The Lowdown: Tabor College at (RV) Friends University
Location: Garvey Center
When: Wednesday, Dec. 10 @ 6 pm
Broadcast
Live Stats
Flying with the Falcons: Abigail Barr scored the go-ahead bucket with 3.1 seconds left to give the (RV) Friends University Falcons a 64-62 win at Kansas Wesleyan University Saturday (Dec. 6). The Falcons are now 9-1 overall with a 4-1 mark in the KCAC, securing their best 10-game start since the 2007-08 campaign. Read all about the Falcons' win at KWU HERE!
Rayland Garner recently reached 1,000 career points and leads the KCAC in scoring (20.3 ppg) and is fourth in the league in rebounding (8.3 rpg) and fifth in steals (2.9 spg). Barr is second on the Falcons in scoring (15.7 ppg) and is third in the league in field-goal percentage (61.9) while averaging 6.5 rebounds per game. Lauryn McIver is averaging a solid stat line of 13.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg and a team-high 5.1 apg that ranks fourth in the KCAC. Katie Weiss has hit a team-leading 28 threes on a solid 37.8 percent shooting clip from three-point distance.
The Falcons currently rank third in the KCAC in points per game (78.9 ppg).
Scouting the Bluejays: The Tabor College Bluejays are 5-6 overall and 3-2 in the KCAC following a 76-46 win over York University last Saturday.
Lillie Veer is tops on Tabor in scoring with 11.7 ppg, with Tayton Smith averaging 10.5 ppg and leading the KCAC in rebounding (10.3 rpg) and ranking tied for third in the league in blocked shots (1.5 bpg). Hailey Contreras leads the Bluejays with 2.9 assists per game.
Tabor is holding opponents to a KCAC-low 57.7 points per game this season.
The Series: The Falcons are 21-24 vs. the Bluejays since 2004 but swept the season series last year. Friends is an even 11-11 against Tabor in Wichita during that stretch.
Promo Depot: We are proud to have Promo Depot as a sponsor of Friends University Athletics this season! Click HERE for more info on the services Promo Depot can offer!
Kansas Army National Guard: We are thrilled to have the Kansas Army National Guard on board with us this year as an official sponsor! Click HERE to visit their website.
Irresistible Force meets the Immovable Object: The Falcons currently rank third in the KCAC in scoring (78.9 ppg) this season and are set to square off against Tabor's top-ranked scoring defense (57.7 ppg).
Boarding School: The Falcons are a perfect 9-0 when leading in rebounding but fell to Evangel in the only game they were outrebounded.
Make it Make Sense: It's Basketball 101 that it's hard to win when losing the turnover battle, but the Falcons have defied that logic all season. Friends is a perfect 7-0 this season when committing more turnovers than the opposition.
Make or Miss League: The Falcons have won all nine games this season when leading in field-goal percentage but lost 95-88 to Evangel in the only game they've been outshot this season.
Welcome to the Club: Senior forward Rayland Garner recently became the eighth member of the Falcons' 1,000 career point club during the modern era with a game-high 28 points to help the Falcons win 65-59 over Oklahoma Wesleyan University (Nov. 19).
Falcons by the Numbers
Overall record: 9-1
KCAC: 4-1
Home: 5-1
Road: 4-0
Neutral: 0-0
When scoring:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 0-0
60-69 points: 3-0
70-79 points: 1-0
80-89 points: 4-1
90+ points: 1-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 2-0
60-69 points: 5-0
70-79 points: 1-0
80-89 points: 0-0
90+ points: 1-1
When leading at halftime: 6-0
When trailing at halftime: 3-1
When tied at halftime: 0-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 1-0
When committing more turnovers: 7-0
When turnovers are even: 1-1
When leading in field-goal percentage: 9-0
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 0-1
When field-goal percentage is even: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 7-1
When trailing in three-point percentage: 2-0
When leading in rebounding: 9-0
When trailing in rebounding: 0-1
When rebounding is even: 0-0
When leading in assists: 7-0
When trailing in assists: 1-1
When assists are even: 1-0
In OT: 1-0
The Coaches:
Dean Jaderston is in his seventh 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 an 81-43 record over the past four years, including two trips to the KCAC championship game in the past three seasons.
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 38. They also currently serve as executive directors of a premier summer Christian family conference called Northern Pines of Minnesota. They have three married sons and nine grandchildren.
Shawn Reed is in his 15th season as head coach of the Tabor College Bluejays. A four-time KCAC Coach of the Year, Reed has guided Tabor to four KCAC regular-season titles, six league tournament championships, eight NAIA National Tournament appearances and eight 20-win seasons. In 2023, Reed guided the Bluejays to the trifecta with KCAC regular season and tourney titles and an NAIA National Tournament berth. He entered this season with 292 career victories and is Tabor's all-time winningest head coach.
Up Next: The Falcons will wrap up play before the Christmas Break at McPherson College Saturday (Dec. 13) for a 1 pm tip-off in McPherson, Kan. Friends won't play again until Dec. 31 at (RV) Columbia College.
