The Lowdown: Bethany College at No. 14 Friends University
Location: Wichita, Kan. | Garvey Center
When: Saturday, Jan. 17 @ 5:00 PM
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Flying with the Falcons: The No. 14 Falcons enter the matchup against Bethany College with an 8-3 record in KCAC play and a 13-4 record overall. Friends is coming off a two-game losing streak, dropping two tight road conference matchups to Oklahoma Wesleyan and most recently, Southwestern College, losing to the Moundbuilders 74-71 in Winfield, Kan. After a three-game road stint, Friends is back at home to take on the Bethany College Swedes.
Cahlese Lee continues to lead the Falcons, averaging 16 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the field, 38.3 percent from three-point range. Collin Maclin is Friends' second-leading scorer, averaging 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
Ringo Deng is a versatile contributor for the Falcons, averaging 11.4 points, a team-high 6.3 rebounds, and a team-high 3.8 assists per game, while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range. Randy Woolf, Jr. provides an all-around presence, averaging 11.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per contest. Woolf Jr. has been highly efficient, shooting 47.5 percent from the field, 46.4 percent from the three-point line (2nd in KCAC), and 84.6 percent from the free-throw line (3rd in KCAC).
Freshman Eli Benning has emerged as a key spark off the bench, averaging 3.6 assists per game while leading the Falcons in steals and ranking second in the KCAC at 2.6 per contest. He has also become an even bigger scoring threat, reaching double figures in four of the last five games.
Built on Efficiency: As a team, Friends has been one of the most efficient offensive teams in the KCAC. The Falcons rank fifth in the conference in scoring (82.4 points per game), fifth in made field goals per game (29.4), and third in field-goal percentage (47.2).
From beyond the arc, Friends ranks second in the KCAC in three-point makes per game (9.9) and second in three-point percentage (36.9). Friends features two of the conference's top three-point shooters by percentage in Owen Evans (10th – 41.8%) and Randy Woolf Jr. (2nd – 46.4%).
Winning the Possession Game: Friends' offensive success is fueled by elite ball movement and execution. The Falcons average 18.6 assists per game, ranking first in the KCAC and 13th nationally in the NAIA, highlighting their ability to score efficiently while sharing the basketball.
Ringo Deng (4th), Randy Woolf, Jr. (T-5th), and Eli Benning (7th) 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 10.1 per game. Defensively, Friends ranks fifth in the conference in steals with 9.2 per contest, led by Benning, who is tied for 1st in the KCAC with 42 steals on the season.
Scouting the Swedes: The Bethany College Swedes enter Saturday's matchup with a 2-6 record in KCAC play and a 6-10 record overall, coming off a 91-88 win at Sterling.
Bethany is led by Keddric Mays II, the fourth leading scorer in the conference, who is putting up 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and a conference-leading 2.7 steals per game. The Swedes features three additional scorers in double-figures in Jordan Reams (12.3), Curtis Stovall III (12.1), and Donovan Newton (11.6).
The Series: Saturday's matchup marks the 13th all-time meeting between the two programs. Friends secured the most recent matchup during the 2024-25 season, a second-half dominance by the Falcons to beat the Swedes at home, 105-85. Since the 2019-20 season, Friends leads the series 7-5 and holds a 3-2 record at home against Bethany.
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.
Defense Sets the Tone: Friends are 7-0 when holding teams under 70 points. The Falcons are 11–2 when allowing fewer than 80 points, emphasizing their consistency on the defensive end.
Control the Ball, Control the Game: Friends posts a 12–2 record when leading in assists and committing fewer turnovers suggests that offensive efficiency and ball movement are key drivers of the Falcons' success.
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: 13-4
KCAC: 8-3
Home: 5-2
Road: 6-2
Neutral: 2-0
When scoring:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 0-0
60-69 points: 0-0
70-79 points: 5-3
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: 6-2
80-89 points: 0-2
90+ points: 0-0
When leading at halftime: 10-2
When trailing at halftime: 2-2
When tied at halftime: 1-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 12-2
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: 2-4
When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 10-2
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: 5-4
When rebounding is tied: 1-0
When leading in assists: 12-2
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).
Terrence Murphy took over the men's basketball program in April 2025 after previously serving as the assistant men's basketball coach for one year. During his stint as an assistant coach, the Swedes improved in almost every category compared to the year prior including points per game, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, opponent's turnovers per game, and rebounds per game. He was also part of the first upset of a NCAA Division II opponent since 2019 when the Swedes traveled to Lakewood, Colo. to upset the Colorado Christian University Cougars 79-76.
Up Next: The Falcons return to action next Wednesday (Jan. 21) as they hit the road for the second meeting of the season against No. 25 Bethel College. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. in Newton, Kansas.
