North Newton, Kan. – The Friends University Falcons overcame a sluggish first half and upended the Bethel College Threshers 68-66 in the KCAC quarterfinals tonight (Feb. 27) in North Newton, Kan. The Falcons will next play in Salina, Kan. at the top-seeded Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes Saturday night (Mar. 1).

Below are the main takeaways from the Falcons' thrilling playoff win!

Clutch Defensive Sequences: The Falcons had battled from behind all night and took a 67-61 lead with 1:48 to go, but the Threshers scored five quick points to make it a one-point game with still 1:21 remaining. Taylor Jackson entered the game as the Falcons' modern-era blocks leader with 352 swats, but none were any bigger than her block on a potential go-ahead shot by Caryn Yoder with 19 seconds left. Following one free throw by Kori Babcock, the Falcons stood tall again on the defensive end and forced a missed layup by Yoder as time expired.

Second Half Flurry: The Falcons trailed from the outset and were down 10 at the break and 12 early in the second half when things finally began to click offensively. Down 45-33, Jackson hit two buckets to bookend a 16-3 spurt that also featured a pair of threes by Kori Babcock that left the Falcons up 49-48 for their first lead of the game. A three by Carley Robb helped Bethel regain a 53-51 lead at the end of the third period, but a score by Abigail Barr and another three by Babcock put the Falcons back on top and they wouldn't trail again. Babcock's three treys were the only threes of the game for the Falcons, but they proved extremely timely.

Setting the Early Barr: The Falcons found themselves in an early hole and trailed 7-0 and 9-1 at the 5:40 mark of the first half. With offense hard to come by, Barr was a crucial bright spot by hitting six of her first nine shots from the field to prevent the deficit from becoming too insurmountable.

Friends women's basketball head coach Dean Jaderston on tonight's big postseason win: "This was a great team win! We had been struggling for the past two weeks, and we finally started trusting each other at both ends of the floor. It was amazing to see the ball move again, and defensive rotations happening quickly, and players understanding what matchups were working. Bethel was hitting shots, so we had to actually get stops, not just hope they missed. Biggest stat line: First half, five assists, nine turnovers.  Second half, eight assists, seven turnovers.  When we value the ball and move the ball, good things happen."

Up Next: The Falcons will face KWU in the KCAC postseason semifinals Saturday night (Mar. 1) at 7 pm in Salina, Kan. The Coyotes won both meetings in the regular season, most recently 82-80 at home on Jan. 25.

Falcons' Top Performers

Abigail Barr: 21 points, seven rebounds

Taylor Jackson: 15 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks

Kori Babock: 12 points, 3-5 three-pointers

Rayland Garner: 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals

Threshers' Top Performers

Carley Robb: 17 points

Caryn Yoder: 10 points, six rebounds, five assists

Madyson McKinzie: 10 points

Kendall Locke: 13 assists, seven rebounds, three steals