WICHITA, Kan. - The No. 21 Friends University Falcons defeated the Tabor College Bluejays 89–75 on Wednesday night (Dec. 10), using a dominant second half to pull away and secure the victory. The Falcons turned defense into offense all evening, converting 30 points off the Bluejays' 20 turnovers and outscoring Tabor 56–42 after the break. Friends built its largest lead to 19 before closing out the 14-point win.
It was a tale of two halves for Friends. The Falcons entered halftime tied 33–33 after shooting just 34 percent from the field and 28 percent from beyond the arc. Friends delivered an improved offensive performance after the break, shooting 60% from the floor and 53% from beyond the arc. The Falcons finished the game shooting 47% from the field, and 41% from beyond the arc, with 32 points in the paint, 20 assists, and 15 steals, capitalizing on Tabor's mistakes and converting them into 30 points off turnovers.
It wasn't until the 3:26 mark in the second half that the Falcons created decisive separation, using a 9–2 run punctuated by three consecutive made threes on three straight possessions. A three from Owen Evans at the 1:12 mark widened the margin to 17, sealing the Falcons' control down the stretch.
Five Falcons scored in double figures, led by Randy Woolf, Jr., who posted 14 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Ringo Deng added 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Al Emerllahu chipped in 10 points, two rebounds, and two steals. Collin Maclin anchored the glass with a team-high seven rebounds to go along with nine points.
The Friends bench delivered a major spark, combining for 37 points. Eli Benning paced the offense and defense for the Falcons with seven assists, four rebounds, four steals, a block, along with nine points. Evans provided perimeter scoring, knocking down four 3-pointers for 12 points, while Jackson Swartz offered efficient production with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting and six rebounds.
With the victory, the Falcons improve to 5–1 in KCAC play and 8–2 overall, extending their winning streak to four games. Friends will hit the road to McPherson, Kansas on Saturday (Dec. 13) for a matchup against the McPherson College Bulldogs. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
