WICHITA, Kan. - The No. 16 Friends University Falcons delivered a pivotal 89–81 win over the McPherson College Bulldogs to close out Senior Day. The win not only marks their fifth straight, but also moves the Falcons into sole possession of second place in the KCAC with just two games remaining in the regular season.
The matchup was physical and fast-paced from the opening tip, with multiple ties and lead changes throughout the first half. After the score was tied at 29-29, McPherson used second-chance points and free throws to build a 45-38 lead. Friends answered with a 9-0 run fueled by three straight three-pointers and closed the half on an 11-2 surge to take a 49-47 advantage into the break.
The Falcons carried that momentum into the second half, opening on an 8-0 run to push the lead to 10. McPherson battled back to cut the deficit to three at 61-58 and kept the margin within single digits as Friends' largest lead hovered at nine.
With 9:30 to play, the Falcons leaned on defensive stops and paint production to create separation. Key buckets inside from Collin Maclin and timely free throws helped Friends maintain control down the stretch.
After the Bulldogs cut the deficit to five with just over three minutes left, Friends responded with stops and steals, highlighted by a steal and fast-break dunk by Cahlese Lee and a late layup from Eli Benning to push the lead back to double digits.
McPherson added late points, but the Falcons closed it out for the 89-81 win.
Friends would be led by Collin Maclin who finished the game with a team-high 27 points on an efficient 11-for-13 from the field. He would also finish just shy of a double-double with nine rebounds, along with two assists and one block.
Randy Woolf, Jr. delivered a strong all-around performance with 15 points and eight assists, shooting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Cahlese Lee added 14 points and six rebounds, while Devin Davis provided a major lift off the bench with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting and four rebounds.
Eli Benning totaled seven assists, four rebounds, and a steal while helping orchestrate the offense, and Al Emerllahu added five rebounds and two blocks.
Friends shot an efficient 52.4 percent from the field (33-of-63) and 40 percent from three-point range (10-of-25), finishing with 21 assists on 33 made baskets. The Falcons also dominated the paint, outscoring the Bulldogs 34–20 inside.
Defensively, Friends held a McPherson team that ranks fourth in the KCAC in three-point percentage (34.6%) to just 28 percent from beyond the arc, limiting the Bulldogs to 7-of-25 shooting from deep. The Falcons also recorded a season-high six blocks.
With the win, Friends improved to 16–4 in KCAC play and 21–5 overall with two regular-season games remaining. The Falcons currently sit in second place in the conference standings.
Friends will wrap up its three-game homestand while also closing out its regular-season home schedule next Wednesday (Feb. 18) against Southwestern College. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. in the Garvey Center.
