The Lowdown: Avila University at No. 17 Friends University
Location: Wichita, Kan. | Garvey Center
When: Saturday, Jan. 31 @ 3:00 PM
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Flying with the Falcons: The No. 17 Friends University Falcons enter Saturday's matchup against the Avila University Eagles with an 11-4 record in KCAC play and a 16-5 record overall. Friends is looking to rebound from a tight loss on the road to the University of Saint Mary, 77-72. The Falcons will take on the Eagles in the Garvey Center.
Cahlese Lee is the leading scorer for the Falcons, averaging 16 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range. Lee moved into the top 10 in career three-pointers in Friends University men's basketball program history after knocking down five from beyond the arc at Saint Mary on Wednesday (Jan. 28). He now sits at 131 career three-pointers.
Collin Maclin is second on the team in scoring at 13.4 points per game while adding 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He's shooting an efficient 51.9 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three-point range. Maclin also grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds in the Falcons' matchup against Saint Mary on Wednesday (Jan. 28).
Randy Woolf, Jr. provides an all-around presence for the Falcons, averaging 12.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Woolf Jr. has been highly efficient shooting 47.3 percent from the field, 48.1 percent from the three-point line (1st in KCAC), and 88.9 percent from the free-throw line (1st in KCAC).
Ringo Deng is a versatile contributor for the Falcons, averaging 10.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from the three-point line. Deng has recently been selected as KCAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against No. 25-ranked Bethel College where he recorded five steals, six rebounds, and a block to help lead the Falcons to an overtime win. HERE
Freshman Eli Benning has been a key spark off the bench, averaging 7.2 points and 3.6 assists per game while leading the Falcons in steals, and tied for 1st 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 first in the conference in scoring (84.2 points per game), second in made field goals per game (30.4), and third in field-goal percentage (48.0).
From beyond the arc, Friends ranks second in the KCAC in three-point makes per game (10.1) and second in three-point percentage (36.7). 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 48.1 percent. Cahlese Lee adds another major perimeter threat, ranking second in the KCAC with 60 three-pointers made this season and tied for first with an average of 2.9 made threes per game.
Winning the Possession Game: Friends' offensive success is fueled by elite ball movement and execution. The Falcons average 18.8 assists per game, ranking first in the KCAC and 6th nationally in the NAIA, highlighting their ability to score efficiently while sharing the basketball.
Randy Woolf, Jr. (3rd), Ringo Deng (T-6th), and Eli Benning (T-6th) all rank among the top 10 in the conference in assists per game.
The Falcons also take care of the basketball, committing the second fewest turnovers in the KCAC at just 10.6 per game. Defensively, Friends ranks fourth in the conference in steals with 9.1 per game, led by Benning, who is 2nd in the KCAC with 52 steals on the season.
Scouting the Eagles: The Avila University Eagles enter Saturday's matchup with a 7-8 record in KCAC play and 12-9 record overall, coming off a 76-71 loss at Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Avila is led by Xavier Kahube, who averages a KCAC-best 18.6 points per game while shooting a conference-leading 70.2 percent from the field, along with 7.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. The Eagles feature three additional double-figure scorers in Gio Mack (16.4), James Ross III (12.6), and Joe Kearney (10.1).
The Eagles rank second as a team in points per game (82.9), second in field-goal percentage (49%), and first in defensive rebounds (25.6).
The Series: Saturday's matchup makes the 17th matchup between the two programs. Friends leads the all-time series 9-7. Friends claimed the most recent matchup, which came during the 2024-25 season where they took down the Eagles 78-64 on the road. The Falcons hold a 5-3 record at home with their last win in the Garvey Center coming during the 2023-24 season with an 80-54 win.
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 14–3 when allowing fewer than 80 points, emphasizing their consistency on the defensive end.
Winning the Possession Battle: Friends posts a 15–3 record when leading in assists, and a 14-3 record when committing fewer turnovers suggesting that offensive efficiency and ball movement are key drivers of the Falcons' success.
Efficiency Translates: Friends are 14-0 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' road win over Baker (Oct. 30). Deng joined the 1,000-point club in the Falcons' road victory against Kansas Wesleyan (Dec. 6), followed by Woolf Jr. in the road win over McPherson (Dec. 13). Davis is the most recent Falcon to surpass the career milestone.
Falcons by the Numbers (2025-26)
Overall record: 16-5
KCAC: 11-4
Home: 7-2
Road: 7-3
Neutral: 2-0
When scoring:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 0-0
60-69 points: 0-0
70-79 points: 5-4
80-89 points: 5-1
90+ points: 6-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 2-0
60-69 points: 6-0
70-79 points: 6-3
80-89 points: 2-2
90+ points: 0-0
When leading at halftime: 13-2
When trailing at halftime: 2-3
When tied at halftime: 1-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 14-3
When committing more turnovers: 2-2
When turnovers are tied: 0-0
When leading in field-goal percentage: 14-0
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 2-5
When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 12-3
When trailing in three-point percentage: 3-2
When three-point percentage is tied: 1-0
When leading in rebounding: 10-1
When trailing in rebounding: 5-4
When rebounding is tied: 1-0
When leading in assists: 15-3
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).
Tyler Bredenhoeft is entering into his third season at the helm of Avila men's basketball. Bredehoeft's second season on the bench in 2024-25 saw the Eagles nearly triple their win total compared to his first season, winning 11 games and eight in the KCAC – the program's highest conference win total since 2021-22.
Up Next: The Falcons will be on the road on Wednesday (Feb. 4) to take on the Tabor College Bluejays, for their second matchup of the season. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in Hillsboro, Kan.
