The Snow College men's basketball team used a balanced second-half effort and timely defensive stops to pull away from North Idaho College for an 80–72 win Thursday night, extending the Badgers' home winning streak to 24 consecutive games.
The Badgers entered the matchup following an 81-70 victory against Utah State University Eastern last Thursday in Price. This was the Badgers' second victory against the Eagles this season and ensured Snow College owns the tiebreaker, if needed, when qualifying for the Region 18 Tournament.
The Badgers led 36–34 at halftime after a tightly-contested first half that featured four lead changes. Snow College struggled to establish an offensive rhythm early, shooting a season-low 28 percent from the field in the opening period, but stayed within control by getting to the free-throw line and limiting second-chance opportunities for NIC.
The Cardinals opened the game with a quick 10–0 run before Snow College settled in.
McCaden Adams sparked the response with a 3-pointer, and the Badgers gradually chipped away at the deficit.
Sean Felts scored 11 first-half points, including a pair of 3-pointers, as Snow College closed the half on a run to take a two-point lead into the break.
NIC briefly regained momentum early in the second half, extending the lead to five points over the first two and a half minutes. Snow College cut into the deficit before a triple from
Blake Bahr gave the Badgers a lead with under 10 to play.
The Badgers regained the lead for good following a 10-2 run capped by a long 3-pointer from Adams to extend the advantage to 73-66 with under five to play. A few minutes later,
Max Toombs knocked down a triple, extending the lead to a game-high nine points. Adams sealed the victory as he glided down the lane and threw down a dunk that ignited the home crowd as Snow College earned the 80-72 victory.
Adams led Snow College with 21 points on 7-14 shooting, adding four rebounds and two assists. Felts finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, while McClure recorded 12 points and nine boards.
Snow College shot 51 percent from the field in the second half and finished with 20 points off turnovers. The Badgers also held NIC to 41 percent shooting for the game while winning the rebounding battle, 46–42.
Snow College continues Scenic West Athletic Conference play Saturday when it hosts No. 4 College of Southern Idaho in Ephraim. The Badgers' lone loss of the season came to the Golden Eagles Jan. 15 in Twin Falls. The Badgers will look for revenge beginning at 3:00 p.m. inside the Horne Activity Center. For video streaming and live stats information, visit snowbadgers.com.
