For the first time in program history, the Snow College men's basketball team has gone undefeated in non-conference play. The Badgers earned a pair of victories at the Las Vegas Tarkanian Classic this week, defeating McCook College 96-91 Thursday before an 88-54 victory against Gillette College Friday.
 
The Badgers entered the tournament following a pair of victories at the Snow College Holiday Invitational last weekend in Ephraim. They defeated Western Nebraska Community College 127-91 before earning a 103-68 win against Casper College.
 
Snow College used a 10-0 run to take a 15-7 lead against the Indians five minutes into the action. Later on, back-to-back 3-pointers from Bron Roberts and Brock McClure gave the Badgers a 10-point lead.
 
They maintained the lead throughout the remainder of the first half despite the shooting from the field cooling off significantly. After shooting 53 percent through the first eight minutes of the game, the Badgers managed to shoot just 29 percent throughout the final 12 minutes of the first half.
 
Overall, in the first half, the Badgers shot just 36 percent from the field – their lowest shooting percentage in any half this season. They would enter halftime with a 38-31 lead.
 
McCook turned the tables in the opening minutes of the second half. The Indians used a 14-2 run to take a 45-40 lead in the first four minutes. Snow College punched back as McCaden Adams scored eight consecutive points to give the Badgers a five-point lead.
 
From there, the lead teeter-tottered throughout the remaining 12 minutes of action. In total, the second half alone saw 11 ties and seven lead changes. The Badgers found themselves trailing by two with under 40 seconds to play.
 
Following a Snow College timeout, Adams penetrated the lane, splitting two defenders and floated one in to tie the game at 77 and send it into overtime.
 
Aaron Bliss started the overtime period with three straight layups before a 3-pointer from Max Toombs tied the game at 86 with under two minutes to play. Adams scored eight of the final 10 points for the Badgers in overtime, including a layup with 60 seconds to play to give Snow College the lead for good. He would seal the win from the free-throw line, and the Badgers would earn the victory, 96-91.
 
Over the final 13 minutes of the second half and the five-minute overtime period, Adams scored 26 points on 7-9 shooting from the field and a perfect 10-10 from the free-throw line.
He finished with 32 points on 9-16 from the field. He also recorded seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
 
Brock McClure finished with a career-high 28 points and grabbed six rebounds in the victory. The Badgers as a team ended up shooting 45 percent from the field after shooting 55 percent in the second half and overtime.
 
Following their second overtime victory of the season, the Badgers wrapped up their non-conference slate of games against Gillette Friday. Both the offense and the defense wasted no time as Snow College jumped out to a 12-0 lead through the first four minutes of the game.
 
The Badgers eventually extended the lead out to 22-6 near the midway point of the first half. They used a 10-2 run to gain a 35-13 advantage – their largest lead of the first half. Snow College took a 43-27 lead into the break.
 
The Pronghorns trimmed the lead to as little as 11 points to begin the second half, but the Badgers responded with a 19-4 run to push the edge to 26 points. Snow College cruised the rest of the way to claim an 88-54 victory.
 
Five Badgers scored in double figures, led by Max Toombs and Keagan Caton, who both scored 14 points. McClure recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Adams and Bron Roberts each had 10 points in the victory.
 
With the win, the Badgers improve to 15-0 to start the 2025-26 season. It is the first time in program history that the Badgers have gone undefeated in non-conference play. Over the previous 41 games the Badgers have played, they own a 40-1 record and are averaging 90.5 points per game. Over the past three seasons, the Badgers are 44-2 in non-conference play.
 
Snow College will now be idle through the remainder of the calendar year. They will begin Scenic West Athletic Conference play Saturday, Jan. 3, against Colorado Northwestern Community College. The Spartans are 4-11 overall this season and have lost 24 straight games against the Badgers.
 
Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. inside the Horne Activity Center in Ephraim. For video streaming and live stats information, visit snowbadgers.com.