The Lowdown: Southwestern College at No. 16 Friends University
Location: Wichita, Kan. | Garvey Center
When: Wednesday, Feb. 18 @ 8:00 PM
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Flying with the Falcons: The No. 16 Friends University Falcons will wrap up the regular-season home schedule tonight as they host the Southwestern College Moundbuilders. The Falcons enter the matchup with a 16-4 record in KCAC play and a 21-5 mark overall. The Falcons currently sit in second place in the KCAC with two games remaining after earning an 89-81 victory over McPherson last Saturday on Senior Day (Feb. 14). With a win tonight, Friends would secure a second-place finish in the conference standings.
Read more about the Senior Day victory HERE!
Cahlese Lee is the leading scorer for the Falcons, averaging 15.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, shooting 36.2 percent from three-point range.
Collin Maclin is close behind in scoring with 15.3 points per game while adding 5.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He's shooting an efficient 54.6 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from three-point range. He has delivered strong performances for the Falcons scoring 20 or more points in 4 of his last 5 games.
Randy Woolf, Jr. provides an all-around presence for the Falcons, averaging 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. Woolf Jr. has been highly efficient shooting 52.2 percent from the field, 48.5 percent from the three-point line (1st in KCAC), and 88.9 percent from the free-throw line (2nd in KCAC).
Ringo Deng is averaging nearly double figures at 9.8 points, along with 5.3 rebounds per game. Freshman Eli Benning has been key in his first season, averaging 7.5 points and 4 assists per game while leading the Falcons in steals, and sitting third in the KCAC at 2.3 per contest.
Built on Efficiency: As a team, Friends has been one of the most efficient offensive teams in the KCAC throughout the regular season. The Falcons rank first in the conference in scoring (85.9 points per game), second in field goals made per game (31.3), and second in field-goal percentage (49.0).
From beyond the arc, Friends ranks first in the KCAC in three-point makes per game (10.3) and second in three-point percentage (37.2). 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 48.5 percent.
Winning the Possession Game: Friends' offensive success is fueled by elite ball movement and execution. The Falcons average 19.3 assists per game, ranking first in the KCAC and fourth nationally in the NAIA, highlighting their ability to score efficiently while sharing the basketball.
Randy Woolf, Jr. (3rd), Eli Benning (5th), and Ringo Deng (9th) all rank among the top 10 in the conference in assists per game.
Scouting the Moundbuilders: The Southwestern College Moundbuilders enter Wednesday's matchup with a 13-7 record in the KCAC, sitting tied for fifth place in the conference, and hold a 19-7 overall mark. The Moundbuilders recently dropped their matchup against Kansas Wesleyan on Saturday (Feb. 14), 94-90.
Southwestern is led by Wyatt Bell, who averages 18.4 points per game, second in the KCAC, along with 5.1 rebounds while shooting 42.9 percent from three, which is fifth in the conference. Evan Barber (14.7 ppg) and Nigel John (14.4 ppg) also score in double figures, with Barber ranking second in the KCAC in three-point percentage at 45 percent and John leading the conference in field-goal percentage at 68.4 percent.
As a team, the Moundbuilders lead the KCAC in field-goal percentage (51 percent), three-point percentage (39.6 percent), defensive rebounding (26 per game), and rebound margin (11.8).
The Series: Wednesday's matchup marks the 50th all-time meeting between the two programs. Friends trails the series 26–23 and dropped the most recent matchup earlier this season on the road, 74-71.
The Falcons hold a 14-11 advantage in home games against the Moundbuilders. Their most recent home victory came during the 2021–22 season, when Friends defeated Southwestern, 72–66.
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.
Setting the Tone: A strong first half has been key for Friends, who are 17–2 when holding the halftime lead, with the two losses coming against Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Home Sweet Home: Friends enters Wednesday's game riding a nine-game home winning streak and holds a 10–2 record at the Garvey Center. The Falcons' only home losses this season came in their season opener (Oct. 25) against non-conference opponent Northwestern and against Oklahoma Wesleyan earlier in conference play (Nov. 19).
Winning the Possession Battle: Friends posts a 20–3 record when leading in assists, and a 16-3 record when committing fewer turnovers suggesting that offensive efficiency and ball movement are key drivers of the Falcons' success.
Efficiency Translates: Friends are 18-0 when leading in field-goal percentage, highlighting the importance of offensive efficiency in their success.
Buckets on Buckets on More Buckets: Cahlese Lee, Ringo Deng, Randy Woolf, Jr., Devin Davis, and Collin Maclin 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., who achieved the milestone in the win over McPherson. Davis eclipsed 1,000 career points in the Falcons' victory at Sterling. Most recently, Maclin officially joined the 1,000-point club after surpassing the milestone in the Falcons' win at Ottawa (Feb. 7).
Falcons by the Numbers (2025-26)
Overall record: 21-5
KCAC: 16-4
Home: 10-2
Road: 9-3
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: 7-1
90+ points: 9-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 2-0
60-69 points: 6-0
70-79 points: 7-3
80-89 points: 6-2
90+ points: 0-0
When leading at halftime: 17-2
When trailing at halftime: 3-3
When tied at halftime: 1-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 16-3
When committing more turnovers: 5-2
When turnovers are tied: 0-0
When leading in field-goal percentage: 18-0
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 3-5
When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 16-3
When trailing in three-point percentage: 4-2
When three-point percentage is tied: 1-0
When leading in rebounding: 14-1
When trailing in rebounding: 6-4
When rebounding is tied: 1-0
When leading in assists: 20-3
When trailing in assists: 1-2
When assists are tied: 0-0
In OT: 2-0
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).
Matt O'Brien is in his 20th season as a head coach and his 17th season leading the Southwestern College Moundbuilders.
In 2018 O'Brien became the winningest coach in the history of Southwestern while being named KCAC Coach of the Year. O'Brien has had 14 straight winning seasons, nine 20-win seasons, and hit the career 300-win mark, which puts him amongst the most active winning coaches in the NAIA. This consistent success has led to the 2nd most wins over the past 9 years in the entire state regardless of level at 4-year institutions, only trailing reigning powerhouse Kansas University.
Up Next: The Friends University Falcons will wrap up their regular season schedule on Saturday (Feb. 21) with a road matchup against the Bethany College Swedes. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Lindsborg, Kan.
