The Lowdown: No. 14 Friends University at Southwestern College
Location: Winfield, Kan. | Stewart Field House
When: Wednesday, Jan. 14 @ 8:00 PM
Broadcast
Live Stats
Flying with the Falcons: The No. 14 Falcons enter the matchup against Southwestern College with an 8-2 record in KCAC play and a 13-3 record overall. Friends previously dropped their 2nd conference game of the season with a heartbreaking road loss to No. 6 Oklahoma Wesleyan, 70-71. The Falcons look to bounce back with a road matchup against the Southwestern Moundbuilders.
Cahlese Lee continues to lead the Falcons, averaging 15.9 points and 4 rebounds per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the field, 37.7 percent from three-point range, and 81.8 percent from the free-throw line. Ringo Deng is a versatile contributor for the Falcons, averaging 11.6 points, a team-high 6.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, while shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from three-point range.
Randy Woolf, Jr. provides an all-around presence, averaging 12 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per contest. Woolf Jr. has been highly efficient, shooting 47.5 percent from the field, 49 percent from the three-point line (1st in the KCAC), and 90.6 percent from the free-throw line (1st in KCAC).
Collin Maclin rounds out the Falcons' double-figure scorers, averaging 12.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
Freshman Eli Benning has emerged as a key spark off the bench, averaging a team-high 3.8 assists per game and leading both the Falcons and the KCAC with 2.7 steals per contest.
Built on Efficiency: Through the first half 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 (83.1 points per game), fourth in made field goals per game (29.8), and third in field-goal percentage (47.6).
From beyond the arc, Friends ranks second in the KCAC in three-point makes per game (10.0) and second in three-point percentage (37.0). Friends features two of the conference's top three-point shooters by percentage in Owen Evans (10th – 42.2%) and Randy Woolf Jr. (1st – 49%).
Winning the Possession Game: Friends' offensive success is fueled by elite ball movement and execution. The Falcons average 18.9 assists per game, ranking first in the KCAC and 11th nationally in the NAIA, highlighting their ability to score efficiently while sharing the basketball.
Ringo Deng (T-4th), Eli Benning (T-4th), and Randy Woolf, Jr. (8th) all rank among the top 10 in the conference in assists per game.
The Falcons also take care of the basketball, committing the fewest turnovers in the KCAC at just 10.4 per game. Defensively, Friends ranks fourth in the conference in steals with 9.4 per contest, led by Benning, who sits second in the KCAC with 41 steals on the season.
Scouting the Moundbuilders: The Southwestern College Moundbuilders enter Wednesday night's matchup with a 5-5 record in KCAC play and an 11-5 record overall, coming of a 79-64 road loss at McPherson.
Southwestern is led by Wyatt Bell the second leading scorer in the conference, who is putting up 19.1 points per game. The Moundbuilders feature two additional scorers in double-figures in Evan Barber (15.5) and Nigel John (13.6). The Moundbuilders also have the top rebounder in the conference in Zach Hildago who's averaging 10 rebounds per contest.
The Series: Wednesday's matchup marks the 49th all-time meeting between the two programs. Friends secured the most recent matchup during the 2024-25 season, which was a slim 78-77 win on the road. Since the 2004-05 season, Frineds trails the series 25-23 and holds a 9-14 record in road games against Southwestern.
Falcons Trending Up: Friends' success throughout the season is being reflected nationally, as the Falcons rank No. 14 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Top 25 poll (Dec. 17). HERE
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 12-1 when committing fewer turnovers, 11-0 when leading in field-goal percentage and 10-1 when leading in three-point percentage, highlighting the importance of offensive execution for the Falcons.
Early Control: Falcons have also been strong when setting the tone early, posting a 10-2 record when leading at halftime.
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 year 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: 13-3
KCAC: 8-2
Home: 5-2
Road: 6-1
Neutral: 2-0
When scoring:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 0-0
60-69 points: 0-0
70-79 points: 5-2
80-89 points: 5-1
90+ points: 3-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 2-0
60-69 points: 5-0
70-79 points: 6-1
80-89 points: 0-2
90+ points: 0-0
When leading at halftime: 10-2
When trailing at halftime: 2-1
When tied at halftime: 1-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 12-1
When committing more turnovers: 1-2
When turnovers are tied: 0-0
When leading in field-goal percentage: 11-0
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 2-3
When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 10-1
When trailing in three-point percentage: 3-2
When three-point percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in rebounding: 7-0
When trailing in rebounding: 5-3
When rebounding is tied: 1-0
When leading in assists: 12-1
When trailing in assists: 1-2
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 O'Brien is in his 20th season as a head coach and his 17th season leading the Southwestern College Moundbuilders. In 2018 O'Brien became the winningest coach in the history of Southwestern while being named KCAC Coach of the Year. O'Brien has had 14 straight winning seasons, nine 20-win seasons, and hit the career 300-win mark, which puts him amongst the most active winning coaches in the NAIA. This consistent success has led to the 2nd most wins over the past 9 years in the entire state regardless of level at 4-year institutions, only trailing reigning powerhouse University of Kansas.
Up Next: The Falcons will be back home in the Garvey Center on Saturday (Jan. 17) to take on the Bethany College Swedes. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
