[Men's Basketball] MBB Gameday Preview: Falcons Tangle with Tabor Tomorrow Night
The Lowdown: Tabor College at Friends University
Location: Garvey Center
When: Saturday, Jan. 25 @ 7 pm
Broadcast and Live Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/friends/
Flying with the Falcons: The Friends University Falcons fell 97-77 Thursday night (Jan. 23) at Kansas Wesleyan University and are now 12-9 overall and tied for fourth in the KCAC at 10-6 in the league.
James Conley (SR/Derby, Kan. ) is first on the team and fifth in the KCAC in points per game (18.0 ppg) along with a team-high 3.1 assists. He is also fifth in the league with 1.9 steals per game.
Devonte Pack is first on the Falcons in rebounding (5.1 rpg) and second in scoring (14.2 ppg), followed by Jun Murdock (FR/Wichita, Kan. ) (12.5 ppg) and Zion Fralin (JR/Wichita, Kan. ) (11.5 ppg).
As a team, the Falcons rank eighth in the NAIA in turnover margin (4.76).
Scouting the Bluejays: The Tabor College Bluejays dropped their first 15 conference games of the season, but won their last time out in a 66-61 upset win over (RV) Bethel College Thursday night (Jan. 23). The Bluejays are now 3-16 overall and 1-15 in the KCAC.
Tyler Zinn leads the Bluejays in scoring (17.9) and has recorded a KCAC-leading 4.5 assists this season. Noah Brown IV has a team-best 6.1 rebounds for Tabor.
The Series: Friends defeated Tabor 75-60 in the first meeting this season and have now won four straight overall over the Bluejays.
Just Take Me Half the Way: When the Falcons have taken a lead into the locker room, they've posted a record of 11-3. But when trailing at the half, the Falcons have lost six out of seven 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: 7-5
80-89 points: 3-1
90+ points: 1-1
When allowing:
Under 50 points:
50-59 points: 2-0
60-69 points: 3-0
70-79 points: 6-3
80-89 points: 0-3
90+ points: 1-3
When leading at halftime: 11-3
When trailing at halftime: 1-6
When tied at halftime: 0-0
When winning the turnover battle: 11-6
When losing the turnover battle: 0-2
When turnovers are even: 1-1
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 286-230, with a 194-119 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.
Micah Ratzlaff is in his 13th season as head coach of the Tabor College Bluejays. Ratzlaff also played at Tabor following a two-year stint at Oral Roberts University. At Tabor, Ratzlaff earned first-team all-conference honors and also honorable-mention All-America recognition.
Up Next: The Falcons will be at Bethany College Wednesday night (Jan. 29) at 8 pm in Lindsborg, Kan.