BADGERS WIN TWO
MOVE INTO TIE FOR 1ST PLACE
by Tyler Hughes

Badgers Win Big Against CSI 98-76

Perhaps the biggest weekend of basketball that Snow College (21-7 overall, 13-5 conference) has had in a few seasons took place when conference leader, the College of Southern Idaho, paid a visit to Sanpete County to play the Badgers twice in as many nights.

Tremendous home support from the Badger faithful was apparent and the Golden Eagles suffered their first two game losing streak of the season at the hands of Snow College. With two Badger victories, Coach Roger Reid’s ball club moved into a tie for 1st place in the Scenic West Athletic Conference with two games remaining on each team’s schedule.

Summaries for each game are listed below:

GAME 1

The College of Southern Idaho coming into Friday night’s game was averaging over 112 points per game. Their style of basketball which features a fast-break pace where Golden Eagle players launch shots early and often upon taking possession has provided many headaches to opposing teams and coaches. Snow College not only slowed their pace down, but they also proved they could get up-and-down the floor as well, while routing the Golden Eagles 98-76.

The Badgers were hot from the floor all night. They shot an incredible 63% from the field. One of the key elements of this success was the great looks that Badger shooters had from the field. Snow College distributed the ball well while tallying 27 assists as compared to only 9 for Southern Idaho. Rick Roberts, alone, outdid the Eagles as he compiled 10 assists on his own to lead Snow College. He also recorded a double-double as he scored 12 for Snow. Point guard Jake Peterson, was not far behind with 6 assists as well as adding 11 points.

As the Snow College continued to dominate the game, Southern Idaho proved to have no answer for Badger forward, Geoff Payne. Payne’s excellent play for the season continued on Friday night as he dropped 36 points on the Golden Eagles and grabbed 10 rebounds.

And while Snow’s offensive production was particularly impressive, their performance on the defensive end was what made this blowout extremely enjoyable for the Badger Nation. As noted earlier, the Golden Eagles were averaging over 112 points per game coming into Friday night’s game. Great Badger defense held them 39 points under their season average as the Eagles shot just 36% from the field. In addition, the Golden Eagles 76 points matched a season-low which occurred the last time these team’s met and their top scorer, Kelvin Davis, who had been averaging 17 points per game, scored only 6.

GAME 2

One night after a big victory for the Snow College men’s basketball team, they were back on the floor for game two versus the College of Southern Idaho. And while the flow of the game was different, the outcome was the same. Snow College came away victorious, 77-75.

A gutsy performance by the Badgers after an emotional win characterized this game. Defense, again was a key component. The Golden Eagles were held to a new season-low in the scoring department giving them their three least productive games coming at the hands of Snow College.

This defensive effort embodied what Snow College basketball has become. A team of competitive, smart players who work well together is what the Badgers are and great team defense cannot be accomplished without players such as these. A team will always trump a collection of individuals and that is exactly what Roger Reid and his assistants, Ron Carling and Steve Winn have developed. This is why Snow College defeated Southern Idaho and this is why they are now in great position to host the conference tournament with only one weekend of basketball remaining on the conference schedule.

Snow College enjoyed another quality performance by Geoff Payne. Payne had 17 points and 9 rebounds. The Badgers also received a top-notch night by Rick Roberts for the second night in a row. Roberts matched Payne’s 17 points and also had 8 assists and 6 rebounds. Center, John Clifford was also a major contributor for Snow as he reached a double-double while scoring 13 and pulling down 12 rebounds.

The Badgers will be in action again this weekend versus Colorado Northwestern. They travel to Colorado to finish the regular season with games on Friday and Saturday night. The tip-off for each contest is at 7:30 PM. Check back right here at snowbadgers.com for game results and summaries.