The Lowdown: Sterling College at Friends University

Location: Garvey Center

When: Wednesday, Jan. 8 @ 8 pm

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Flying with the Falcons: The Friends University Falcons recorded their highest scoring conference game in five years with a 110-88 victory at the Ottawa University Braves last Saturday (Jan. 4) in Ottawa. The Falcons last scored that much in a KCAC game in a 112-104 win at Sterling College on Jan. 15, 2020.  The win pushed the Falcons to 10-4 overall and into a tie with the Braves for third place in the KCAC at 6-2 in the league. Read the full recap at Ottawa HERE! 

KJ Spiller leads Friends with 16.4 ppg along with a team-leading 6.6 rebounds per game. Kee'on Hutton (10.9 ppg), Cahlese Lee (10.9 ppg) and Randy Woolf, Jr. (10.1 ppg) are also scoring in double-figures this season to give the Falcons a balanced offensive attack. Wolf, Jr. leads the Falcons with 3.7 assists and Lee has recorded a team-leading 1.6 steals.

Scouting the Warriors: The Sterling College Warriors come in on a three-game losing skid and are now 9-5 overall and an even 4-4 in the KCAC.

Jayden Garrison is tops on the Warriors in scoring with 15.9 ppg, while Mooch Austin (13.6 ppg) and Damond Daniels (10.6 ppg) are also averaging double-digit scoring. Elias Ngoga leads the Warriors with 6.1 rebounds per game and Elijah Herron has a team-leading three assists per game.

The Series: The Falcons secured a 92-85 double-overtime victory at home last year and have won 14 of the past 16 meetings overall against the Warriors. Friends has also won 14 of 20 games over Sterling in Wichita since 2004.

Quoting head coach Phil McClintock:      

"Sterling is a good team with a lot of returners. They have some really good wins this year and will be a good test for us. We are looking forward to getting back home, not only for tomorrow, but for the next 3 games."

Top Conference Honor: KJ Spiller snagged his first career KCAC Men's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week award after averaging 17.0 ppg and five rebounds in two Falcon victories this past week, including a team-high 22 points in the Falcons' offensive explosion at Ottawa. Read the full release HERE!

High-level security: The Falcons are 9-1 when committing fewer turnovers but have dropped three of four games when losing the turnover battle this season.

Glass House: The Falcons have won all nine games when leading in rebounding but are just 1-4 when the opposition controls the boards.

Half Good: When taking a lead into the locker room this season, the Falcons have won nine of 10 games. But they're just 1-3 when trailing at the break.

Straight Shooters: The Falcons are 9-1 when outshooting the opposition from the field but are 1-3 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: 10-4

KCAC: 6-2 

Home: 3-2 

Road: 5-2

Neutral: 2-0 

When scoring:                                              

Under 50 points: 0-0 

50-59 points: 0-1 

60-69 points: 0-1

70-79 points: 3-2 

80-89 points: 3-0 

90+ points: 4-0 

When allowing: 

Under 50 points: 

50-59 points: 3-0 

60-69 points: 3-0 

70-79 points: 3-2 

80-89 points: 1-2 

90+ points: 0-0 

When leading at halftime: 9-1 

When trailing at halftime: 1-3

When tied at halftime: 0-0 

When committing fewer turnovers: 9-1 

When committing more turnovers: 1-3 

When turnovers are tied: 0-0 

When leading in field-goal percentage: 9-1

When trailing in field-goal percentage: 1-3 

When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0 

When leading in three-point percentage: 7-1

When trailing in three-point percentage: 3-2 

When three-point percentage is tied: 0-1

When leading in rebounding: 9-0 

When trailing in rebounding: 1-4 

When rebounding is tied: 0-0 

When leading in assists: 7-1 

When trailing in assists: 3-3 

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).  

Randy Stange is in his third season at the helm of the Sterling College men's basketball program.

In his first season with the team, Stange guided the Warriors to a 17-17 record, a 15-game improvement from the previous year.

Stange came to Sterling from Johnson County Community College following a five-year stint as Athletic Director at JCCC.

His coaching career also includes serving as head coach at Hutchinson Community College and assistant coaching stints at Kansas State University, Saint Louis University and his alma mater, Missouri State University.   

Up Next: The Falcons will continue their three-game homestand vs. No. 24-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan University Saturday evening (Jan. 11) at 5 pm.