[Men's Basketball] MBB Gameday Preview: Falcons Square Off With Haskell in Non-Conference Bout ...

The Lowdown: Haskell Indian Nations University at Friends University

Location: Garvey Center

When: Tuesday, Jan. 6 @ 6 pm

Broadcast and Live Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/friends/

Flying with the Falcons: Jun Murdock (FR/Wichita, Kan. ) put in a career performance to lead the Friends University Falcons to an 80-71 victory at the York College Panthers last Saturday night (Jan. 4) in York, Neb. The win is the fourth straight and sixth in their last seven overall for the Falcons to improve to 9-6 overall and into third place in the KCAC with an 8-3 league mark.

Murdock scored a career-high 29 points while also hitting career-best marks in field goals (eight), threes (five), free throws (eight) and steals (four).

James Conley (SR/Derby, Kan. ) scored 14 points, while Zion Fralin (JR/Wichita, Kan. ) finished with 12 points.  Jarrett Murphy (JR/Huntsville, Ala. ) added 11 and Gabriel Coachman (SR/Sao Paulo, Brazil) led the Falcons with a season-high tying five rebounds.

Conley is first on the team in points per game (17.4 ppg) along with a team-high 3.2 assists. He is also second in the league with 2.3 steals per game.

Devonte Pack is first on the Falcons in rebounding (4.8 rpg) and second in scoring (12.5 ppg), followed by Murdock (11.9 ppg) and Fralin (10.3 ppg).

As a team, the Falcons rank 10th in the NAIA in turnover margin (4.6).

Scouting the Indians: The Haskell Indian Nations University Indians have won their last two games to improve to 8-11 overall on the season.

Bryon Elledge leads the Indians in both scoring (14.6 ppg) and assists (3.2 apg), with Tristan Keah-Tigh scoring 10.2 ppg. Jordan Goodwill is averaging a team-best 6.4 rebounds for Haskell.

Quoting Head Coach Dale Faber:

"It is important that we keep and improve our focus and concentration. Playing a non- conference game at this time of year should be looked at as a game to sharpen up in all areas. Haskell will be ready and we plan to be also."

Just Take Me Half the Way: When the Falcons have taken a lead into the locker room, they've posted a record of 8-2. But when trailing at the half, the Falcons have lost four out of five times.

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:

50-59 points: 0-0

60-69 points: 1-2

70-79 points: 5-3

80-89 points: 3-1

90+ points:  0-0

When allowing:

Under 50 points:

50-59 points: 1-0

60-69 points: 2-0

70-79 points: 6-3

80-89 points: 0-2

90+ points: 0-1

When leading at halftime: 8-2

When trailing at halftime: 1-4

When tied at halftime: 0-0

When winning the turnover battle: 8-4

When losing the turnover battle: 0-2

When turnovers are even: 1-0

In OT: 0-0

The Coaches:

Dale Faber enters his 17th season leading the Friends University men's basketball program.

He guided the Falcons last season to their first NAIA National Tournament berth since the 2014-15 season.

The 2018-19 edition of the Falcons finished third in the KCAC while crossing the 20-win plateau at 22-10 overall.

Faber was also instrumental in overseeing the development of the 2017-18 KCAC Player of the Year and two-time NAIA All-America performer, Jordan Murdock.

Overall, Faber is 283-227, with a 192-116 mark in KCAC play in his tenure at Friends. He has been named the KCAC Coach of the Year twice (2010, 2014), and has won 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'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 17th 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 32 years, Stacey, live in Wichita.

Matthew Downing, Jr. is in his fifth season as head coach of the Haskell Indian Nations University men's basketball program.

Up Next: The Falcons will resume action in the KCAC at Southwestern College Saturday night (Jan. 11) at 7 pm in Winfield, Kan.