KCAC
[Men's Basketball] MBB Gameday Preview: Falcons square off with Bethany tomorrow inside the …
The Lowdown: Bethany College at Friends UniversityLocation: Garvey CenterWhen: Saturday, Jan. 15 @ 4 pmBroadcast and Live Stats: https://kcacnetwork.com/friends/Flying with the Falcons: The Friends University Falcons have won three of their last five games, but dropped their last outing 64-52 at Avila University to fall to 6-13 overall and 5-8 in the KCAC. Ian Konek (JR/Long Beach, Calif.) is tops on the Falcons in both scoring (16.5 ppg) and rebounding (5.3 rpg) this season. Trey Reid (FR/Wichita, Kan. ) is also averaging double-figure scoring with 12.1 ppg along with a team-best 2.4 assists per game. Drew Patterson (FR/Charlotte, NC) has emerged as a top threat from beyond the arc, leading the Falcons and ranking sixth in the KCAC in three-point percentage (44 percent). Alex Gray (FR) has also given the Falcons quality minutes since joining the varsity squad, averaging 11 points and 8.3 rebounds in his four career outings thus far. Scouting the Swedes: The Bethany College Swedes are 13-6 overall and sit fourth in the KCAC at 9-4 after having their five-game winning streak snapped to Bethel College last Thursday (Jan. 13). Solomon Clayton leads Bethany in points (18.8 ppg) and rebounds (7.2 rpg), while Dylan Smith is second in scoring (11.7 ppg) and has recorded a team-best 3.4 assists per game.The Series: The Falcons fell 79-63 in the first matchup this year to the Swedes. Friends also dropped the first two meetings last season to Bethany, but got a measure of revenge by winning 68-63 on the road in the KCAC tournament first round in Lindsborg, Kan. The Falcons are 12-7 in the past 19 matchups vs. Bethany and have won seven of the past nine meetings in Wichita during that span. Quoting Acting Head Coach Alex Martin: "Bethany has a really solid team that's got some momentum right now, and we're facing some adversity but I have faith that our guys are going to play as hard as possible and give it everything they have to help win this game."Long Distance Showcase: The Falcons and Swedes feature two of the better three-point marksmen in the KCAC, as Bethany's Timothy Yoder is fifth in the league in three-point percentage (44.4 percent), while the Falcons' Drew Patterson is right behind in sixth by hitting 44 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc on 91 attempts (40-of-91). Points Aplenty: A top scoring duel could be in the cards between the Falcons' Ian Konek and the Swedes' Solomon Clayton. Clayton ranks third in the league in scoring with 18.8 ppg, while Konek is sixth with 16.5 ppg. 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 six of the seven occasions they've led in field-goal percentage, but are winless all 12 times that the opposition shoots better from the floor.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:Home: 4-4Road: 2-6Neutral: 0-3When scoring: Under 50 points: 0-050-59 points: 0-360-69 points: 0-670-79 points: 2-480-89 points: 1-090+ points: 3-0When allowing:Under 50 points:50-59 points: 0-060-69 points: 2-170-79 points: 2-780-89 points: 2-590+ points: 0-0When leading at halftime: 6-4When trailing at halftime: 0-9When tied at halftime: 0-0When committing more turnovers: 5-12When committing fewer turnovers: 1-0When turnovers are tied: 0-1When leading in field-goal percentage: 6-1When trailing in field-goal percentage: 0-12When leading in three-point percentage: 6-5When trailing in three-point percentage: 0-8When leading in rebounding: 4-5When trailing in rebounding: 2-8When leading in assists: 6-3When trailing in assists: 0-9When 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.Dan O'Dowd is in his fifth season as head coach of the Bethany College Swedes. Before arriving at Bethany, O'Dowd amassed 24 years of NCAA D-I coaching experience. O'Dowd's stops included the University of North Texas, University of Texas at San Antonio, Arizona State University and the University of Mississippi.Up Next: The Falcons will travel to North Newton, Kan. to face the (RV) Bethel College Threshers Wednesday night (Jan. 19) at 8 pm. Friends got the best of then No 12-ranked Bethel 78-72 in the first meeting this season inside the Garvey Center.