The Lowdown: (RV) Friends University vs Dordt University
(RV) Friends University at (RV) Northwestern (Iowa) College
Northwestern/Pizza Ranch Classic
Location: Orange City, Iowa
When: Friday, Nov. 6 @ 4 pm vs. Dordt; Saturday, Nov. 7 @ 4 pm at Northwestern
Broadcast
Live Stats vs. Dordt
Live Stats at Northwestern
Flying with the Falcons: The (RV) Friends University Falcons are 1-2 on the young season after splitting a pair of games at their home Jack Kater Classic last weekend. The Falcons defeated Haskell Indian Nations University 94-60 before falling 81-70 to John Brown University. Read the full recap vs Haskell that netted head coach Nick Jones his first career win HERE and vs. John Brown HERE.
Through three games, Eli Benning is tops on the Falcons with 13.3 ppg and is leading the KCAC with 6.3 assists per game. Deshaun Lewis is second in scoring with 12.0 ppg and has pulled down a team-leading 6.3 rebounds, with Owen Evans scoring 11.0 ppg and leading the team with 2.7 steals.
Scouting Dordt: The Dordt University Defenders have won both games this season, winning 80-60 over Benedictine College and then 90-74 at Waldorf University in the GPAC opener.
Connor Millikan is pacing the Defenders in points (22.0 ppg), rebounds (8.5 rpg) and assists (4.0 apg) through those two contests.
Scouting Northwestern: The Northwestern College Red Raiders are 2-1 on the season, starting the year with a 77-67 win over KCAC member Kansas Wesleyan University before dropping a 104-99 outing to William Penn and then defeating Culver-Stockton 77-65.
Following the departure of NAIA Men's Basketball Player of the Year Jesse Van Kalsbeek, Brennan Reid has stepped up to lead the Red Raiders in points (20.3 ppg) through the first games of the 2026-27 season. Grant Tigges is first on the team in both rebounds (8.7 rpg) and assists (4.7 apg) this season.
The Series vs. Dordt: The Falcons have won both games vs. Dordt on record, most recently winning 78-75 last season at the Ottawa (Kan.) Classic. The last time the two teams squared off in Orange City, Iowa, the Falcons were victorious 90-78 in the 2018-19 campaign.
The Series vs. Northwestern: Friends and Northwestern have split a pair of meetings on record, with the Red Raiders winning in the Falcons' 2025-26 season opener last year 95-87 behind 40 points from Jesse Van Kalsbeek. In the 2018-19 season, the Falcons won 94-90 on the road in Orange City, Iowa.
Reddi Industries: We are proud to have Reddi Industries as a top sponsor of Friends University Athletics this season! Reddi facilitated the renovation of the Garvey Center floor, the backstop at Westside numerous other and the railings at the football stadium plus other numerous projects. Click HERE to learn more of everything Reddi can provide for you!
KCAC Preseason Info: The Falcons were picked tied for seventh in the KCAC Preseason Coaches' poll. Click HERE for the complete poll.
Falcons by the Numbers
Overall record: 1-2
KCAC: 0-0
Home: 1-2
Road: 0-0
Neutral: 0-0
When scoring:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 0-0
60-69 points: 0-0
70-79 points: 0-1
80-89 points: 0-1
90+ points: 1-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 0-0
60-69 points: 1-0
70-79 points: 0-0
80-89 points: 0-1
90+ points: 0-1
When leading at halftime: 1-0
When trailing at halftime: 0-2
When tied at halftime: 0-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 1-2
When committing more turnovers: 0-0
When turnovers are tied: 0-0
When leading in field-goal percentage: 1-0
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 0-2
When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 0-0
When trailing in three-point percentage: 1-2
When three-point percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in rebounding: 1-0
When trailing in rebounding: 0-2
When rebounding is tied: 0-0
When leading in assists: 1-0
When trailing in assists: 0-1
When assists are tied: 0-1
In OT: 0-0
The Coaches:
Nick Jones is in his first year as the men's basketball head coach at Friends University.
A Wichita native, Jones returns home following a three-year stint as assistant coach for the NCAA D-II Washburn Ichabods, a MIAA program in Topeka, Kan.
This past season, Jones helped the Ichabods become one of the best teams in D-II, finishing with a record of 31-2 that included MIAA regular season and tournament championships along with a berth in the NCAA Central Regional quarterfinal round.
The previous year saw the Ichabods advance even further in the postseason, winning the NCAA Central Regional title and making it to the national semifinals before finishing with a 30-4 mark.
Overall in Jones' three years on staff, the Ichabods were 80-17.
Prior to arriving at Washburn, Jones spent eight seasons at Wichita State University, including serving as Director of Player Development during his final four seasons. He also had roles as WSU's Video Coordinator (2017-19) and Graduate Manager (2015-17).
The WSU Shockers posted a record of 175-79 during Jones' time on staff and earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament four times (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021) while advancing to the semifinals of the NIT Tourney in 2019.
Jones' coaching career began in earnest with a role as the University of Hawaii's video coordinator graduate assistant during the 2014-15 season after serving as a student manager for Kansas State University from 2009-14 under head coaches Frank Martin and Bruce Weber.
He is a graduate of nearby Goddard High School and received his bachelor's degree in business management from Kansas State University in 2014 before earning a master's degree in sports management from Wichita State University in 2016.
Brian Van Haaften entered this season with 582 career wins in his 30 years as a collegiate head coach.
Now in his ninth season as head coach at Dordt, Van Haaften guided the Defenders to the NAIA National Championship Tournament four straight seasons from 2021-25 and came into this year with 168 wins with the program.
Before arriving at Dordt, Van Haaften served as head coach at NCAA Division III member Buena Vista University (Iowa) from 1996-2017 and won 414 games. He led Buena Vista to nine regular season conference championships along with nine appearances in the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
Colton Kooima is in his second season as head coach of the Northwestern College men's basketball program. He also had assistant coaching stops at Northwestern and Vanguard (Calif.) before serving as the lead assistant coach at NCAA D-II member Augustana (S.D.). in the 2024-25 season.
Collegiately, Kooima was a two-time NAIA All-American at Northwestern and the GPAC Player of the Year in the 2017-18 season. He was recently inducted into the Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.
Up Next: The Falcons will compete in an exhibition at Wichita State University on Wednesday (Nov. 11) for a 6:30 pm tipoff at Charles Koch Arena.
