KCAC

[Men's Basketball] MBB Gameday Preview: Falcons face big matchup tonight vs. No. 4 Oklahoma Wesleyan

The Lowdown: No. 4 Oklahoma Wesleyan University at Friends UniversityLocation: Garvey CenterWhen: Saturday, Jan. 29 @ 7 pmBroadcast and Live Stats: https://kcacnetwork.com/friends/Flying with the Falcons: The Friends University Falcons are looking to finish the week on a high note after winning over York College Monday night (Jan. 24) but falling Thursday (Jan. 27) at McPherson College. Friends is currently 7-16 overall and 6-11 in the KCAC.  Ian Konek (JR/Long Beach, Calif.) is tops on the Falcons in both scoring (16.2 ppg) and rebounds (5.3 rpg), with Trey Reid (FR/Wichita, Kan. ) second in scoring with 12.6 ppg along with a team-best 2.5 assists per game. Drew Patterson (FR/Charlotte, NC) is also averaging in double-figures with 10.3 ppg while shooting a team-high 43.8 percent (49-of-112) from three-point distance that is good for fourth in the KCAC.  Scouting the Eagles: The No. 4-ranked and KCAC front-runner Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles are 22-2 overall and 16-2 in the league after having their six-game win streak snapped at home vs. No. 23-ranked Bethel College Thursday night (Jan. 27). The Eagles are also unbeaten on the road, winning all 10 games away from Bartlesville, Okla. this season.A well-balanced squad, the Eagles are tops in the KCAC in scoring defense (61.6 ppg) and second in points per game (83.7 ppg).Lietzke is first in the league in field-goal percentage (67.5 percent) and Bird is fifth (56.9 percent), while Dylan Phillip ranks fifth in three-point percentage (42.3 percent).Brandon Bird is scoring a team-high 11.9 points per game this season for OKWU, with Jaden Lietzke second with 11.5 ppg while ranking tied for first on the team with Valentin Van Putten in rebounding (6.0 rpg). Derrick Talton Jr. has recorded a team-high 3.4 assists per game for the Eagles.The Series: The Falcons are 7-21 vs. OKWU dating back to 2004 and have dropped three straight in the series after winning the first two meetings of the 2019-20 season.       Quoting Head Coach Austin McBeth:"We couldn't ask for a better opportunity to get things back on the right track. Having a top five team in the country at home is the type of game players dream about. I'm expecting our guys to compete extremely hard, and that's exactly what we'll need to do against a great Oklahoma Wesleyan team."Three-Point Shootout: Two of the top five three-point shooters in the KCAC will be featured in the matchup between the Falcons and Eagles. The Falcons' Drew Patterson is fourth in the league in three-point percentage (43.8 percent), followed by OKWU's Dylan Phillip in fifth (42.3 percent).Make or Miss League: Sometimes the game of basketball is as simple as just making more shots than the team you're playing against.  That's been the case this season for the Friends University Men's Basketball Falcons, who have emerged victorious on seven of the nine occasions they've led in field-goal percentage, but are winless all 14 times that the opposition shoots better from the floor. Additionally, the Falcons are 7-6 when leading in three-point percentage, but are 0-10 when the opposition shoots better from the perimeter.Sponsor Alerts: Friends University Athletics is excited to have Home2 Suites by Hilton back as an official athletic sponsor this season! For more on what they can offer, click HERE to visit their official webpage.Friends University Athletics also welcomes Phoenix Home Care and Hospice as a sponsor this season! For more info on what they can provide, click HERE.Tickets: Fans are able to tickets all home basketball games by clicking HERE.Falcons by the Numbers:Overall record: 7-16KCAC: 6-11Home: 5-5Road: 2-8Neutral: 0-3When scoring:                                             Under 50 points: 0-050-59 points: 0-460-69 points: 0-770-79 points: 2-580-89 points: 2-090+ points:  3-0When allowing:Under 50 points:50-59 points: 0-060-69 points: 2-170-79 points: 3-880-89 points: 2-690+ points: 0-1When leading at halftime: 7-4When trailing at halftime: 0-12When tied at halftime: 0-0When committing more turnovers: 6-15When committing fewer turnovers: 1-0When turnovers are tied: 0-1When leading in field-goal percentage: 7-2When trailing in field-goal percentage: 0-14When leading in three-point percentage: 7-6When trailing in three-point percentage: 0-10When leading in rebounding: 5-7When trailing in rebounding: 2-9When leading in assists: 6-3When trailing in assists: 1-12When assists are even: 0-1In OT: 0-0The Coaches:Austin McBeth is in his first season as head coach of the Friends University men's basketball program.McBeth arrived at Friends following a highly successful stint as the head assistant coach at NCAA D-II Truman State University of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).Serving as the recruiting coordinator for Truman State, McBeth was at the heart of a team that won the GLVC regular-season championship and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA D-II National Tournament.At Truman, McBeth also served in roles as the director of strength and conditioning, academic advisor for "at risk" players, summer camp director, director of community service while being heavily involved in fundraising and skill development for guards and post players.McBeth's coaching experience includes head assistant coaching stops at the University of Illinois-Springfield, also of the GLVC and NAIA program Montreat College in Black Mountain, NC.He was also a part of his alma mater team, the Iowa State University men's basketball program under head coach Fred Hoiberg, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.McBeth was a Volunteer GA Assistant Coach at ISU in 2013 and served as a camp instructor for the Cyclones in the summer of 2012.Off the court, McBeth is the perfect fit for the Friends University Christian mission, having served as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) President at Iowa State while also filling the role of an FCA Co-Sponsor at Iowa State, Montreat and Illinois-Springfield. In addition, he has authored two books on coaching philosophies and the important role that coaches play in the lives of athletes.Donnie Bostwick is in the fifth season of his second tenure as head coach of the Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles and has guided the program to the NAIA National Tournament each season since returning. Last season, Bostwick led the team to the NAIA National Tournament Sweet Sixteen round.In his first year back at the helm in the 2017-18 season, Bostwick guided the Eagles to an NAIA national quarterfinal berth, a KCAC tournament championship and a 26-9 overall record.Bostwick previously served four seasons as head coach at Southwestern Assemblies of God University, where he led SAGU to an NAIA Division I national championship game appearance in 2013.  In his first run at OKWU, Bostwick guided the Eagles to an NAIA Division II national championship in 2009.Up Next: The Falcons will be at Ottawa University next Wednesday night (Feb. 2) at 8 pm in Ottawa, Kan.