[Men's Basketball] MBB Gameday Preview: (RV) Falcons Tangle with McPherson Tomorrow
The Lowdown: McPherson at (RV) Friends University
Location: Garvey Center
When: Saturday, Dec. 8 @ 7 pm
Broadcast: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/friends/
Radio Broadcast: KKLE 1550 AM
Flying with the Falcons: The Friends University Falcons are coming off their second victory over a ranked opponent this season in handing the No. 14-ranked Southwestern College Moundbuilders their first loss of the season, 82-76 last Wednesday night (Dec. 5) to improve to 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the KCAC.
Jordan Murdock (SR/Wichita, Kan.) scored 28 of his game-high 35 points after halftime in helping the Falcons hold on for the victory. Murdock shot 12-of-22 overall from the field in scoring his 35 points and also had nine rebounds and a team-high five assists.
Atir Cherne (SR/Wichita, Kan.) finished with 16 points and James Conley (JR/Derby, Kan. ) added 12. Zion Fralin (SO/Wichita, Kan. ) led the Falcons with a career-best 10 rebounds.
Murdock is leading the Falcons in points (30.1 ppg), rebounds (8.1 rpg) and assists (47). He is tops in the league and second in the NAIA in points per game, while ranking fourth in the KCAC in assists per game (4.7 apg).
The Falcons are also receiving double-figure scoring output from James Conley (15.5 ppg), Atir Cherne (12.0 ppg), Vernon Vaughn (SR/Kansas City, Kan. ) (12.0 ppg) and Zion Fralin (10.8 ppg.
Luke Evans (FR/Wichita, Kan. ) leads the team and is tied for fourth in the league in steals (1.8 spg).
Friends is the second highest scoring team in the KCAC, averaging nearly 92 points per game. The Falcons are also tops in the league and sixth in the NAIA in free-throw percentage (.804).
Scouting the Bulldogs: The McPherson College Bulldogs have lost their last two games following a two-game win streak to stand at 6-5 overall and 3-4 in the KCAC.
Chamaje Barideaux is pacing the Bulldogs with 17.5 ppg, while Lual Magot is second in scoring with 10.0 ppg and has a team-best 6.4 rebounds a game. Josh Rivers leads McPherson with 21 assists on the season.
The Series: The Falcons have had their way against the Bulldogs, winning 10 of the past 12 matchups. The two schools split the season series last year, with McPherson winning the second tilt at home to snap the Falcons' nine-game winning streak in the series.
Conference Leader: Jordan Murdock, last season's KCAC Player of the Year, is pacing the conference once again. The Wichita native has already captured three KCAC Offensive Player of the Week honors and currently leads the league with 30.1 points per game this season.
Falcons by the Numbers:
When scoring:
Under 50 points:
50-59 points:
60-69 points:
70-79 points:
80-89 points: 3-2
90+ points: 3-2
When allowing:
Under 50 points:
50-59 points:
60-69 points: 1-0
70-79 points: 3-0
80-89 points: 2-1
90+ points: 0-3
When leading at halftime: 6-2
When trailing at halftime: 0-2
When tied at halftime:
When winning the turnover battle: 4-3
When turnovers are even: 2-1
When losing the turnover battle:
In OT: 0-1
The Coaches:
Dale Faber enters his 16th season leading the Friends University men's basketball program.
Overall, Faber is 258-215, with a 171-109 mark in KCAC play in his tenure at Friends. He has been named the KCAC Coach of the Year twice (2010, 2014), along with four KCAC Tournament Championships and a pair of KCAC Regular Season Championships.
In the 2017-18 campaign, Faber guided the Falcons to a top five finish in the KCAC after hovering in the top two of the league for much of the season.
Faber also coached the KCAC Player of the Year and first-team NAIA All-America performer, Jordan Murdock, who led the nation in scoring (29.8 ppg) last season.
Faber's philosophy for building and maintaining a successful program is simple: find good student-athletes with strong values who are dedicated, hardworking, loyal and committed to representing Friends University in a positive light at all times. Known for his quick humor, Coach Faber strives to be supportive in all aspects of his player's lives. The philosophy of faith, family, academics and basketball has become a thought process that continues to fuel his teams.
"Entering our 16th year at Friends University, our goals remain consistent. We should never lose track of what a blessing it is to be able to grow our relationships within our team and the Friends University community. We will work hard to be a team that pursues success on the court but also strives to be well thought of because of our efforts academically and growing our participation in the NAIA Champions of Character Program.
Faber and his wife of 31 years, Stacey, live in Wichita.
Tim Swartzendruber is in his 11th season at the helm of the McPherson College Bulldogs. Swartzendruber guided the Bulldogs to four consecutive NAIA Division II National Tournament berths from 2010-13 and also two straight KCAC Tournament championships in 2012 and 2013.
Up Next: The Falcons will stay at home and host Kansas Wesleyan University Wednesday night (Dec. 12) at 8 pm inside the Garvey Center.