The Lowdown: No. 6 seed University of Saint Mary at No. 2 seed Friends University
* KCAC Postseason Tournament Semifinals
Location: Wichita, Kan. | Garvey Center
When: Thursday, Feb. 28 @ 7:00 PM
Broadcast
Live Stats
Tickets
Flying with the Falcons: The No. 16 Friends University Falcons advanced to the semifinals of the KCAC Conference Tournament after a thrilling 95-94 win over the seventh-seeded University of Saint Mary. The Falcons have won eight straight and now sit at 24-5 on the season.
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. He has also contributed 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. averaged 19.5 points over his last 12 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 (86.2 ppg), second in field goals made per game (31.3), and second in field-goal percentage (49.1%).
From beyond the arc, Friends ranks first in the KCAC in three-point makes per game (10.1) and second in three-point percentage (37.1%).
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 is tied for first in the conference 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 (9th) all rank among the top 10 in the conference in assists per game.
Scouting the Valor: The Evangel University Valor enter tonight's matchup riding the momentum of a road upset over No. 3-seeded McPherson College in the KCAC Quarterfinals on Thursday (Feb. 26), earning an 80-78 victory. Evangel carries a 19-10 overall record into the contest and finished the regular season 14-8 in KCAC play.
The Valor are led offensively by Garrett Davault, who averages 16.0 points per game. He is joined in double figures by Jacob Lafferty (14.6 ppg) and Drew McMillin (10.5 ppg). Lafferty also paces Evangel on the glass, pulling down 6.1 rebounds per contest.
As a team, Evangel ranks second in the conference in assists per game (16.4), trailing only the Falcons. The Valor also sit second in free throws made per game, averaging 15.3 per game.
The Series: Tonight's matchup marks the sixth all-time meeting between Friends and Evangel. Friends trails the all-time series 3-2 dating back to the 2007-08 season.
The Falcons won the most recent matchup, earning an 88-79 victory in their KCAC opener in the Garvey Center. In home games against Evangel, Friends holds a 1-1 record.
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 20–2 when holding the halftime lead, the only losses coming against Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Home Sweet Home: Friends enters tonight riding an eleven-game home winning streak and holds a 12–2 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 23–3 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 a perfect 21-0 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: 24-5
KCAC: 18-4
Home: 12-2
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: 11-0
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: 1-0
When leading at halftime: 20-2
When trailing at halftime: 3-3
When tied at halftime: 1-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 18-3
When committing more turnovers: 6-2
When turnovers are tied: 0-0
When leading in field-goal percentage: 21-0
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: 5-2
When three-point percentage is tied: 1-0
When leading in rebounding: 16-1
When trailing in rebounding: 7-4
When rebounding is tied: 1-0
When leading in assists: 23-3
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).
Bert Capel is in his fifth season at the helm of the Valor Men's Basketball team. He had led the Valor to three national tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight finish where they fell to the No. 1 overall seed.
Capel brings extensive experience to Evangel, including six seasons on previous coach Steve Jenkins' staff and nine years at the NCAA Division I level with Florida State and Stetson. Since returning in 2019, he's played a key role in the program's rise, helping engineer a 10-win improvement, a postseason berth, and the program's first NAIA Top 25 votes since 2015.
Before rejoining EU, Capel spent six seasons at Stetson and was part of Florida State's ACC Championship and NCAA Sweet 16 run. A former Evangel standout, he topped 1,000 career points and helped lead the 2002 NAIA national championship team.
Up Next: With a victory over Evangel, the Falcons would advance to the KCAC Championship game next Tuesday (Mar. 3). They would face the winner of the matchup between top-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan and No. 5 Southwestern College. If Oklahoma Wesleyan comes out on top, the Falcons will travel to Bartlesville, OK. However, if Southwestern pulls off the upset, the championship game will be held at the Garvey Center.
