McPherson, Kan. -- The Friends University Falcons staved off the McPherson College Bulldogs for a 79-76 victory tonight (Feb. 15) in McPherson, Kan. to reach the 20-win mark for the first time since the 2018-19 season. 

Below are the main takeaways from the Falcons' victory at McPherson that leaves them 20-6 overall and in second place in the KCAC at 16-4 in the league. 

Important Close Out

The Falcons fell behind by six late in the first half, their biggest deficit of the game.  Threes by Cahlese Lee and Randy Woolf, Jr. helped the Falcons come within 39-38 at the break and take some momentum into the second half. 

Back-and-Forth Action

The Falcons and Bulldogs played close throughout, as the game featured seven ties and six lead changes while neither team led by double-figures. 

Spiller in the Clutch

After the Bulldogs cut an eight-point Falcon lead down to just two with 2:53 left, KJ Spiller went to work and hit consecutive jumpers to push the lead back to six and then nailed two crucial free throws with six seconds remaining to clinch the win for Friends. 

Winning the Perimeter

A big key to the Falcon victory was their performance on both ends of the perimeter.  In a six-point win, the Falcons were +12 from three, hitting 43.5 percent of their three-point attempts while limiting the Bulldogs to just 21.4 percent (6-of-28) from beyond the arc.  

Up Next: The Falcons will stay on the road and play at Southwestern College Wednesday night (Feb. 19) at 8 pm in Winfield, Kan. for their final regular season road game of the 2024-25 season. 

Falcons' Top Performers

Cahlese Lee - 20 points, six rebounds, 8-of-11 from the field, 4-of-7 from three-point range

KJ Spiller - 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists 

Ring Deng - 15 points, three steals, two blocks 

Randy Woolf, Jr. - 12 points, three assists, two blocks 

Collin Maclin - Seven points, seven rebounds

McPherson's Top Performers

Curtis Rose - 22 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists

Collin Storr - 17 points

Antonio Watson - 12 points