The Lowdown: Hesston College Larks at No. 14 Friends University
Location: Wichita, Kan. | Garvey Center
When: Thursday, Dec. 18 @ 2:00 PM
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Flying with the Falcons: The No. 14 Falcons enter Thursday's non-conference matchup with a 9-2 overall record and riding a five-game winning streak. Friends is coming off an impressive 89-78 KCAC road victory over McPherson, improving to 6-1 in conference play.
Cahlese Lee continues to pace the Falcons, averaging 15.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 38.7 percent from beyond the arc. Lee is coming off a strong performance against McPherson, where he knocked down five three-pointers.
Collin Maclin provides 13.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, while Randy Woolf, Jr. continues to be an all-around contributor with 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and a team-high 4.5 assists per game, shooting an efficient 48/47/85 from the field, three, and free-throw line.
Ringo Deng adds another versatile option, averaging 11.0 points, a team-high 5.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Deng is coming off a standout all-around outing against McPherson with 23 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.
Freshman Eli Benning has emerged as a key contributor off the bench, averaging 4.2 assists per game while leading both the team and the KCAC with 3.1 steals per contest.
Built on Efficiency: Through the first 11 games of the season, Friends has been one of the most efficient offensive teams in the KCAC. The Falcons rank third in the conference in scoring (84.5 points per game), made field goals per game (30.9), and field-goal percentage (48.2).
From beyond the arc, Friends leads the KCAC in three-point makes per game (10.5) and rank second in three-point percentage (38.3), a mark that ties the Falcons for 24th nationally in the NAIA. Friends also features two of the conference's top three-point shooters by percentage in Owen Evans (4th – 47.7%) and Woolf Jr. (5th – 47.1%).
Winning the Possession Game: Friends' offensive production is driven by elite ball movement, as the Falcons average 19.8 assists per game, ranking first in the KCAC, and sixth nationally in the NAIA, highlighting their ability to score efficiently while sharing the basketball. Woolf Jr. (T-1st), Benning (5th), and Deng (6th) all rank in the top 10 in the conference in assists per game.
As a team, Friends commits the fewest turnovers in the KCAC at 10.3 per game, while also ranking fourth in the conference in steals at 10.1 per contest. Benning leads the conference with 34 steals on the season.
Scouting the Larks: Hesston College recently transitioned to the NAIA and NCCAA in July after competing in the KJCCC. In their first season at the NAIA level, the Larks enter Thursday's matchup at 0-15 overall, coming off a 102-62 road loss at the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
Hesston is led by Brennon Dodge (11.7 ppg) and Trent Thompson (11.6 ppg), with Thompson pacing the Larks on the glass with 4.3 rebounds per game.
The Series: Thursday's matchup marks the first meeting between Hesston and Friends at the NAIA varsity level.
Falcons Trending Up: Friends' early success has now been reflected nationally, as the Falcons climbed seven spots to No. 14 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Top 25 poll released today (Dec. 17). HERE
The Falcons have won five straight and nine of their last 10 games, improving to 9–2 overall and 6–1 in KCAC play, highlighted by a victory over then-No. 17 Bethel and Saturday's 89–78 road win at McPherson.
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.
Where Games Are Won: Friends is 8-1 when committing fewer turnovers and a perfect 7-0 when leading in both field-goal and three-point percentage, highlighting the importance of execution for the Falcons.
Early Control: Falcons have also been strong when setting the tone early, posting a 6-1 record when leading at halftime.
Falcons by the Numbers (2025-26)
Overall record: 9-2
KCAC: 6-1
Home: 3-2
Road: 4-0
Neutral: 2-0
When scoring:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 0-0
60-69 points: 0-0
70-79 points: 4-1
80-89 points: 3-1
90+ points: 2-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 1-0
60-69 points: 4-0
70-79 points: 4-0
80-89 points: 0-2
90+ points: 0-0
When leading at halftime: 6-1
When trailing at halftime: 2-1
When tied at halftime: 1-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 8-1
When committing more turnovers: 1-1
When turnovers are tied: 0-0
When leading in field-goal percentage: 7-0
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 2-2
When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 7-0
When trailing in three-point percentage: 2-2
When three-point percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in rebounding: 5-0
When trailing in rebounding: 4-2
When rebounding is tied: 0-0
When leading in assists: 8-1
When trailing in assists: 1-1
When assists are tied: 0-0
In OT: 0-0
The Coaches:
Phil McClintock is in his third season as head coach of the Friends University men's basketball program and has already transformed the Falcons into a national contender. Last season was the true breakout, as McClintock guided the Falcons to their most wins (24) in six years, the program's first NAIA National Tournament victory since 2013-14 and a second-place finish in the KCAC that saw the program fighting for the top spot until the final day of the regular season.
McClintock brought 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).
Matt Hiebert has led the Hesston College men's basketball program since 2020, guiding steady improvement and increasing the Larks' win total from seven in 2021 to 12 in 2022–23. Under his leadership, Hesston has earned multiple conference honors, ranked top-10 nationally in defensive three-point percentage and assists in 2023, and consistently produced strong academic teams.
Up Next: The Falcons take a brief break for Christmas before returning to action Wednesday, Dec. 31, traveling to Hastings, Neb., to face the Hastings College Broncos in their final game of 2025.
