LEAVENWORTH, Kan. - The No. 17 Friends University Falcons drop a tough matchup on the road, 77-72, to the University of Saint Mary Spires.
The Falcons fell behind early, struggling from the field and shooting just 25.9 percent in the first half as the Spires built a 38–23 lead by halftime.
Friends found their rhythm in the second half, turning things around with a much stronger 56.3 percent shooting performance. The Falcons chipped away at the deficit and brought the game back within single digits with under nine minutes remaining. From there, the margin stayed tight.
An and-one layup from Randy Woolf, Jr. cut the Spires' lead to two at 63–61 with less than six minutes to play. The Spires responded by stretching their advantage to eight with under four minutes left, but the Falcons refused to back down and continued their comeback effort.
With fewer than 10 seconds remaining, Woolf Jr. knocked down two free throws to bring Friends within one at 73–72. However, the Spires sealed the game at the line in the closing moments, hitting their free throws to secure a 77–72 win over Friends.
Friends finished the game shooting 42.4 percent from the field and connected on seven three-pointers as a team. Their effort on the offensive glass turned 11 offensive rebounds into 11 second-chance points.
On the defensive end, the Falcons limited the Spires to 26.7 percent shooting from three-point range and forced 13 turnovers.
Friends was led by Cahlese Lee, who poured in 20 points to go along with three rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Lee knocked down five three-pointers, and his fifth make of the night moved him into the top 10 in career three-pointers in Friends University men's basketball history with 131 for his career.
Randy Woolf, Jr. finished with 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Eli Benning provided a spark off the bench, adding 12 points, three rebounds, and two steals. Collin Maclin narrowly missed a double-double, recording nine points, a season-high 12 rebounds, and a steal.
Friends now sits at 11–4 in KCAC play and 16–5 overall. The Falcons return to the Garvey Center on Saturday (Jan. 31) to face the Avila University Eagles. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.
