WICHITA, Kan. — The No. 18 Friends University Falcons fell to the No. 13 Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles, 83-77, in a tightly contested matchup on Wednesday night (Nov. 19). Friends held a 45-37 lead at halftime, but Oklahoma Wesleyan surged in the second half, outscoring the Falcons 46-32 to secure the victory. 

The Falcons first half was fueled by Jackson Swartz, who provided an immediate spark off the bench with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a pair of threes. Ringo Deng steered the offennse dishing out five first-half assists as Friends built its eight-point advantage. 

However, the Eagles flipped the momentum after the break, using a 46 point surge relying on interior scoring and a major presence on the glass. Oklahoma Wesleyan grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and forced 20 Falcon turnovers, key factors in their second-half push.

The Falcons stayed within striking distance behind Randy Woolf, Jr.'s team-high 19 points, six rebounds, and six assists, shooting 7-of-13 from the field. Deng delivered a well-rounded effort with 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists, one block and a steal. Cahlese Lee added 10 points with three made threes and four rebounds, while Collin Maclin contributed 7 points, two steals, and two assists. The Falcons finished with 20 assists on 26 made shots, connecting on 13 made three-pointers. 

Friends stands at 4-2 overall and 1-1 in KCAC play and now turns its attention to Saturday (Nov. 22), when the Falcons travel to York, Nebraska, to face the York University Panthers. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.