HESSTON, Kan. - The Hesston College men's basketball team fell on the road Wednesday afternoon, dropping a 91–69 decision to Friends University on Dec. 18 in Wichita, Kansas. The Falcons jumped out to an early advantage and never relinquished control, taking a 46–31 lead into halftime before extending the margin in the second half.

Friends shot efficiently from the opening tip, connecting on 52.9 percent of its first-half field goals while outscoring Hesston 38–14 in the paint for the game. The Falcons steadily built their lead behind balanced scoring and strong rebounding, finishing the contest shooting 48.6 percent from the floor and holding a 47–37 edge on the glass. Hesston battled throughout the second half, shooting 39.4 percent after the break, but was unable to cut into the deficit as Friends maintained consistent offensive pressure.

Brennon Dodge and Trent Thompson led the Larks with 12 points apiece. Thompson added a team-high nine rebounds and six assists, while Dodge chipped in five assists and four rebounds. Brycten Harris contributed 11 points and five rebounds, and Dante Smith added nine points. Off the bench, Henry Snyder provided a spark with 12 points in just seven minutes of action, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc.

Friends was paced by Collin Maclin's game-high 19 points, along with 13 points and 11 rebounds from Cahlese Lee. The Falcons received 37 points from their bench and totaled 25 assists on 34 made field goals, helping them pull away in the second half. Hesston finished the game shooting 35.8 percent from the field and 27.6 percent from three-point range, while totaling 19 bench points in the loss.

The Larks will taek a break for the holidays before taking on Midland University on Dec. 30.