The Lowdown: No. 14 Friends University at Hastings College
Location: Hastings, Neb. | Lynn Farrell Arena
When: Wednesday, Dec. 31 @ 1:00 PM
Broadcast
Live Stats
Flying with the Falcons: The No. 14 Falcons enter Wednesday's non-conference matchup with a 10-2 overall record, riding a six-game winning streak. They come off a dominant 91-69 victory over Hesston College (Dec. 18), marking the program's quickest start to 10 wins since the 2013–14 season.
Cahlese Lee continues to lead the Falcons, averaging 15.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 38.7 percent from three-point range. He recently posted a double-double against Hesston, recording 13 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Collin Maclin contributes 13.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, coming off a season-high 19 points with nine rebounds and four assists. Ringo Deng provides another versatile option, averaging 10.9 points, a team-high six rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, highlighted by an all-around performance of 10 points and eight rebounds against Hesston.
Randy Woolf Jr. continues to be an all-around contributor, averaging 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and a team-high 4.5 assists per game while shooting an efficient 48/47/85 from the field, three-point range, and free-throw line. Al Emerllahu adds to the scoring attack, averaging 8.2 points per game on 53.8 percent shooting from the field, including 40.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Freshman Eli Benning has emerged as a key spark off the bench, averaging 4.2 assists per game and leading both the team and the KCAC with 3.1 steals per contest.
Built on Efficiency: Through the first 12 games of the season, Friends has been one of the most efficient offensive teams in the KCAC. The Falcons rank second in the conference in scoring (85.1 points per game), third in made field goals per game (31.2), and third in 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 (38.2), a mark that ties the Falcons for 24th nationally in the NAIA. Friends also features two of the conference's top three-point shooters in Owen Evans (6th – 48.8%) and Woolf Jr (4th – 47.1%).
Winning the Possession Game: Friends' offensive success is fueled by elite ball movement, as the Falcons average 20.3 assists per game—ranking first in the KCAC and sixth nationally in the NAIA—showcasing their ability to score efficiently while sharing the basketball. Randy Woolf Jr. (T-1st), Eli Benning (5th), and Ringo Deng (T-6th) all rank among the top 10 in the conference in assists per game.
Defensively, Friends excels at taking care of the ball, committing the fewest turnovers in the KCAC with just 10.2 per game, while also ranking fourth in the conference in steals at 10.0 per contest. Benning leads the KCAC with 34 steals on the season, averaging 3.1 steals per game.
Scouting the Broncos: Hastings College enters Wednesday's matchup with a 2-12 overall record, coming off an 80-58 road loss at Texas Wesleyan.
The Broncos are led by DaRon Hall, who averages 17.6 points per game, and Ben Boudreau, who contributes 14.1 points and leads the team with 4.0 assists per game. Maverick Binder anchors the glass, pacing Hastings with 4.8 rebounds per contest.
The Series: Wednesday's matchup marks the 18th meeting between the two programs. Friends claimed the most recent meeting with an 88–56 win over the Broncos in the Garvey Center during the 2024–25 season. Since the 2005–06 campaign, the Falcons trail the series 5–12, including a 0–7 record in road matchups at Hastings. The most recent road contest came in the 2021–22 season, when the Falcons fell 82–65.
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 (Dec. 17). HERE
The Falcons have won six straight and 10 of their last 11 games, improving to 10–2 overall and 6–1 in KCAC play.
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 9-1 when committing fewer turnovers and a perfect 8-0 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 7-1 record when leading at halftime.
Road Warriors: The Falcons have been tested away from home and responded well, entering Wednesday's matchup a perfect 4–0 on the road this season.
Buckets on Buckets on Buckets: Cahlese Lee, Ringo Deng, and Randy Woolf Jr. have each surpassed the 1,000-point career milestone this season. Lee reached the mark earlier in the season during the Falcons' win over Baker. Deng joined the 1,000-point club in the Falcons' victory against Kansas Wesleyan, followed by Woolf Jr. in the win over McPherson.
Falcons by the Numbers (2025-26)
Overall record: 10-2
KCAC: 6-1
Home: 4-2
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: 3-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 1-0
60-69 points: 5-0
70-79 points: 4-0
80-89 points: 0-2
90+ points: 0-0
When leading at halftime: 7-1
When trailing at halftime: 2-1
When tied at halftime: 1-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 9-1
When committing more turnovers: 1-1
When turnovers are tied: 0-0
When leading in field-goal percentage: 8-0
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 2-2
When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 8-0
When trailing in three-point percentage: 2-2
When three-point percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in rebounding: 6-0
When trailing in rebounding: 4-2
When rebounding is tied: 0-0
When leading in assists: 9-1
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).
Todd Raridon enters his fourth season as the head men's basketball coach. In just his first season, he led the Broncos to its first winning season since 2018-19 with a record of 15-14. Reggie Thomas was named second team all-conference and was also named freshman player of the year in the GPAC. In 2024, Hastings tied for first in the conference and won the GPAC Tournament in a 77-61 win over Morningside, earning an automatic bid to the national tournament. Thomas became the first first team All-American in school history after the season.
In his 18 years as the Cardinals' head coach, Raridon has directed the team to the most successful such period in the College's history. His current coaching record at North Central is 312-160, making him the winningest coach in program history. In 33 years total as a collegiate head coach, Raridon owns a record of 581-285, ranking him eighth among active NCAA Division III coaches and 30th all-time in Division III in coaching victories.
Up Next: The Falcons will get back into KCAC play with a home matchup on Saturday (Jan. 3) against the Ottawa University Braves, marking the first game of 2026. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
