OPENING TIP    
 

• No. 19 Snow College will travel to Price to take on Utah State University Eastern inside the Bunnell-Dmitrich Athletic Center.

 

• The Badgers will take on the Eagles Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 7:00 p.m.  This is the first of three games the two teams will play against each other this season, two of which will be played in Price.

 

• Snow College went 1-1 during the previous week after suffering a 92-67 loss to No. 2 Salt Lake Community College Wednesday, followed by a 103-50 victory over Community Christian College Saturday.

 

• The Badgers surpassed the century mark in points for the fifth time all season in their victory over CCC.  They scored more than 100 points in a game seven times all of last season. 

 

• Freshman guard Dylan Jones scored 21 points on 6-7 shooting from 3-point range in the Badger's victory over CCC.  Jones leads the team in 3-point shooting percentage at 45 percent. (Played in 60 percent of the team's games with at least one 3-pointer made per game)

 

• Snow College shot 66 percent from the field in its victory over the Saints.  This is the second-highest shooting percentage the Badgers have had all season.  They shot 68 percent from the field in their 128-71 victory over Real Salt Lake Academy in the first game of the season.

 

• SLCC had more assists than the Badgers Wednesday.  This marks the first time all season the Badgers have not had more assists than their opponent. 

 

• The Badgers made 10 3-pointers in their loss against SLCC.  They have made 10 or more 3-pointers in eight of their 13 games this season.

 
BY THE NUMBERS
 

• Snow College is 19^th in the country at points per game averaging just over 90 points per contest.

 

• The Badgers are one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the nation.  They make 11.4 3-pointers per game which is good for 3^rd in the country.  They also shoot 38.8 percent from distance which slots them at 15^th in the nation in 3-point percentage.

 

• Snow College is not only one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, but it is also among the best at preventing 3-pointers.  The Badgers allow their opponents to shoot just 26.6 percent on shots from beyond the arc this season. 

 

• Snow College also falls just inside the top 20 in the country in total rebounds per game grabbing 44.9 boards per game which is good enough for 19^th overall.

 

• The Badgers share the ball among the best in the country.  They average 19.2 assists per game which is good enough for 17^th overall in the nation.

 
ABOUT UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY EASTERN
 

• The Eagles are 8-4 overall this season and 0-2 within Scenic West Athletic Conference play following losses against the College of Southern Idaho and SLCC last week.

 

• All eight of the Eagle's victories this season have come away from home.  They are a combined 8-2 in road or neutral games this season while being 0-2 from inside Bunnell-Dmitrich Athletic Center.

 

• The Eagles are one of the best teams in the country at taking care of the ball this season.  They average just 11.8 turnovers per game which is good for 31^st in the country.  

 

• USUE is coming off a season that saw it go 18-12 overall and 9-9 within SWAC play.  The Eagles were defeated in the second round of the Region 18 Tournament by SLCC

 

• Snow College is 29-9 overall against USUE since 2012.  The Badgers have won 11 straight matches against the Eagles with their most recent victory coming in an 86-68 victory Jan. 27, 2022, in Ephraim.

 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Snow College men's basketball team split a pair of games against No. 2 Salt Lake Community College and Community Christian College last week. 
 
The Badgers came into Wednesday's game having won three consecutive games including their first two games of Scenic West Athletic Conference play against the College of Southern Nevada.  The two victories vaulted Snow College to No. 13 in the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Rankings and set up a top-15 showdown with the No. 2 Bruins.
 
Snow College would end up shooting its worst percentage from the field all season against the Bruins.  The Badgers connected on just 37 percent of shots from the field including going 10-30 from 3-point range.  Meanwhile, SLCC shot 14-27 from distance, its second-highest percentage of any game this season, while also shooing 55 percent from the field.
 
The Badgers held a one-point lead midway through the first half.  Things quickly changed as the Bruins caught fire from the field.  Over the next 12 minutes of action, SLCC shot 12-15 from the field including 8-10 from beyond the arc. During that time, SLCC outscored the Badgers 35-16 and would eventually take a 48-29 lead into the halftime break.
 
Snow College shot just 32 percent from the field in the first half.  SLCC on the other hand shot 60 percent from the field including 9-15 from 3-point range. 
 
The Badgers made a run to begin the second half.  They cut the lead to 14 points, but the Bruins quickly went on a 7-0 run in just over a minute to retake a 21-point lead.  The Bruins led by as many as 27 before cruising to a 92-67 victory.
 
Three Badgers finished in double figures led by Clayton Southwick who scored 13 points on 4-6 shooting from distance.  Dayshawn Wiley poured in 11 points while Hayden Franson finished with 10 points and four rebounds. 
 
The Badgers turned around to take on CCC Saturday.  The Saints were 0-12 to start the season and entered the contest as the worst-scoring offense in the country.  That trend would continue as the Badgers cruised to a 103-50 victory.
 
Snow College jumped out to a 16-4 lead five and a half minutes into action as Zach Visentin scored nine of the 16 points out of the gate.  The Badgers later went on a 14-0 run midway through the first half to take a commanding 38-11 lead.  They would eventually take a 54-28 lead into the halftime break.
 
The Badgers shot an impressive 69 percent from the field on 20-29 shooting in the first half.  The good shooting would continue in the second half as Snow College would make all six of its 3-point attempts en route to shooting 65 percent from the field and 64 percent from distance throughout the entire game.
 
Snow College would double up the Saints using a 12-0 run in the second half to take an 82-41 lead with under ten minutes to play.  The Badgers would surpass the century mark for the fifth time this season as they cruised to a 103-50 victory.  
 
10 Badgers scored during the game including four who finished in double figures led by Dylan Jones, who had 21 points including 6-7 from distance.  Jones leads the team in 3-point shooting this season connecting on 45 percent through 13 games this year.  Wiley finished with 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists.  Visentin finished with 17 while Southwick recorded his third double-double of the season finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
 
KEYS TO THE GAME
 

• Take care of the basketball:  Snow College should have enough offensive firepower to outscore the Eagles, but they will struggle if they turn the ball over too much.  Because the Eagles rank among the best in the country at not turning the ball over, if the Badgers commit too many turnovers, they might not be able to force enough turnovers to make up for the difference.

 

• Force the Eagles to take 3-pointers: The Eagles only make five 3-pointers per game and shoot a mere 28 percent from distance this season.  This plays into the Badger's strength as they are among the best teams in the country at limiting their opponent's 3-point shooting.  If the Badgers can play good interior defense and force shots on the perimeter, they will be playing at their strength while exploiting one of their opponent's biggest weaknesses.

 
UP NEXT
 

• Snow College will return home to take on Colorado Northwestern Community College Friday, Dec. 16 inside the Horne Activity Center.

 

• The Spartans are 2-9 overall this season with their only two victories coming against Real Salt Lake Academy and Utah Peaks Prep.

 

• The Spartans are coached by former Snow College assistant Ben Cruickshank.

 

• CNCC is coming off a 2021-22 season in which it went 7-22 overall and 4-14 within SWAC play.  They averaged 70.4 points per game on 38.7 percent from the field and 28.4 percent from 3-point range.

 

• The Badgers are 38-1 against the Spartans dating back to 2011 with their lone defeat coming in an 82-80 loss Jan. 20, 2018, in Rangely, Colorado.  Since then, the Badgers have won 16 straight meetings and average just shy of 90 points per game against the Spartans.  

 

• Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. inside the Horne Activity Center. For video streaming and live stat information, visit snowbadgers.com.