The Lowdown: No. 7 seed University of Saint Mary at No. 2 seed Friends University
* KCAC Postseason Tournament Quarterfinal
Location: Wichita, Kan. | Garvey Center
When: Thursday, Feb. 26 @ 6:00 PM
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Flying with the Falcons: The No. 16 Friends University Falcons concluded their regular-season schedule on the road last Saturday (Feb. 21) with a 94-75 win against the Bethany College Swedes. The Falcons enter the postseason with an 18-4 record in KCAC play and a 23-5 mark overall. Read about the victory over the Swedes HERE!
Cahlese Lee is the leading scorer for the Falcons, averaging 16.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, shooting 36.9 percent from three-point range.
Collin Maclin remains the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 14.9 points per game prior to his injury, along with 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest while shooting an efficient 54.2 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from three-point range. Ringo Deng, despite also missing time due to injury, is averaging nearly double figures with 9.8 points per game, in addition to 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
Randy Woolf, Jr. provides an all-around presence for the Falcons, averaging 14.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Woolf Jr. has been highly efficient shooting 53.6 percent from the field, 48.1 percent from the three-point line (1st in KCAC), and 87.8 percent from the free-throw line (2nd in KCAC). Woolf Jr. has scored in double-figures in his last 11 games.
Freshman Eli Benning has been key in his first season, averaging 7.9 points and 4.2 assists per game while leading the Falcons in steals, and sitting third in the KCAC at 2.2 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 ppg), second in field goals made per game (31.3), and second in field-goal percentage (48.9%).
From beyond the arc, Friends ranks first in the KCAC in three-point makes per game (10.1) and second in three-point percentage (37.0%).
Friends is led by one of the conference's most efficient long-range shooters in Randy Woolf Jr., who ranks first in the KCAC in three-point percentage at 48.1 percent. He is joined by Cahlese Lee, who ranks second in the conference in total three-point makes this season with 79 and is also second in three-point makes per game at 2.8.
Winning the Possession Game: Friends' offensive success is fueled by elite ball movement and execution. The Falcons average 19.2 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. (T-3rd), Eli Benning (T-3rd), and Ringo Deng (T-9th) all rank among the top 10 in the conference in assists per game.
Scouting the Spires: The University of Saint Mary enter tonight's matchup with a 13-9 record in KCAC play and a 19-9 record overall.
The Spires are led by Kaeden Bonner who is fifth in the KCAC in scoreing at 17.1 points per game, shooting an efficient 41.7 percent from three-point range. The Spires feature two additional double-figure scorers in Jordan Brown (13.9 ppg) and Cam Edwards (12.6 ppg), with Jason Parson II sitting fifth in the KCAC at 6.8 rebounds per game.
The Series: Tonight's matchup marks the 47th all-time meeting between Friends and the Saint Mary Spires. Friends leads the series 30-16 since the 2004-05 season but fell in the most recent contest earlier this year, dropping a 77-72 decision on the road.
The Falcons hold an 18-6 advantage in home games against the Spires. Their most recent home victory came during the 2024-25 season, a 74-64 win inside the Garvey Center.
The Spires, however, claimed a significant postseason win last year, defeating the Falcons 69-52 in the semifinals of the KCAC Tournament in the Garvey.
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 19–2 when holding the halftime lead, the only losses coming against Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Home Sweet Home: Friends enters tonight riding a ten-game home winning streak and holds an 11–2 record at the Garvey Center. The Falcons' only home losses this season came in their season opener against non-conference opponent Northwestern and against Oklahoma Wesleyan earlier in the season (Nov. 19).
Ball Control = Game Control: Friends posts a 22–3 record when leading in assists, and a 18-3 record when committing fewer turnovers suggesting that offensive efficiency and ball movement are key drivers of the Falcons' success.
Efficiency Translates: Friends are 20-0 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 last week (Feb. 7).
Falcons by the Numbers (2025-26)
Overall record: 23-5
KCAC: 18-4
Home: 11-2
Road: 10-3
Neutral: 2-0
When scoring:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 0-0
60-69 points: 0-0
70-79 points: 6-4
80-89 points: 7-1
90+ points: 10-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 2-0
60-69 points: 6-0
70-79 points: 9-3
80-89 points: 6-2
90+ points: 0-0
When leading at halftime: 19-2
When trailing at halftime: 3-3
When tied at halftime: 1-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 18-3
When committing more turnovers: 5-2
When turnovers are tied: 0-0
When leading in field-goal percentage: 20-0
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 3-5
When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 18-3
When trailing in three-point percentage: 4-2
When three-point percentage is tied: 1-0
When leading in rebounding: 15-1
When trailing in rebounding: 7-4
When rebounding is tied: 1-0
When leading in assists: 22-3
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).
Troy Brown took over as interim head coach of the Saint Mary Spires in November 2014 and was officially named head coach in March 2015 after leading the program to a 22-9 record and a second-place (13-5) finish in the KCAC. Previously serving as head assistant from 2011-14, Brown has played a key role in recruiting and developing 115 KCAC All-Conference selections and four NAIA All-Americans, including two KCAC Players of the Year and two Newcomers of the Year. In his first season as assistant, he helped guide the Spires to a school-record 25-6 mark. Over his tenure, the program has posted four 20-win seasons, along with three additional 17-win campaigns, and in 2022 he was recognized by Silver Waves Media as one of the top 100 most impactful coaches in NAIA basketball.
Up Next: A win over the Saint Mary Spires would send the Falcons to the KCAC semifinals on Saturday (Feb. 28), where they would host the winner of the matchup between the third-seeded McPherson Bulldogs and sixth-seeded Evangel Valor in the Garvey Center.
