OPENING TIP
 

• Snow College will head to Twin Falls, Idaho to take on the No. 2 College of Southern Idaho Thursday with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

 

• Thursday's matchup with the Golden Eagles will serve as the first of three meetings between the two teams with the following two matchups taking place in the Horne Activity Center in Ephraim.

 

• The Badgers dropped two out of three games at the Fiesta Bowl Junior College Shootout last week.  Snow College lost back-to-back games for the first time this season dropping the first game of the tournament to No. 14 South Plains College 80-60.  The Badgers then lost to Justice College 71-64 before winning the last game of the tournament 105-75 against Mesa Community College.

 

• Snow College struggled to shoot the ball during the tournament and had two of its worst overall shooting performances of the season against SPC and Justice.  The Badgers shot just 34 percent from the field against SPC and 42 percent against Justice, their worst and third-worst totals from the season.  

 

• The Badgers also shot their worst percentage from 3-point range of the season against Justice, connecting on just 13 percent from distance on 4-31 shooting.  The four made 3-pointers are the fewest the Badgers have made in a game all season.

 

• Badger's Sophomore Forward Clayton Southwick recorded his fourth double-double of the season against Justice as he finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds.  Southwick has recorded seven double-doubles in his two seasons at Snow College. 

 

• Snow College recorded a pair of season-lows against SPC.  60 points against the Thunderbirds is the lowest point total the Badgers have recorded all season.  Snow College also had just 11 assists which is tied for the lowest total of the season.  The Badgers also recorded 11 assists against Salt Lake Community College Dec. 7 and Wenatchee Valley College Nov. 19.

 
BY THE NUMBERS
 

• Snow College is in the top 10 in the nation in both 3-pointers made per game and 3-point attempts per game.  The Badgers are sixth in the nation in 3-pointers made per game at 10.6 while being eighth in the nation in 3-point attempts at 29.7.

 

• The Badgers are one of the best teams in the nation in crashing the offensive glass ranking eighth in the nation in offensive rebounds per game at 16.  They are also 17^th overall in total rebounds per game.

 

• Snow College also lands within the top 25 in the nation in assists per game.  They are slotted at 22^ndoverall dishing out 19.0 helpers per contest.

 

• Snow College scored 105 points in its victory over MCC.  This marks the sixth time this season the Badgers have surpassed the century mark in a game.  Snow College scored 100 or more points in seven games last season.

 

• The Badgers were out assisted for just the second time this season against SPC.  The Badgers recorded just 11 assists while the Thunderbirds dished out 15 helpers throughout the game.

 
ABOUT SOUTHERN IDAHO
 

• The Golden Eagles are a perfect 17-0 this season and 5-0 within Scenic West Athletic Conference play.  They have won 10 straight regular-season SWAC games dating back to last season.

 

• CSI is just outside the top 15 in the country in overall points per game.  The Golden Eagles average 91.8 points per game which slots them at 16^th in the nation.

 

• CSI is third in the nation in blocks turning away 7.6 shots per game this season.

 

• The Golden Eagles defeated No. 1 Salt Lake Community College 84-81 Dec. 17.  

 

• CSI is coming off a 2021-22 season that saw it go 24-9 overall and 12-6 within SWAC play.  The Golden Eagles were 13-3 at home last season.  They were defeated by Snow College 86-79 in the Region 18 Semifinal Game.

 

• The Badgers are 15-26 all time against the Golden Eagles dating back to 2012.  Snow College has won two games in a row against CSI after losing five straight between Feb. 2021 and Jan. 2022.  The Badgers are averaging 75.9 points per game historically against CSI.

 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Snow College men's basketball team dropped two out of three games at the Fiesta Bowl Junior College Shootout in Meza, Arizona last week.  The Badgers lost 80-60 to No. 14 South Plains College followed by a 71-64 defeat to Justice College before defeating Mesa Community College 105-75.
 
Snow College entered the tournament having won three games in a row and six out of seven games with its only loss coming against No. 2 Salt Lake Community College Dec. 7.  The No. 19 Badgers defeated Colorado Northwestern Community College 89-61 in their most recent matchup Dec. 16.
 
The Badgers came out of the gates slowly against SPC.  They trailed 16-5 after the first five and a half minutes of action.  The Texans would lead by as many as 14 in the first half before the Badgers rallied back to even the score at 32 with three minutes to go before SPC used an 8-0 run to take a 40-32 lead into the halftime break.
 
The Texans would then use a 15-6 run to open the second half to extend their lead to 17 points with under 15 minutes to play.  Snow College would never be able to cut the lead to single digits throughout the rest of the half and would go on to suffer an 80-60 defeat.  
 
Two Badgers finished in double figures led by Dylan Jones who poured in 14 points.  Chase Potter finished with 10 points and six rebounds in the loss.  The Badgers shot just 34 percent from the field throughout the game which is their lowest total this season.  They also shot just 23 percent on 3-point attempts which is their second-lowest percentage this season.
 
Snow College turned around the next day and suffered a 71-64 loss at the hands of Justice College.  The Badger's struggles shooting the ball continued against Justice as they shot just 42 percent from the field, their third-lowest total of the season, and 13 percent on 4-31 shooting from 3-point range, their lowest percentage of the season.
 
The Badgers trailed 21-11 midway through the first half before storming back and taking a 28-23 lead with 5:30 to play.  Justice would regain the lead and take a 34-33 lead at the halftime break.
 
Snow College led by as many as nine points in the second half, but Justice used a 15-4 run in the middle minutes to take a 56-54 lead.  The Badgers shot just 1-16 from distance in the second half as Justice would lead by nine points with under two minutes to play.  The lead proved to be insurmountable, and the Badgers would suffer their first back-to-back loss of the season falling 71-64.
 
Potter led the Badgers in scoring with 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists.  Clayton Southwick recorded his fourth double-double of the season finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds.  Jamir Stephens was the other player that finished in double figures as he totaled 12 points and five rebounds. 
 
Snow College collected a victory in the final game of the Fiesta Bowl Junior College Shootout against MCC.  The Badgers surpassed the century mark in scoring for the sixth time this season as they defeated the Thunderbirds 105-75.
 
The Badgers opened up a 22-8 lead six minutes into action.  The 14-point lead would be the largest lead Snow College would hold in the first half as it went into the halftime break with a 51-41 advantage.
 
The Badgers extended their lead to 15 in the opening minutes of the second half.  The Thunderbirds were unable to cut the lead below 10 throughout the second half, and the Badgers would go on to earn the 30-point victory.
 
Snow College's shooting improved drastically against MCC as the Badgers connected on 58 percent from the field and 43 percent from 3-point range.  
 
Hayden Franson led all scorers and recorded his second double-double of the season as he finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds.  Potter also recorded his first double-double of the season finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds.  Southwick totaled 17 points and seven rebounds while Jones also had 17 points.  Stephens had 12 points while Colin Christensen finished with 10 points in the winning effort.
 
KEYS TO THE GAME
 

• Make shots:  It may be the simplest key to winning any game, but for the Badgers, who are coming off some of their worst shooting performances of the season at the Fiesta Bowl Junior College Shootout, they must be able to score.  If the Badgers want to take down the No. 2 team in the nation, they will need to make shots at an effective rate.

 

• Win the rebound battle:  CSI is ninth in the nation at collecting defensive rebounds grabbing 31.4 points per game.  Snow College is eighth in the nation at offensive rebounds.  Whoever will be able to outrebound their opponent will create more offensive opportunities for their team so for the Badgers it will be important to lock in on that aspect of the game.

 
UP NEXT
 

• The Badgers will return home for the first time in nearly a month and play their lone home game in January as they take on the College of Southern Nevada Thursday, Jan. 12 at 7:00 p.m. inside the Horne Activity Center.  For video streaming and live stat information, visit snowbadgers.com. 

 

• The matchup with the Coyotes will be the third and final matchup between the two teams during the regular season.  The Badgers defeated CSN twice earlier in the season to begin SWAC play first winning 86-79 Dec. 2 followed by an 87-78 victory Dec. 3.

 

• The Coyotes are 6-9 overall this season and are winless in three games within the SWAC.  They were defeated by CSI 106-85 in their most recent SWAC game before defeating Barstow College 136-70 Dec. 14.  They will take on SLCC Wednesday and Utah State University Eastern Saturday in Las Vegas.

 

• Snow College is a perfect 8-0 overall against the Coyotes since 2021.  The Badger's largest margin of victory was a 102-83 victory March 16, 2021, in Las Vegas.  Snow College averages just over 90 points per game against the Coyotes historically.