The Lowdown: No. 17 Friends University at Tabor College
Location: Hillsboro, Kan.
When: Wednesday, Feb. 4 @ 8:00 PM
Broadcast
Live Stats
Flying with the Falcons: The No. 17 Friends University Falcons enter Wednesday's matchup against the Tabor College Bluejays with a 12-4 record in KCAC play and a 17-5 record overall. Friends is coming off a 96-83 win over Avila University. The Falcons will travel down to Hillsboro, Kan. to take on the Bluejays.
Cahlese Lee is the leading scorer for the Falcons, averaging 15.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from three-point range.
Lee recently moved into the top 10 in career three-pointers after knocking down five three-pointers in their matchup at Saint Mary (Jan. 28). He sits at 133 three-pointers for his career.
Collin Maclin is second on the team in scoring at 14 points per game while adding 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He's shooting an efficient 53 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from three-point range. Maclin is coming off an impressive performance against Avila on Saturday (Jan. 31) recording 26 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds.
Randy Woolf, Jr. provides an all-around presence for the Falcons, averaging 12.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Woolf Jr. has been highly efficient shooting 49.2 percent from the field, 49.4 percent from the three-point line (1st in KCAC), and 89.3 percent from the free-throw line (1st in KCAC).
Ringo Deng is a versatile contributor for the Falcons, averaging 10.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from the three-point line.
Freshman Eli Benning has been a key spark off the bench, averaging 7.1 points and 3.7 assists per game while leading the Falcons in steals, and tied for 1st in the KCAC at 2.5 per contest. Benning was recently chosen for his second career KCAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week on Monday (Feb. 2) after averaging 2.3 steals per game through three games last week. HERE
Built on Efficiency: As a team, Friends has been one of the most efficient offensive teams in the KCAC. The Falcons rank first in the conference in scoring (84.8 points per game), second in field goals made per game (30.8), and third in field-goal percentage (48.2).
From beyond the arc, Friends ranks first in the KCAC in three-point makes per game (10.3) and second in three-point percentage (37.3). Friends features two of the conference's most efficient three-point shooters in Randy Woolf, Jr., who ranks first in the KCAC in three-point percentage at 48.1 percent and Owen Evans, who sits at eleventh at 40.2 percent. Cahlese Lee adds another major perimeter threat, ranking second in the KCAC with 62 three-pointers made this season and second at 2.8 made threes per game.
Winning the Possession Game: Friends' offensive success is fueled by elite ball movement and execution. The Falcons average 19 assists per game, ranking first in the KCAC and 5th nationally in the NAIA, highlighting their ability to score efficiently while sharing the basketball.
Randy Woolf, Jr. (T-4th), Eli Benning (6th), and Ringo Deng (T-7th) all rank among the top 10 in the conference in assists per game.
The Falcons also take care of the basketball, committing the second fewest turnovers in the KCAC at just 10.6 per game. Defensively, Friends ranks fourth in the conference in steals with 9.1 per game, led by Benning, who is 2nd in the KCAC with 52 steals on the season.
Scouting the Bluejays: The Tabor College Bluejays enter Wednesday's matchup with a 2-14 record in KCAC play and a 4-17 record overall. The Bluejays are coming off a 97-88 win in overtime at Sterling College.
Tabor is led by Marque Wilkerson who is averaging 14.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. The Bluejays feature two additional double-figure scorers in Niieihii Blackbear (13.1) and Khalil Allen (10.4). Jake Weaver averages 8.2 rebounds per game, which ranks 3rd in the KCAC and a conference-leading 1.4 blocks per game.
The Series: Wednesday's matchup marks the 49th all-time meeting between the two programs. Friends holds a narrow 25–23 edge in the series. The Falcons won the most recent matchup earlier this season (Dec. 10), earning an 89–75 home victory. Friends has found success on the road in this matchup, posting a 14–10 record in games played in Hillsboro. Their most recent road win over the Bluejays came during the 2024–25 season, a 70–53 victory.
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 14–2 when holding the halftime lead.
Winning the Possession Battle: Friends posts a 16–3 record when leading in assists, and a 15-3 record when committing fewer turnovers suggesting that offensive efficiency and ball movement are key drivers of the Falcons' success.
Efficiency Translates: Friends are 15-0 when leading in field-goal percentage, highlighting the importance of offensive efficiency in their success.
Buckets on Buckets on Buckets on Buckets: Cahlese Lee, Ringo Deng, Randy Woolf, Jr., and Devin Davis 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. in the win over McPherson. Davis was the most recent Falcon to surpass the career milestone.
Falcons by the Numbers (2025-26)
Overall record: 17-5
KCAC: 12-4
Home: 8-2
Road: 7-3
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: 5-1
90+ points: 7-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 2-0
60-69 points: 6-0
70-79 points: 6-3
80-89 points: 3-2
90+ points: 0-0
When leading at halftime: 14-2
When trailing at halftime: 2-3
When tied at halftime: 1-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 15-3
When committing more turnovers: 2-2
When turnovers are tied: 0-0
When leading in field-goal percentage: 15-0
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 2-5
When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 13-3
When trailing in three-point percentage: 3-2
When three-point percentage is tied: 1-0
When leading in rebounding: 11-1
When trailing in rebounding: 5-4
When rebounding is tied: 1-0
When leading in assists: 16-3
When trailing in assists: 1-2
When assists are tied: 0-0
In OT: 1-0
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).
Josh Roach enters his second season as the Head Coach of the Tabor College Men's Basketball program. He joined the Bluejays after four successful years as an Assistant Coach at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO). During his time at USAO, the program posted a 75-32 record, captured the 2021–22 Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) Regular Season Championship, the 2020–21 SAC Tournament Championship, and made two appearances in the NAIA National Tournament.
Up Next: Friends will stay on the road as they travel to Ottawa University (Kan.) on Saturday (Feb. 7) to take on the Ottawa Braves for their second matchup of the season. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Ottawa, Kan.
