The Lowdown: Kansas Wesleyan University at No. 14 Friends University
Location: Wichita, Kan. | Garvey Center
When: Monday, Jan. 26 @ 8:00 PM
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Flying with the Falcons: After a postponement due to weather, the No. 14 Friends University Falcons are set for their matchup against the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes. The Falcons enter Monday's matchup with a 10-3 record in KCAC play and a 15-4 record overall. Friends is coming off an overtime thriller on the road against the No. 25 Bethel Threshers where they earned a 91-85 victory. The Falcons will now host the Coyotes in the Garvey Center for their second matchup of the season.
Cahlese Lee continues to lead the Falcons, averaging 15.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field, 37.6 percent from three-point range. Collin Maclin is Friends' second-leading scorer, averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Ringo Deng is a versatile contributor for the Falcons, averaging 11.2 points, a team-high 6.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, while shooting 52.1 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three-point range.
Randy Woolf, Jr. provides an all-around presence, averaging 12.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and a team-high 4 assists per contest. Woolf Jr. has been highly efficient, shooting 47.4 percent from the field, 50 percent from the three-point line (1st in KCAC), and 87.5 percent from the free-throw line (2nd in KCAC). He's coming off a 23-point, seven rebounds, and six assist performance against Bethel.
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 third in the KCAC at 2.5 per contest.
Built on Efficiency: As a team, Friends has been one of the most efficient offensive teams in the KCAC. The Falcons rank second in the conference in scoring (83.8 points per game), fourth in made field goals per game (30.2), and third in field-goal percentage (47.9).
From beyond the arc, Friends ranks second in the KCAC in three-point makes per game (10.1) and second in three-point percentage (37.2). Friends features one of the conference's most efficient three-point shooters in Randy Woolf Jr., who ranks first in the KCAC in three-point percentage at 50%. Cahlese Lee adds another major perimeter threat, ranking third in the KCAC with 53 three-pointers made this season and second with an average of 2.8 made threes per game.
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 tied for 6th nationally in the NAIA, highlighting their ability to score efficiently while sharing the basketball.
Randy Woolf, Jr. (4th), Ringo Deng (6th), 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 10.4 per game. Defensively, Friends ranks fourth in the conference in steals with 9.3 per contest, led by Benning, who is 2nd in the KCAC with 47 steals on the season.
Scouting the Coyotes: The Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes enter Monday's matchup with a 6-7 record in KCAC play and an 8-11 record overall, coming off an 80-67 road win over Bethany.
KWU is led by Caiden Punt, who averages 17.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. The Coyotes also feature two additional double-figure scorers in Brandon Avedon (11.4 ppg) and Evens Appolon (10.1 ppg). Avedon leads the KCAC with 4.5 assists per game, while Appolon ranks second in the conference with 24 blocks this season.
The Series: Monday night's matchup marks the 47th meeting between the two programs. Friends won the most recent matchup earlier this season, earning a narrow 71–67 road victory. Friends leads the all-time series 27–19, including a 14–7 record at home. The Falcons' last home win in the series came during the 2024–25 season, when they secured an 88–65 victory.
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 8-0 when holding teams under 70 points and 12–2 when allowing fewer than 80 points, emphasizing their consistency on the defensive end.
Winning the Possession Battle: Friends posts a 14–2 record when leading in assists and committing fewer turnovers suggests that offensive efficiency and ball movement are key drivers of the Falcons' success.
Efficiency Translates: Friends is a perfect 13-0 when leading in field-goal percentage, highlighting the importance of offensive efficiency in their success.
Buckets on Buckets on Buckets on Buckets: Cahlese Lee, Ringo Deng, Randy Woolf, Jr., and Devin Davis 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. Davis was the most recent Falcon to surpass the career milestone.
Falcons by the Numbers (2025-26)
Overall record: 15-4
KCAC: 10-3
Home: 6-2
Road: 7-2
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: 5-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 2-0
60-69 points: 6-0
70-79 points: 6-2
80-89 points: 1-2
90+ points: 0-0
When leading at halftime: 12-2
When trailing at halftime: 2-2
When tied at halftime: 1-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 13-2
When committing more turnovers: 2-2
When turnovers are tied: 0-0
When leading in field-goal percentage: 13-0
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 2-4
When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 11-2
When trailing in three-point percentage: 3-2
When three-point percentage is tied: 1-0
When leading in rebounding: 9-0
When trailing in rebounding: 5-4
When rebounding is tied: 1-0
When leading in assists: 14-2
When trailing in assists: 1-2
When assists are tied: 0-0
In OT: 1-0
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 distinguished 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 on the road on Wednesday (Jan. 28) to take on the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
