The Snow College men's basketball team collected a pair of convincing victories over the weekend against Colorado Northwestern Community College and Utah State University Eastern over the weekend.  With the wins, the Badgers have now improved to 19-2 overall and 4-1 within Scenic West Athletic Conference play.
 
Snow College entered the weekend following a 108-86 victory against the College of Southern Nevada last Thursday.  Five players scored in double figures led by a 32-point performance by Dylan Jones.
 
The Badgers welcomed in the Spartans, who held a 10-9 overall record on the season.  The Badgers had won 19 straight meetings against CNCC and had never lost a home meeting to the Spartans. 
 
A pair of 3-pointers from Mark Brown Jr. and Colin Christensen started things off for the Badgers who creeped out to a 20-9 lead during the first 10 minutes of action.  They maintained a double-digit lead throughout the rest of the half and used an 8-0 run, which was capped off by a Christensen dunk, to take a 19-point lead into the halftime break.
 
The Badgers started the second half scorching from the field.  Isaac Finlinson connected on a 3-pointer before Jones sank two from beyond the arc as the Badgers went on a 13-2 run during the first four and a half minutes in the second half to take a 61-33 lead.
 
Snow College was able to keep the Spartans at arm's length throughout the remaining minutes of the second half.  The Badgers led by as many as 32 points before securing the 92-63 victory.
 
Six Badgers scored in double figures led by Christensen, who put in 18 points and handed out four assists. Jones scored 15 points while Finlinson chipped in 12 points and grabbed six rebounds.  Isaac Garrett totaled 11 points and five boards while Max Triplett and Gaige Savage each scored 10 points in the win.
 
Following the victory, Snow College turned its attention to USUE.  The Eagles were coming off an impressive 84-66 victory against No. 10 Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville.  Their bid to pull off a similar upset against the No. 13 Badgers was quickly extinguished Saturday afternoon.
 
The Badgers dominated from the opening tip.  They torched the nets to a tune of 66 percent from the field in the first half including starting the game 16-21 (76 percent) from the field and 7-9 from beyond the arc. 
 
The incandescent start was highlighted by a 30-second stretch that electrified the Horne Activity Center.  With the Badgers on offense and the shot clock waning, Brown Jr. dished to Garrett who soared along the baseline and threw down a two-handed dunk while drawing a foul.  
 
Garrett missed the ensuing free throw and the Eagles looked to push the ball up the floor quickly.  Garrett rushed to get back on defense while USUE's Martel Williams threw a pass ahead to Ethan Copeland who went up for a layup.  Garrett quickly closed the gap, leaped, and swatted the layup attempt, which landed in the hands of Coleman Ford.  
 
With a numbers advantage, Snow College pushed the ball up the court.  Ford handed to Brown Jr. who looked to penetrate.  Ford relocated to the left corner and Brown Jr. sent him a behind-the-back pass.  Ford canned the 3-pointer and drew a foul in the process which sent a bolt of electricity through the Horne Activity Center crowd.  Ford made the free throw to give the Badgers a 35-15 lead.
 
Snow College kept its foot on the gas and ended the half on an 8-2 burst to take a 51-26 lead into the halftime break.  The Badgers shot 66 percent from the field and 64 percent from 3-point range in the first half.
 
The onslaught continued in the second half and as the Badgers quickly extended the lead to 37 points within the first seven and a half minutes of the period.  The Badgers led by as many as 46 points and would go on to win 100-57 – the largest margin of victory ever against the Eagles.
 
Defensively, the Badgers strived throughout the game allowing the Eagles to shoot just 38 percent from the field and 23 percent from deep.  They also held Williams, the nation's third-highest scorer, to just 10 points – his lowest scoring total of the season.
 
Snow College shot 58 percent from the field and went 13-28 from deep, which is the most 3-pointers the Badgers made as a team this season.
 
Finlinson led all scorers with 25 points on 8-11 shooting and 6-8 from beyond the arc.  He also grabbed six rebounds.  Garrett had 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists while Jones finished with 15 points and four assists.
 
The Badgers will now cap off their current home stand against No. 16 SLCC Thursday in Ephraim.  The Bruins enter the top 20 showdown with an 18-3 overall record and a 2-1 mark within the SWAC.  The two teams last met in the 2023 Region 18 Tournament Championship game where the Bruins earned a 76-71 victory.  
 
The Badgers have beaten the Bruins just one time in their last 10 meetings.  Snow College will look to improve on that number as it takes on the Bruins Thursday.  Tipoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. inside the Horne Activity Center in Ephraim.  For video streaming and live stat information, visit snowbadgers.com.