[Women's Basketball] WBB Gameday Preview: Falcons Look to Keep Momentum Tomorrow Night vs. Ottawa
The Lowdown: Ottawa University at Friends University
Location: Garvey Center
When: Thursday, Dec. 5 @ 6 pm
Broadcast and Live Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/friends/
Flying with the Falcons: The Friends University Falcons grinded out a 50-45 victory over the Bethany College Swedes Monday evening (Dec. 2) inside the Garvey Center.
The Falcons played stifling defense throughout the final period, holding the Swedes without a field goal and only seven free throws to turn a four-point deficit into the final five-point margin of victory.
Saddled with foul trouble throughout the first half, HaLee Roland (SR/Wichita, Kan. ) got going at the right time and drove in to hit the go-ahead shot to make it 43-41 with 2:50 remaining.
Roland then found a cutting Naria Hall (SR/Wichita, Kan. ) underneath to push the lead to two possessions at the 2:17 mark.
With the lead standing at five, the Swedes had a chance to tie following two free throws by Kelsi Mueller and a Falcon turnover with seven seconds left.
But Mueller was whistled for an offensive foul on the ensuing possession and Roland and Patriece Dodson (SR/Wichita, Kan. ) each split a pair at the charity stripe to finish off the win.
Roland leads the Falcons with 11.4 points per game this season and has also hit a team-best 45.3 percent (39-off-86) from the floor along with a team-high 15 makes from three-point distance. She also ranks ninth in the KCAC in three-point percentage (.385). Hall and Dodson are each second on the team in scoring (9.7 ppg), with Dodson pulling down a team-leading 5.5 rebounds. Hall and Seuvahnia Kuka (JR/Pittsburg, Calif. ) have each dished out a team-best 1.7 assists this season for the Falcons.
Scouting the Braves: The Ottawa University Braves won their first game of the 2019-20 season by defeating the Bethel College Threshers 66-49 at home Monday night (Dec. 2). The Braves are now 1-7 overall and 1-4 in the KCAC.
Madi McAvoy leads the Braves with 12.5 ppg, with Liz Vaughn second in scoring at 9.8 ppg along with a team-high eight rebounds per game. Kelsey Hendricks leads the Braves with 1.6 assists this season.
The Series: Friends has won 10 of the last 13 matchups with Ottawa after winning both meetings last season, including a 67-58 OT victory on the road. The Falcons have also bested the Braves six of the last seven times in Wichita.
Quoting Head Coach Dean Jaderston:
"We had a great defensive effort against Bethany, and now we want to get our offensive game going as well. Ottawa has played people tough all year, and their record does not reflect their ability. They are coming off a big win over Bethel, so we have to take away that momentum early by making some shots and getting some stops. We keep getting better each week, and I'm excited for the opportunity to put a winning streak together!"
Wheat State Insurance Group: We are proud to have Wheat State Insurance Group as a sponsor of Friends University Basketball this season! For more info on what they can offer, check them out at this link: www.wheatstateinsurance.com
Falcons by the Numbers:
When scoring:
Under 50 points: 0-2
50-59 points: 1-2
60-69 points: 0-2
70-79 points: 1-1
80-89 points: 1-0
90+ points: 0-0
When allowing:
Under 50 points: 1-0
50-59 points: 0-1
60-69 points: 2-2
70-79 points: 0-4
80-89 points: 0-0
90+ points: 0-0
When leading at halftime: 1-2
When trailing at halftime: 2-5
When tied at halftime: 0-0
When winning the turnover battle: 3-4
When losing the turnover battle: 0-3
When turnovers are even: 0-0
In OT: 0-0
The Coaches:
Dean Jaderston is in his first season at the helm of the Friends University women's basketball program.
Jaderston brings a stark familiarity to the Falcons, having served as the head men's basketball coach for KCAC program Sterling College for the past 13 seasons.
At Sterling, Jaderston instilled a winning culture and became the program's all-time winningest coach with 189 career victories. He guided the Warriors to a pair of KCAC regular season championships and also a postseason conference title.
A two-time KCAC Coach of the Year, Jaderston coached six NAIA All-America performers during his tenure at Sterling.
Off the hardwood, Jaderston also made a significant impact, overseeing a team GPA of at least 3.0 for 11 of the past 13 years. He also led three basketball mission trips to Panama.
Prior to taking over at Sterling, Jaderston served in the dual role of head men's basketball coach and athletic director at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Ill. for five seasons.
He also spent eight seasons as both the head women's basketball and women's tennis coach at Rosemount High School in Rosemount, Minn.
Before venturing into the coaching profession, Jaderston was a successful college basketball player at Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minn. He was a four-time all-conference selection while helping the team advance to four national tournaments. He also earned All-America and Academic All-America honors at Crown College.
His collegiate athletic career wasn't limited to basketball, as he also competed in tennis for three years at Crown and was a two-time conference singles and doubles champion.
Jaderston and his wife Julie have been married for 32 years and are very active in youth and camping ministries. They currently serve as executive directors of a premier summer Christian family conference called Northern Pines of Minnesota.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts in History/Secondary Education from Crown College in 1989 and then completed a Master of Arts in Adlerian Counseling and Psychotherapy from Adler Graduate School in 1998.
Bruce Tate is in his 13th season as head coach of the Ottawa University Braves. In the 2016-17 campaign, Tate guided the Braves to 18 wins, their most since the 2006-07 season. Prior to taking over as head coach of the program, Tate served nine seasons at Ottawa as an assistant coach.
Up Next: The Falcons will play at the University of Saint Mary Saturday evening (Dec. 7) starting at 5 pm in Leavenworth, Kan.