackson averaging a double-double of 13.9 ppg and a KCAC-leading 12.5 rebounds this season along with a league-leading 2.1 blocks per game.
Abigail Barr (12.1 ppg) and Kori Babcock (11.7 ppg) are also averaging double-figure points, with Babcock leading the Falcons with 41 threes and Barr ranking second on the team and fifth in the KCAC in rebounds (8.5 rpg).
Scouting the Threshers: The Bethel College Threshers have won four straight games to improve to 10-8 overall and 7-3 in the KCAC. The Threshers started their four-game win streak by handing current KCAC frontrunner Kansas Wesleyan University its only conference loss thus far.
Kendall Locke is tops on the Threshers in scoring (16.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg) along with a KCAC-leading 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Natalie Richards is second on the team with 15.5 ppg and Madyson McKinzie is next at 11.9 ppg.
The Series: The Falcons lost the first matchup this season 73-69 on the road but are 32-12 overall in the series since the 2004-05 season. Friends is 17-5 in Wichita during that stretch, with three straight wins inside the Garvey.
Quoting Head Coach Dean Jaderston
"This should be a great game. Both teams are playing very well. Both play up -tempo, guard well, and have multiple weapons. Now that the conference race is taking shape, the stakes are high! We have to stop their transition game, take away their 3-point scoring, and stay in attack mode ourselves."
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!
Streaking Falcons: The Falcons have won their past seven KCAC games and are just one game out of first place with a 10-2 league record.
Always defensive: Taylor Jackson collected her 17th KCAC Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week honor on Monday (Jan. 20) after averaging 10.5 defensive rebounds per game and 3.5 blocks in two Falcon victories this past week. Jackson is the Falcons' modern-era blocks leader with 315 career swats and is at it again this season, ranking first in the KCAC in both blocks (2.1 bpg) and rebounds (12.5 rpg).
Make or Miss League: The Falcons are 12-2 when outshooting the opposition but have lost all four games that the opponent holds a higher shooting percentage.
Boarding School: The Falcons have controlled the glass this season, outrebounding the opposition in 15 of 18 games thus far, including 15 of 17 games when Taylor Jackson plays.
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: 12-6
KCAC: 10-2
Home: 6-3
Road: 5-3
Neutral: 1-0
When scoring:
Under 50 points: 1-2
50-59 points: 0-0
60-69 points: 3-4
70-79 points: 1-0
80-89 points: 7-0
90+ points: 0-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 2-0
50-59 points: 5-2
60-69 points: 1-1
70-79 points: 3-3
80-89 points: 1-0
90+ points: 0-0
When leading at halftime: 10-2
When trailing at halftime: 1-4
When tied at halftime: 1-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 2-1
When committing more turnovers: 9-3
When turnovers are even: 1-2
When leading in field-goal percentage: 12-2
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 0-4
When field-goal percentage is even: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 7-1
When trailing in three-point percentage: 5-5
When leading in rebounding: 12-3
When trailing in rebounding: 0-3
When rebounding is even: 0-0
When leading in assists: 9-2
When trailing in assists: 2-3
When assists are even: 1-1
In OT: 1-0
The Coaches:
Dean Jaderston is in his sixth 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. Their consistency and competitiveness have led to a 62-31 record over the past three years, including a trip to the KCAC tournament championship game in 2023.
Jaderston brought a wealth of experience to Friends University, having coached for over 30 years (24 years in college and 13 years in high school). On December 13, 2022 he recorded his 300th career collegiate win 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. In 2024 he was inducted into the Crown College Athletic Hall of Fame.
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.
Jaderston and his wife Julie have been married for 37 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 three married sons and eight grandchildren.
Rocky Lamar is currently the head coach of the Bethel College women's basketball program.
Up Next: It'll be a showdown between the KCAC's top two teams when the Falcons play at (RV) Kansas Wesleyan University Saturday evening (Jan. 25) at 6 pm in Salina, Kan.
