The Lowdown: No. 6 seed Friends University vs. No. 3 seed Ave Maria University
* NAIA MBB Second Round
Location: Garvey Center
When: Saturday, Mar. 14 @ 5 pm
Broadcast
Live Stats
Flying with the Falcons: The No. 6-seeded Friends University Falcons are now 26-6 overall following an absolutely scintillating 118-112 four-overtime thriller over No. 11-seeded IU-Southeast last night (Mar. 13) inside the Garvey Center. The 118 points are the most in a game for the Falcons since the 2023-24 season and the four overtime periods represent the second longest game in NAIA National Tournament history, second only to a five overtime game in 1978 between Grand Canyon and Central State.
It appeared the Falcons would come up short down 75-72 in the final seconds, but following a missed free throw, Randy Woolf, Jr. launched a game-tying three-pointer with 0.3 seconds left to keep the Falcons alive. That was the only beginning of the dramatics, read it all HERE!
Cahlese Lee is leading the Falcons with 16.0 ppg and hit his 90th three-pointer in last night's win over IU-Southeast to give him a single-season modern-era record number of threes for the Falcons.
Randy Woolf, Jr is the team's second-leading scorer, providing an all-around presence for the Falcons, averaging 15.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and a team-high 4.3 assists per game. Woolf Jr. has been highly efficient, shooting 54.5 percent from the field, 46.9 percent from the three-point line and 89.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Collin Maclin averaged 14.3 points per game prior to his injury. He also contributed 5.1 rebounds and 2.6 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 5.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
Freshman Eli Benning has been key in his first season, averaging 8.7 points and 4.3 assists per game while leading the Falcons in steals at 2.1 per contest.
Scouting the Gyrenes: The No. 3-seeded Ave Maria University Gyrenes are now 27-4 after winning 84-62 over No. 14 seed Texas A&M-Texarkana last night. Ave Maria won both the Sun Conference regular season and tournament titles behind 91.6 points per game this season that is third in the NAIA. Michael Klekas leads six players in double-figure scoring with 17.2 points per game and Jack Watkins is first on the team with 4.7 assists. Alex Sherwood has a team-high 9.6 rebounds for the Gyrenes and has blocked 2.5 shots per game.
The Series: This will be the first matchup on record between the Falcons and Gyrenes.
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.
Elite Ball Movement: Friends' offensive success is fueled by elite ball movement and execution. The Falcons average 19.0 assists per game, ranking fourth nationally in the NAIA, highlighting their ability to score efficiently while sharing the basketball.
Setting the Tone: A strong first half has been key for Friends, who are now 22–2 when holding the halftime lead, with both losses coming to Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Winning the Possession Battle: Friends posts a 24–4 record when leading in assists, and a 20-4 record when committing fewer turnovers suggesting that offensive efficiency and ball movement are key drivers of the Falcons' success.
Efficiency Translates: Friends is 21-1 on the season when leading in field goal percentage, with the 79-78 loss at Oklahoma Wesleyan in the KCAC championship game the only time the Falcons have lost when outshooting the opposition.
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 milestone this season for the entirety of their college career.
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.
Falcons by the Numbers (2025-26)
Overall record: 26-6
KCAC: 18-4
Home: 14-2
Road: 10-4
Neutral: 2-0
When scoring:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 0-0
60-69 points: 0-0
70-79 points: 6-5
80-89 points: 8-1
90+ points: 12-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 2-0
60-69 points: 6-0
70-79 points: 10-4
80-89 points: 6-2
90+ points: 2-0
When leading at halftime: 22-2
When trailing at halftime: 3-3
When tied at halftime: 1-1
When committing fewer turnovers: 20-4
When committing more turnovers: 6-2
When turnovers are tied: 0-0
When leading in field-goal percentage: 21-1
When trailing in field-goal percentage: 5-5
When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 19-4
When trailing in three-point percentage: 6-2
When three-point percentage is tied: 1-0
When leading in rebounding: 17-1
When trailing in rebounding: 7-5
When rebounding is tied: 2-0
When leading in assists: 24-4
When trailing in assists: 2-2
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 now has the Falcons in the NAIA National Tournament for the second straight 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).
Jamon Copeland is in his 11th year overall as head coach of the Ave Maria University Gyrenes in his second stint with the program.
In the 2023-24 season, Copeland led the Gyrenes to the NAIA National Championship tournament that included the program's first-ever NAIA tournament win.
In his 16th year as a head coach, Copeland also has stops at Aledo High School, The University of Texas at Tyler, Ave Maria University, Texas State University, Trinity Valley Community College, and Keller Central High School.
Up Next: With a win, the Falcons would advance to the Round of 16 next week in Kansas City, Mo. for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
NAIA MBB National Championship Bracket
NAIA MBB First and Second Round Schedule
