GAME NOTES: The Snow College men's basketball team will begin its final road stretch of the season and head to Price to take on Utah State University Eastern Thursday at 7:00 p.m. The Badgers are looking to sweep the season series against the Eagles having won both of the previous matchups so far this year.
 
Snow College is coming off a pair of victories against Colorado Northwestern Community College and Salt Lake Community College last week in Ephraim. The No. 1 Badgers will enter play Thursday against USUE riding a 17-game winning streak.
 
As a result of the two victories last week, Isaac Finlinson (So./St. George, Utah/Dixie HS) has been named the Scenic West Athletic Conference Player of the Week. Finlinson averaged 21 points and 7 rebounds to help the Badgers improve to a perfect 10-0 within conference play.
 
Snow College defeated SLCC 91-86 in overtime. This was the first overtime game the Badgers have played in nearly three years. Their last overtime victory came in an 83-82 win against Lee College March 14, 2022.
 
The Badgers, who sit atop the SWAC standings, need one of three things in order to win the regular season conference championship. Two Snow College wins, two losses from the College of Southern Idaho, or one Snow College win and one CSI loss will see the Badgers crowned as the regular season champs and the rights to host the Region 18 Tournament at the end of the season.
 
Snow College is one of just 10 teams in the nation that averages 50 percent shooting or better from the field this season. The Badgers are shooting at a 51.9 percent clip, which slots them at sixth overall in the country.
 
The Eagles own a 12-10 overall record and a 3-7 mark within conference play. The Badgers have earned victories in both of the previous matchups this season, winning 77-75 in Price, Jan. 9 and 120-78 in Ephraim, Jan. 23.  With a win, Snow College will sweep the season series with the Eagles for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The No. 1 Snow College men's basketball team collected two more victories against Colorado Northwestern Community College (99-84) and Salt Lake Community College (91-86). The Badgers have now won 17 straight games dating back to Nov. 22.
 
Snow College entered the weekend having won two games during its lone trip to Idaho this season. The Badgers defeated the No. 20 College of Southern Idaho 93-89 before extending their winning streak to 15 games with a 99-87 victory against North Idaho College last Saturday.
 
The Badgers struggled to find their footing for much of the first half against the Spartans. They shot just 26 percent from the field and 18 percent from beyond the arc over the first 15 minutes of the game. It was the free throw shooting that kept the game close as Snow College went 10-13 from the charity stripe during that stretch.
 
After taking a brief lead to start the game, the Badgers found themselves trailing 11-7 five minutes into action. Five straight points from Isaac Finlinson (So./St. George, Utah/Dixie HS) and a 3-pointer from Chance Trujillo (Fr./Kaysville, Utah/Davis HS) gave the Badgers an 18-15 lead midway through the period.
 
Over the next six minutes of action, CNCC outscored the Badgers 16-6 to take its largest lead of the game – a 31-24 margin with under five minutes to play in the first half. Snow College came to life over the final minutes and showed the Spartans why it's the No. 1 team in the nation.
 
The Badgers outscored the Spartans 21-8, including going on a 14-0 run over the final three minutes to flip the game on its head and take a 45-36 lead. Snow College went 6-8 from the field, 2-3 from three, and made all seven of its free throws during that stretch. The Badgers would go into the halftime break leading 45-39.
 
They maintained the momentum into the second half despite an early push from the Spartans. The Badgers used a 14-2 run to increase the advantage to 20 midway through the period. CNCC punched back and cut the lead in half with a 10-0 run.
 
Snow College was able to withstand the push and eventually pushed the lead back to 19 points with under five minutes to play. The Badgers would go on to win, 98-84, to secure their 16^th consecutive victory of the season.
 
Finlinson led the Badgers in scoring as he finished with 24 points on 7-12/4-9 shooting. Coleman Ford (So./Provo, Utah/Timpview HS) and Mark Brown Jr. (So./South Phoenix, Arizona/Bella Vista Prep) both scored 13 points while Kyle Lemke (Fr./St. George, Utah/Dixie HS) had 12 and Isaac Garrett (So./Pleasant Grove, Utah/Pleasant Grove HS) finished with 11 to aid in the victory.
 
The Badgers carried the momentum into Saturday's game against the Bruins. After surrendering a bucket on the first possession of the game, Snow College built a 13-6 lead four minutes into the action. The lead quickly disappeared as the Bruins went on an 8-0 run to regain the advantage.
 
Snow College responded and, over the next eight minutes, outscored SLCC 20-8 to gain a 33-22 edge with six and a half to play in the opening stanza. The Badgers would eventually extend the lead out to as many as 14 before taking a 49-40 advantage into halftime.
 
The Bruins came out determined and cut the lead to two points just over a minute into the second half. Snow College was able to resist the push initially but surrendered the lead with 12:26 to play. Over the final 12 minutes of action, the lead changed hands six times.
 
One of the lead changes came on a 7-0 run from the Bruins, who took a 73-68 lead – their largest lead of the game. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Ford and Trujillo sent the home faithful into a frenzy as the Badgers took a 74-73 lead with two and a half minutes to play.
 
The game went scoreless over the next 90 seconds when SLCC big man Xavier Edmonds went to the free-throw line. He connected on just one to tie the game at 74. The Badgers were unable to take the lead on the subsequent possession, and the Bruins had a chance to win.
 
They gave the ball to Edmonds with the game clock waning. His shot found back iron, and the game went into overtime for the first time this season.
 
Snow College came out firing in overtime. A dunk from Garrett preceded a free throw and a 3-pointer from Brown Jr., and the Badgers took an 80-74 lead just 42 seconds into the period. SLCC punched back and sandwiched a stop between a pair of layups from Edmonds to trim the lead to two with just over three minutes to play.
 
A made jumper from Ford and a layup for SLCC saw the game dip under two minutes to play with Snow College holding onto a two-point advantage. Brown Jr. electrified the Horne Activity Center as he finished a layup and drew a foul. He completed the three-point play, and the Badgers took an 87-82 lead with 1:52 left on the clock.
 
The Bruins cut the lead down with a bucket on the next possession, but Trujillo laced a free-throw-line jumper to push the edge back to five. The Bruins responded with a bucket to make it a one-possession game.
 
Snow College missed a 3-point attempt, and SLCC held possession with 33 seconds to play. The Badgers' defense held up and forced a pair of misses from distance as Brown Jr. pulled down the rebound and was fouled immediately. He iced the game with a pair of free throws, and the Badgers earned the 91-86 victory.
 
Five Badgers scored in double figures, led by Garrett, who recorded 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Finlinson flirted with a double-double, finishing with 18 points and nine boards. Brown Jr. added 17 points and six assists, while Trujillo had 13, and McCaden Adams (Fr./Pleasant Grove, Utah/Pleasant Grove HS) had 12 in the win.
 
UP NEXT: Snow College will head out onto the road for the final time this season and take on CNCC Thursday and SLCC Saturday. Thursday's matchup will tip off at 7:00 p.m. with Saturday's meeting with the Bruins is slated to begin at 3:00 p.m. For video streaming and live stat information, visit snowbadgers.com.