The Lowdown: No. 2 seed Friends University at No. 1 seed Oklahoma Wesleyan University
*KCAC Postseason Tournament Championship
Location: Bartlesville, Okla.
When: Tuesday, Mar. 3 @ 7:00 p.m.
Broadcast
Live Stats
Flying with the Falcons: The No. 2-seeded and No. 16-ranked Friends University Falcons advanced to the KCAC Tournament Championship with an 83–76 victory over No. 6 seed Evangel University. The Falcons have won nine consecutive games and now stand at 25–5 overall this season.
Cahlese Lee is the leading scorer for the Falcons, averaging 16.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, shooting 37.4 percent from three-point range.
Randy Woolf, Jr. Is the second-leading scorer providing an all-around presence for the Falcons, averaging 15 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Woolf Jr. has been highly efficient shooting 54.5 percent from the field, 48.7 percent from the three-point line (1st in KCAC), and 89.7 percent from the free-throw line (2nd in KCAC). Woolf Jr. is averaging 20.3 points per game over his last 10.
Collin Maclin averaged 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 9.5 points per game, in addition to 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
Freshman Eli Benning has been key in his first season, averaging 8 points and 4.2 assists per game while leading the Falcons in steals, and sitting third in the KCAC at 2.1 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 (86.1 ppg), second in field goals made per game (31.1), and second in field-goal percentage (49.0%).
From beyond the arc, Friends ranks first in the KCAC in three-point makes per game (10.2) and second in three-point percentage (37.3%).
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 48.7 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 19.1 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 Eagles: The top-seeded and No. 3-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles enter tonight's matchup following an 80–71 victory over No. 5 seed Southwestern College in the KCAC Semifinals on Saturday (Feb. 28.). Oklahoma Wesleyan holds a 27–3 overall record and finished the regular season 20–2 in conference play.
The Eagles are led by Temaje Izuagbe, the KCAC Player of the Year, who is averaging 17.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 53.4 percent from the field. Yashi McKenzie also averages double figures with 10.0 points per game, while Ethan Williams leads the team in assists at 3.7 per contest.
The Series: Tonight's matchup marks the 37th all time meeting between the two programs. Friends trails the all-time series 38-8 dating back to the 2007-08 season. The Falcons have dropped both matchups against the Eagles this season, with the most recent being a close 71-70 loss in Bartlesville, Okla. The Falcons trail 18-2 in road games against the Eagles.
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 21–2 when holding the halftime lead, the only losses coming against Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Winning the Possession Battle: Friends posts a 24–3 record when leading in assists, and a 19-3 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: 25-5
KCAC: 18-4
Home: 13-2
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: 8-1
90+ points: 11-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 0-0
50-59 points: 2-0
60-69 points: 6-0
70-79 points: 10-3
80-89 points: 6-2
90+ points: 1-0
When leading at halftime: 21-2
When trailing at halftime: 3-3
When tied at halftime: 1-0
When committing fewer turnovers: 19-3
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: 4-5
When field-goal percentage is tied: 0-0
When leading in three-point percentage: 19-3
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: 2-0
When leading in assists: 24-3
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).
Donnie Bostwick has served as the Head Coach of the Oklahoma Wesleyan University men's basketball team for a total of eight years in two separate stints. He has led the program to 223 wins during his tenure, and his 83% winning percentage is one of the highest in college basketball.
Raised in Pryor, Oklahoma, Bostwick has achieved success at every level. He led Vinita High School to the state championship game in his second season as head coach, and he served as an assistant coach at John Brown University for a team that won the 2005 NAIA National Championship. He became the head coach at OKWU in 2007, and in 2009 he led the Eagles to the NAIA DII National Championship and set a record with 39 consecutive wins.
Up Next: The national office announced yesterday (Mar. 2) that Friends University will host the NAIA Men's Basketball First and Second Round games on March 13 and 14. The men's team's official first-round matchup will be announced during the NAIA Selection Show on Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
