The Lowdown: (RV) Friends at Sterling College
Location: Sterling, Kan.
When: Wednesday, Jan. 7 @ 6 pm
Broadcast
Live Stats
Flying with the Falcons: The (RV) Friends University Falcons started strong and cruised to a 79-61 victory over the Ottawa University Braves last Saturday (Jan. 3) for their ninth straight victory. The Falcons are now 13-1 overall and 7-1 in the KCAC, tied for second with Sterling College and one game back of Evangel University. Read all about the Falcons' ninth straight win HERE!
Rayland Garner reached 1,000 career points earlier this season and leads the KCAC in scoring (20.2 ppg) while ranking tied for fourth in the league in rebounding (8.4 rpg) and fifth in steals (2.6 spg). Abigail Barr is second on the Falcons in scoring (15.4 ppg) and is third in the league in field-goal percentage (59.6) along with 6.3 rebounds per game. Lauryn McIver is averaging a solid stat line of 14.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg and a team-high 4.9 apg that is tied for third in the KCAC. Katie Weiss has hit a team-leading 35 threes on a solid 38.5 percent shooting clip from three-point distance.
The Falcons currently rank third in the KCAC in points per game (77.9 ppg), second in field-goal percentage (46.4) and is the league leader in field goal percentage defense (37.6).
Scouting the Lady Warriors: The Sterling College Lady Warriors had their 10-game win streak snapped vs. the University of Saint Mary last Saturday and are now 11-3 overall and tied for second with the Falcons in the KCAC at 7-1.
Kali Briar is tops on the Lady Warriors and second in the KCAC in scoring with 20.1 ppg, while McKenna Vogl is fifth in the league in scoring with 16.6 ppg and leads the KCAC in blocks (3.1 bpg). Bailey Young is third in the league in rebounding (9.7 rpg), with Karlee Jacobs recording a team-high 3.2 assists per game and averaging 15.3 ppg along with a league-leading 3.9 steals. Nevaeh Johnson is also averaging double-digit scoring with 10.5 ppg.
Sterling is third in the KCAC in both points allowed (66.4) and field goal percentage defense (37.9).
The Series: The Falcons and Lady Warriors split the two regular season meetings last year before the Warriors pulled out an 86-76 overtime win in the KCAC postseason tournament championship game. Friends also won 79-75 in January of 2024 to snap a 12-game losing skid in the series. Overall, the Falcons are 14-35 vs. the Lady Warriors since 2004, with a 4-21 road record in that span.
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.
She Shoots, She Scores! Three of the top five scorers in the KCAC will be in action when the Falcons face the Lady Warriors, as Friends' Rayland Garner (20.2 ppg) Sterling's Kali Briar (20.1 ppg) rank 1-2 in scoring. McKenna Vogl is also fifth in the KCAC with 16.6 ppg.
Make it Make Sense: It's Basketball 101 that it's hard to win when losing the turnover battle, but the Falcons have defied that logic all season. Friends is a perfect 8-0 this season when committing more turnovers than the opposition.
Make or Miss League: The Falcons have won all 13 games when leading in field-goal percentage but lost 95-88 to Evangel in the only game they've been outshot this season.
Welcome to the Club: Senior forward Rayland Garner became the eighth member of the Falcons' 1,000 career point club during the modern era with a game-high 28 points to help the Falcons win 65-59 over Oklahoma Wesleyan University on Nov. 19.
Falcons by the Numbers
Overall record: 13-1
KCAC: 7-1
Home: 7-1
Road: 6-0
Neutral: 0-0
When scoring:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 1-0
60-69 points: 3-0
70-79 points: 2-0
80-89 points: 5-1
90+ points: 2-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 1-0
50-59 points: 2-0
60-69 points: 7-0
70-79 points: 2-0
80-89 points: 0-0
90+ points: 1-1
When leading at halftime: 9-0
When trailing at halftime: 4-1
When tied at halftime: 0-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 3-0
When committing more turnovers: 8-0
When turnovers are even: 2-1
When leading in field-goal percentage: 13-0
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 0-1
When field-goal percentage is even: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 8-1
When trailing in three-point percentage: 5-0
When leading in rebounding: 11-0
When trailing in rebounding: 2-1
When rebounding is even: 0-0
When leading in assists: 10-0
When trailing in assists: 2-1
When assists are even: 1-0
In OT: 1-0
The Coaches:
Dean Jaderston is in his seventh season at the helm of the Friends University women's basketball program. The Falcon women's basketball program has seen considerable growth under his leadership both on and off the court. Their consistency and competitiveness have led to an 81-43 record over the past four years, including two trips to the KCAC championship game in the past three seasons.
Jaderston brought a wealth of experience to Friends University, having coached for over 30 years (24 years in college and 13 years in high school). On December 13, 2022, he recorded his 300th career collegiate win vs. Tabor College.
As a men's basketball coach Jaderston was a two-time KCAC Coach of the Year. He coached six NAIA All-America performers during his tenure at Sterling College. He also led his teams to two KCAC championships and one KCAC tournament championship.
Prior to taking over at Sterling, Jaderston served in the dual role of men's basketball head coach and assistant athletic director at Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL for five seasons.
Before entering the college ranks, he spent eight seasons as both the head girls' basketball and head girls' and boys' tennis coach at Rosemount High School in Rosemount, MN, and 4 years as the head boys' basketball coach at Eastview High School in Apple Valley, MN.
As an athlete Jaderston was a successful college basketball player at Crown College in St. Bonifacius, MN. He was a four-time all-conference selection while helping the team advance to four national tournaments. He also earned All-America and Academic All-America during his college career. He also competed in tennis for three years at Crown and was a two-time conference singles and three-time conference doubles champion. In 2024 he was inducted into the Crown College Athletic Hall of Fame.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts in History/Secondary Education from Crown College in 1989 and then completed a Master of Arts in Adlerian Counseling and Psychotherapy from Adler Graduate School in 1998.
Jaderston and his wife Julie have been married for 38. They also currently serve as executive directors of a premier summer Christian family conference called Northern Pines of Minnesota. They have three married sons and nine grandchildren.
Evan Belk is in his first season as head coach of the Sterling College women's basketball program. Belk played for the Warriors and current Friends women's head coach Dean Jaderston in 2012.
Belk's coaching career started in 2021 at Cottey College in Nevada, Mo., where he was the assistant coach and assistant sports information director until taking over as head coach in 2024. At Cottey, Belk guided the team to their best record (19-10) since 2011.
Additional duties for Belk have included serving as the Regional Director of Rain Makers Christian Sports Ministry from 2014-2024 and overseeing the ministry and athletic endeavors of Northwest Arkansas.
Up Next: The Falcons will continue their three-game road trip Saturday (Jan. 10) at Oklahoma Wesleyan University for a 3 pm tip-off in Bartlesville, Okla.
