The Snow College men's basketball team collected two victories in the first weekend of Scenic West Athletic Conference play. The Badgers defeated No. 4 Salt Lake Community College 77-76 before earning a 79-65 victory against Colorado Northwest Community College.
 
The Badgers have been idle since earning a pair of victories at the Financial Partners Classic in Ottumwa, Iowa. Snow College defeated No. 5 Indian Hills Community College 93-88 before securing a 115-58 victory against Lake Region State College to wrap up the calendar year.
 
The Badgers got off to a slow start Thursday against the Bruins. SLCC scored the first eight points of the game, prompting a Snow College timeout. The Bruins continued the hot start and extended the lead to 19-9 midway through the opening period.
 
Snow College turned things around and used a 9-2 run to trim the deficit down to three. The Badgers kept it close over the next few minutes and trailed 27-24 with six and a half minutes left. The Bruins then went on a 19-6 extended run to take a 16-point lead with just over a minute remaining in the first half.  For just the second time this season, the Badgers would go into halftime trailing 48-36,
 
The opening minutes of the second half followed a similar suit to the first half. SLCC made 3-pointers on six consecutive possessions in the opening minutes to take a 66-47 lead, the largest of the game, with 12 minutes to play.
 
Over the next five minutes, the Badgers were able to cut the lead to single digits before another SLCC 3-pointer gave the Bruins a 71-59 lead with just under seven minutes to play. The lead remained 12 points with under five minutes to play when the Badgers caught fire.
 
Snow College proceeded to go on a 14-0 run over the final four minutes of the game to take a 76-74 lead.  It was Mark Brown Jr. (So./South Phoenix, Arizona/Bella Vista Prep) who capped off the run as he drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing to give the Badgers their first lead of the game.
 
The Bruins tied the score with nine seconds to play on a fastbreak layup following a missed 3-pointer. The Badgers inbounded to Isaac Finlinson (So./St. George, Utah/Dixie HS). As he looked to drive, he was fouled and went to the free-throw line.  Finlinson calmly sank the second of two foul shots to give the Badgers a 77-76 lead with three seconds to play.
 
The Bruins' last-second 3-pointer clanged off the rim, and the Badgers held on to the 77-76 victory. The Badgers shot just 39 percent from the field throughout the game, which is the second-lowest percentage they have shot in a game this season.
 
Isaac Garrett (So./Pleasant Grove, Utah/Pleasant Grove HS) led the Badgers in scoring as he poured in 28 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Brown Jr finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists while Finlinson recorded his fifth double-double of the season, tallying 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Following the victory, the Badgers traveled to Rangley, Colorado to take on CNCC. The Spartans, who suffered a 63-54 loss to Utah State University Eastern Thursday, are off to their best start to a season in program history as they entered Saturday's matchup with a 14-2 overall record.
 
The game was tight through the first few minutes of action. CNCC took a 9-8 lead with 13 minutes to play in the first half.  The Badgers went on an 11-3 run over the next three minutes to take a 7-point lead midway through the period. The 7-point lead would be the largest of the half for the Badgers before they took a 37-32 lead into halftime.
 
Snow College wasn't able to extend the lead and still led by five points midway through the second half, but a quick 8-0 run gave the Badgers a 56-43 lead with nine minutes to play. They led by as many as 19 before securing the 79-65 victory.
 
Finlinson led all scorers with 27 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Chance Trujillo (Fr./Kaysville, Utah/Davis HS) sank five 3-pointers to finish with 19 points. Kyle Lemke (Fr./St. George, Utah/Dixie HS) added 12 points in the victory.
 
The Badgers, who still sit atop the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Rankings, now own a 15-1 overall record. They will travel to Price Thursday to take on USUE before a matchup with Central Arizona College Saturday in Riverton, Wyoming. Thursday's matchup will begin at 7:00 p.m. with Saturday's game scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. tip.  For video streaming and live stat information, visit snowbadgers.com.