The Snow College men's basketball came just short of repeating as Region 18 Tournament Champions after suffering a four-point loss to No. 3 College of Southern Idaho last weekend in Twin Falls.
The No. 3 Badgers advanced to the title game following a 97-84 victory over Utah State University Eastern Friday before dropping a 64-60 decision to CSI Saturday.
Snow College caught fire early against USUE and never relinquished control.
After falling behind 9-4 in the opening minutes, the Badgers responded with a quick burst. A 3-pointer from Sam Sivulich tied the game at 9-9, and moments later, Blake Bahr knocked down a triple to give Snow College its first lead. McCaden Adams followed with a 3-pointer at the 12:08 mark to push the advantage to 15-14.
The Badgers continued to build momentum behind their perimeter shooting. Max Toombs drilled a 3-pointer to extend the lead, and Sean Felts added a jumper before Brock McClure converted inside to make it 27-22.
Snow College stretched the lead to double digits late in the half. The Badgers made four 3-pointers in the final six minutes of action, one from James Rust and three from McCaden Adams. Â McClure finished inside with under a minute remaining, and the Badgers entered halftime leading 48-39.
After USUE trimmed the lead to six early in the second period, McClure sparked a 12-0 run. He scored six of the Badgers' 12 points during the run as Snow College took a 60-42 with 15 minutes to play.
Less than a minute later, Rust and McClure hit back-to-back triples to give the Badgers a 21-point edge. A pair of free throws from Rust and a layup from Lemke gave Snow College its biggest lead of the game, 71-49, with 12:30 to play.
The Eagles punched back and eventually trimmed the Badgers' lead down to as little as eight points with just over two minutes to play. Snow College held USUE at bay to collect the 13-point victory, 97-84.
McClure led Snow College with a career-high 32 points. He also added 10 rebounds for his 13th double-double of the season. Adams added 21, and Felts finished with 17. The Badgers shot 58 percent from beyond the arc and assisted on 24 field goals in the win.
Adams started the championship against CSI with a 3-pointer, and Lemke followed with a layup to give the Badgers an early 5-0 lead. After CSI tied the game at seven, the teams traded baskets through the middle portion of the half.
Snow College took a 3-point lead on two made free throws from Lemke before a 12-2 run from the Golden Eagles gave them a 26-19 advantage with under five to play in the first half. The Badgers responded with a similar 12-3 run to end the half, leading 31-29.
Felts scored the first points of the second half before a 3-pointer from McClure pushed the lead to 37-31. CSI responded and eventually tied the game at 46 midway through the period. Buckets were hard to come by over the final 10 minutes of play.
Over the last 10 minutes of action, the game saw four ties and six lead changes. A 3-pointer from Toombs gave the Badgers a 54-50 lead with under five minutes to play, but a 5-0 CSI run turned the tables.
McClure sank a triple with two minutes left to tip the scales back in favor of Snow College but a layup and a 3-pointer from the Region Tournament Most Valuable Player, Cooper Kesler gave CSI a 60-57 lead with under a minute to play. After the Badgers missed a 3-point attempt on their end, the Golden Eagles sealed the deal at the free-throw line to claim the 64-40 victory.
McClure led the Badgers with 17 points and 14 rebounds – his 14th double-double of the season, while Toombs added 13 points off the bench.
The Badgers will now wait to see where they land in the NJCAA National Tournament Monday, March 16, during the selection show. The first round of the National Tournament begins Saturday, March 21, in Hutchinson, Kansas. For additional information, visit snowbadgers.com.
