The Lowdown: No. 21 Friends University at Kansas Wesleyan
Location: Salina, KS | Mabee Arena
When: Saturday, Dec. 6 @ 5:00 PM
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Flying with the Falcons: The Falcons enter the matchup 3–1 in KCAC play and 6–2 overall. Friends is coming off a thrilling matchup with No. 17 Bethel College on Wednesday (Dec. 3), where the Falcons pulled off the victory with a putback basket from Collin Maclin with 4.6 seconds left to win the game, 70-69. The Falcons now look towards their road matchup with the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes.
The Falcons are led by Cahlese Lee, who averages 15.8 points per game while shooting 39.6 percent from beyond the arc and adding 4.3 rebounds per contest. Lee has also been reliable at the free-throw line, converting 85 percent of his attempts. Randy Woolf, Jr. continues to be a key contributor as well, posting 13 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists (tied for team high), and 2 steals per game, supported by 42.3 percent shooting from three. Collin Maclin adds 13.8 points and 5.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game and remains perfect at the free-throw line this season. Ringo Deng provides all-around production with 10.3 points, a team-high 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.
Eli Benning continues to stand out, tied for the team high in assists per game (4.3 apg) and leading the team and conference in steals per game (3.5 spg). Al Emerllahu is coming off a big game against the Threshers (18 pts, 7-12 FG), contributing 8.5 points per game, shooting 50 percent from the three.
Offensively, the Falcons have been highly efficient through their first eight games. Friends rank third in the KCAC in scoring at 85.1 points per game. Shooting 38.5 percent from three as a team, while also dishing out 19.9 assists a game as a team.
Scouting the Coyotes: The Coyotes enter the matchup 2–2 in KCAC play and 4–5 overall. The Coyotes are coming off a road win over the Sterling College Warriors, 71-65.
Kansas Wesleyan is led by Caiden Punt who is averaging 18.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, a conference high. The Coyotes feature three additional double-figure scorers in Wyatt Powell (13.0), Gabe Phillips (11.8), and Brandon Avedon (11.3). Avedon also averages a team and conference high 4.8 assists per game for the Coyotes.
The Series: This will be the 46th meeting between the two programs. Friends claimed the most recent matchup, an 82-80 victory on the road during the 2024-25 season. Since the 2004-05 season, the Falcons have led the series 26-19 but hold a 12-12 record on the road against Kansas Wesleyan.
High Expectations: The Falcons are coming off their winningest season in six years and a runner-up finish in the KCAC after being picked ninth and tenth in last year's preseason polls. This season, they were projected to finish second in both KCAC preseason polls, earning multiple first-place votes in each. The Falcons currently sit at No. 21 in the NAIA Coaches' Poll.
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.
Falcons by the Numbers (2025-26)
Overall record: 6-2
KCAC: 3-1
Home: 2-2
Road: 2-0
Neutral: 2-0
When scoring:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 0-0
60-69 points: 0-0
70-79 points: 3-1
80-89 points: 1-1
90+ points: 2-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 1-0
60-69 points: 3-0
70-79 points: 2-0
80-89 points: 0-2
90+ points: 0-0
When leading at halftime: 5-1
When trailing at halftime: 1-1
When tied at halftime: 0-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 5-1
When committing more turnovers: 1-1
When turnovers are tied: 0-0
When leading in field-goal percentage: 4-0
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 2-2
When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 5-0
When trailing in three-point percentage: 1-2
When three-point percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in rebounding: 4-0
When trailing in rebounding: 2-2
When rebounding is tied: 0-0
When leading in assists: 5-1
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).
Jordan Murdock is in his first season as head coach after being named the 30th Head Men's Basketball head coach at Kansas Wesleyan in March of 2025. Murdock is coming off a successful season at NCAA Division II Pittsburg State (2024-25), where he worked under Jeff Boschee and helped guide the Gorillas to a second-place finish in the MIAA. He has deep ties to Kansas Wesleyan serving four years on the Coyotes staff, including as Associate Head Coach in 2023-24. Murdock had a distiguisded playing career at Friends University, where he was a two-time NAIA All-American, 2018 KCAC Player of the Year, and the NAIA's leading scorer in 2018. He still holds Friends University's all-time scoring record with nearly 2,500 points in his career as a Falcon. Murdock also played one season at Hutchinson Community College under Steve Eck, helping lead the Blue Dragons to a 32–5 record, a Jayhawk Conference title, and a run to the NJCAA Division I national championship game.
Up Next: The Falcons will be back in the Garvey Center on Wednesday (Dec. 10) to take on the Tabor College Bluejays. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
