The Snow College men's basketball team closed its regular-season road slate with a pair of defeats, falling 79-69 at North Idaho College Thursday before dropping a 71-66 decision Saturday at No. 3 College of Southern Idaho. It's the first time the Badgers have lost back-to-back games since Feb. 2024.
 
The Badgers entered the final weekend of the season as the number one team in the nation. They needed a victory against CSI to win the Scenic West Athletic Conference Championship and earn the right to host the Region 18 Tournament.
 
Brock McClure and McCaden Adams paced the early offensive effort against NIC, each scoring eight points in the opening period. Sean Felts added eight of his own and controlled the glass, helping the Badgers stay within one possession for much of the half despite the Cardinals shooting 46.7 percent from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes.
 
The first half was a true back-and-forth battle that saw a total of five ties and 10 lead changes. Neither team was able to gain a lead of more than one possession before the Cardinals took a 35-30 edge with two minutes remaining. NIC ended up taking a 37-34 lead into the break.
 
The Badgers regained and held the lead for the majority of the second half. A three-pointer from Max Toombs pushed Snow College ahead 50-45 with just under 13 minutes to play. Sean Felts then hit a jumper to give the Badgers their largest lead of the game, 59-52, with seven and a half to play.
 
NIC responded with a decisive run. The Cardinals outscored the Badgers 18-3 over the next five minutes to take a 70-62 lead. NIC capitalized at the free-throw line down the stretch, going 16-20 in the second half to seal the 79-69 victory.
 
Snow College shot 36 percent from the field – their worst shooting percentage of the season – and just 5-26 from three-point range. McClure led the Badgers with 17 points, while Adams finished with 13. Felts added a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.
 
Following the loss, the Badgers turned their attention to No. 3 CSI in a game that would determine the Conference Champion.
 
After trailing early against the Golden Eagles, the Badgers would slowly build a small lead over the remainder of the first half. A dunk from Felts and a jumper from Sam Sivulich gave the Badgers a 29-23 edge with 2:36 to play. They'd eventually take a four-point lead into halftime.
 
The Badgers maintained the lead throughout the majority of the first 16 minutes of the second half. They held a 58-54 lead with five minutes to play before a quick 5-0 burst from the Golden Eagles turned the game around.
 
The two teams traded buckets over the next two and a half minutes before a 3-point play gave CSI the lead for good. The Golden Eagles sealed the deal at the free-throw line to earn the 71-66 victory.
 
Snow College struggled to find rhythm from beyond the arc, finishing just 2-19 from distance. Over the past four games, the Badgers, who shot over 40 percent from beyond the arc for much of the season, are shooting just 25.2 percent on 3-point attempts.
 
Felts led Snow College with 15 points and seven rebounds. Adams added 11, while Sivulich contributed eight points and four assists. Max Toombs chipped in nine off the bench.
 
The Badgers will now have to make a third trip to Idaho this season to participate in the Region 18 Tournament. They'll take on Utah State University Eastern Friday at 5:00 p.m., with the winner moving on to face the winner from the CSI/NIC matchup. The championship will take place Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in Twin Falls. For video streaming and live stats information, visit snowbadgers.com.