The Lowdown: No. 14 Friends University at Sterling College
Location: Sterling, Kan. | Gleason Center
When: Wednesday, Jan. 7 @ 8:00 PM
Broadcast
Live Stats
Flying with the Falcons: The No. 14 Falcons enter Wednesday's KCAC matchup with a 7-1 record in KCAC play and a 12-2 overall record, riding an eight-game winning streak. Friends previously picked up an 84-75 home win against Ottawa.
Cahlese Lee continues to lead the Falcons, averaging 16.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 38.0 percent from three-point range. Lee is coming off a 23-point, six-rebound performance against Ottawa.
Ringo Deng is a versatile option for the Falcons, averaging 11.9 points, a team-high 6.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game, while shooting 54.1 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three. His strong performances against Hastings and Ottawa earned him KCAC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Monday (Jan. 5), after he averaged 17.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game across the two matchups. HERE
Collin Maclin contributes 12.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, while Randy Woolf, Jr. provides an all-around presence, averaging 11.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per contest. Woolf Jr. has been highly efficient, shooting 47.5 percent from the field, 47.5 percent from three-point range, and 87.0 percent from the free-throw line. Al Emerllahu contributes to the offensive effort, averaging 7.5 points per game on 50.0 percent shooting from the field, including 38.9 percent from three-point range.
Freshman Eli Benning has emerged as a key spark off the bench, averaging a team-high 4.1 assists per game and leading both the team and the KCAC with 2.8 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 (84.6 points per game), fourth in made field goals per game (30.7), and third in field-goal percentage (48.3).
From beyond the arc, Friends ranks second in the KCAC in three-point makes per game (10.1) and third in three-point percentage (37.3). Friends features two of the conference's top three-point shooters by percentage in Owen Evans (8th – 43.3%) and Randy Woolf Jr. (3rd – 47.5%).
Winning the Possession Game: Friends' offensive success is fueled by elite ball movement and execution. The Falcons average 20.1 assists per game, ranking first in the KCAC and sixth nationally in the NAIA, highlighting their ability to score efficiently while sharing the basketball.
Eli Benning (3rd), Randy Woolf Jr. (tied 5th), and Ringo Deng (tied 5th) all rank among the top 10 in the KCAC 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 fourth in the conference in steals with 9.7 per contest, led by Benning, who sits second in the KCAC with 37 steals on the season, averaging 2.8 per game.
Scouting the Warriors: The Sterling College Warriors enter Wednesday's matchup with a 4-4 record in KCAC play and a 7-7 record overall, coming off a 78-59 loss to the University of Saint Mary.
Sterling is led by Julian Smith, who averages 17.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. The Warriors feature an additional scorer in double-figures in Ziri Blackwood who averages 11.9 points per game. Joseph Oparaeke leads the team on the glass with 6.2 rebounds per game.
The Series: Wednesday's matchup marks the 45th all-time meeting between the two programs. Friends secured the most recent matchup during the 2024-25 season, winning 75-62 over the Warriors on the road. Since the 2004-05 season, the Falcons lead the series 28-16, holding a 12-10 advantage in road matchups.
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
The Falcons have won eight straight and 12 of their last 13 games, improving to 12–2 overall and 7–1 in KCAC play.
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 11-1 when committing fewer turnovers, 10-0 when leading in field-goal percentage and 9-0 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 9-1 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: 12-2
KCAC: 7-1
Home: 5-2
Road: 5-0
Neutral: 2-0
When scoring:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 0-0
60-69 points: 0-0
70-79 points: 4-1
80-89 points: 5-1
90+ points: 3-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 1-0
60-69 points: 5-0
70-79 points: 6-0
80-89 points: 0-2
90+ points: 0-0
When leading at halftime: 9-1
When trailing at halftime: 2-1
When tied at halftime: 1-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 11-1
When committing more turnovers: 1-1
When turnovers are tied: 0-0
When leading in field-goal percentage: 10-0
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 2-2
When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 9-0
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: 4-2
When rebounding is tied: 1-0
When leading in assists: 11-1
When trailing in assists: 1-1
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).
Randy Stange came to Sterling in the spring of 2021 and made an immediate impact in his first season as head coach, leading the program to a 17–17 record after just two wins the previous year—a 15-game improvement. The season included an NCCAA National Tournament appearance and two NAIA Top 25 upsets, highlighted by a win over No. 12 Kansas Wesleyan. Prior to Sterling, Stange served as Athletic Director at Johnson County Community College beginning in 2017.
Up Next: The Falcons will continue their road stint as they travel to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, on Saturday (Jan. 10) for a crucial top-15 matchup against the No. 6 Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles, marking their second meeting of the season. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
