Ottawa won its second straight game, defeating Avila 80-71 on Wednesday evening in Mabee Fieldhouse. OU shot 36.8 percent from the floor, 20 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 76.5 percent from the free throw line. The Braves had four players in double figures, led by Najee Jones' double-double. He scored 21 points on 4-for-9 shooting from the floor and had 12 rebounds. He was 13-for-15 from the free throw line and is 27-for-29 in his last two games from the free throw line. Jayden Hibbitt scored 17 points and Deondre Buggage finished the game with 13 points and four assists. Keith Robinson had a double-double, his ninth of the season. He scored 12 points and had 12 rebounds. Robinson also had three blocks.

OU is averaging 83 points, 40.7 rebounds, and 15.3 assists per game. Ottawa shot 46.2 percent from the floor, 33.3 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 76.7 percent from the free throw line.

Jayden Hibbitt leads the Braves in scoring (17), Keith Robinson is OU's leader in rebounding (8.7), Deondre Buggage and Najee Jones lead the team in assists (3.1) per game, Alex Riddick is OU's leader in blocks (0.9), and Jones is the Braves' leader in steals (1.7) per game.

Ottawa is ranked 30th in the NAIA in total points (1,909), 44th in points per game (83.0), 19th in field goals made per game (31.2), 14th in field goals attempted per game (67.5), 16th in free throw percentage (.767), 45th in offensive rebounds per game (12), 17th in defensive rebounds per game (28.6), 13th in total rebound per game (40.7), 42nd in rebound margin per game (5.3), and 50th in assists per game (15.3).

The Braves are 7-3 on the road this season and have a record of 6-2 in KCAC games away from Wilson Field House. Ottawa is averaging 78 points per game, shooting 46 percent from the floor and 34.3 percent from the floor. Opponents are scoring 74.9 points per game, shooting 43.9 percent from the floor, and 35.9 percent from behind the 3-pt line.

In Najee Jones' last two games he is 27-for-29 from the free throw line, shooting 93.1 percent. He is averaging 14.5 free throw attempts in his last two games.

Saturday is the 149th game between Ottawa University and Friends University. The Braves lead the series 87-61 but the Falcons snapped the Braves seven game winning streak against Friends on Jan. 4 in Wilson Field House. The Falcons won the game 101-88. Ottawa has won three straight games against Friends in the Garvey Center. The last time OU lost to the Falcons in Wichita was on Dec. 2, 2020. Friends won the game 81-73. The first ever meeting between the team teams happened in 1910. Ottawa won the game 28-26.

In the first game between the two teams this season, a 101-88 Friends win on Jan. 4, Ottawa shot 50 percent from the floor, 38.1 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 75 percent from the free throw line. Jayden Hibbitt scored 27 points. He had three steals. Najee Jones had a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists. Keith Robinson scored 16 points and PJ Tway finished with 10 points.

Friends University has an overall record of 18-5, is leading the KCAC with a mark of 14-3, has a six game winning streak, and has a mark of 9-3 in the Garvey Center this season. The Falcons enter Saturday's game coming off a 108-76 victory over Tabor College in Wichita on Wednesday night.

This season, Friends is averaging 84.7 points per game, 37.1 rebounds per game, and 17.4 assists per game. They are shooting 50.7 percent from the floor, 37.5 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 73.2 percent from the free throw line.

KJ Spiller leads the Falcons in scoring (17.1) and rebounding (6.1). Randy Woolf, Jr. is Friends' leader in assists per game (3.7) and blocks (0.5). Ring Deng is the Falcons' leader in steals (1.4) per game.

Friends is ranked 22nd in the NAIA in points (1,948), 30th in points per game (84.7), 36th in field goals made per game (30.5), eighth in field goal percentage (50.7), 31st in 3-pt field goals made per game (9.3), 26th in 3-pt field goal percentage (.375), 10th in opponent defensive rebounds per game (20.9), 34th in opponent total rebounds per game (31.4), 36th in rebound margin per game (5.7), 12th in assists per game (17.4), 31st in opponent blocks per game (2.2), and 49th in personal fouls per game (15.0).

In Friends 12 home games, they are scoring 87.4 points, shooting 50.4 percent from the floor, and 38.1 percent from behind the 3-pt line.

In their 18 wins, the Falcons are scoring 89.4 points per game, shooting 53.8 percent from the floor, and 40 percent from behind the 3-pt line. In Friends' five losses, they are scoring 67.6 points per game, shooting 39 percent from the floor, and 28 percent from behind the 3-pt line.

Friends 18 overall wins and 14 KCAC victories are the most since they finished the 2019-20 season with an overall record of 17-13 and a KCAC mark of 15-9.