WICHITA, Kan. — The No. 24 Friends University Falcons came up short in their home and season opener, falling 95–87 to No. 8 Northwestern College Red Raiders on Saturday (Oct. 25).

After trailing by 20 at halftime, the Falcons mounted a strong second-half comeback, outscoring the Raiders 53–41 and showing impressive resilience against one of the nation's top-ranked teams. Friends capitalized on Northwestern's mistakes, scoring 25 points off 15 turnovers, while committing only seven of their own.

Despite the Falcons' balanced offensive effort, featuring 44 points in the paint, 20 assists, and a 49% shooting mark from the field, the Raiders' hot shooting proved difficult to overcome. Northwestern hit 14 three-pointers and shot nearly 62% from the floor to maintain their lead throughout the contest.

The Falcons had five players score in double figures. Randy Woolf Jr. led the way with 18 points, knocking down six field goals, including two from beyond the arc. Collin Maclin followed with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, adding five assists and committing no turnovers. Ringo Deng filled the stat sheet with 12 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists while adding one block, one steal, and committing no turnovers. Cahlese Lee contributed 13 points and two assists, while Devin Davis provided a spark off the bench with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

The Falcons will look to bounce back as they hit the road next Thursday (Oct. 30) to face the Baker University Wildcats in Baldwin City, Kan. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.