Photo by Jeff Barrett
By Calvin Jensen
Utah State Eastern men’s basketball traveled to No. 13 Snow College on Saturday to take on the Badgers inside the Horne Activity Center on Saturday. USU Eastern, with a season record of 13-6 and a conference record of 3-3, entered the contest looking to upset the Badgers, who boasted an impressive 19-2 overall record and a 3-2 conference standing.
The Eagles were never able to gain the upper hand on Snow as the Badgers established a considerable lead with a score of 51-26 at the end of the first half. Eastern was unable to to find its rhythm, posting a 38.5% field goal percentage in the first half. Snow College had nearly twice the accuracy with a 65.5% field goal percentage.
USU Eastern’s Ethan Copeland emerged as the standout player in the game for the Eagles, contributing 13 points, including three successful three-pointers. However, Snow College’s Isaac Finlinson stole the spotlight with an impressive 25-point performance, highlighting his scoring abilities beyond the arc.
As the game unfolded, the Eagles improved defensively, but it was not enough to curtail Snow College’s overall performance as the Badgers secured the 100-57 victory.
Despite the loss, Utah State Eastern had notable individual performances with Kendall Alexander contributing 11 points. Martel Williams added 10 points and two steals, and Dyson Lighthall made an impact with eight points and three blocked shots.
Utah State Eastern (13-6, 3-3) will regroup as the team returns home to take on Colorado Northwest Community College (10-11, 1-4) on Thursday at 7 p.m. inside the BDAC.