TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (January 30, 2018) - The No. 4 Salt Lake Community College Bruins have dealt with a loss already this season.

After losing in the opening game of the Fiesta Bowl Junior College Shootout tourney, the Bruins ran off six straight victories, including a 4-0 start to Scenic West Athletic Conference play. The Bruins responded to that 93-77 loss to Mesa Community College with urgency and controlled aggression; energy and toughness. In essence, SLCC turned that preseason loss into a positive.

On the heels of an 83-79 loss to USU Eastern Saturday, the Bruins are in need of another answer after suffering through a disappointing loss to the Eagles. Salt Lake was out of sync on offense early in the game, putting the Bruins in a hole they were never able to recover from. While the sting of the loss will remain heading into practice this week, the Bruins have little time to commiserate as SLCC travels for road contests at Southern Idaho and Snow College.

Salt Lake coach Todd Phillips said this week's games are critical for the team in the SWAC standings.

"It's always fun to go on the road and play teams on their home court," he said. "These games are why we spend all of the hours in the gym. (These games are) heavyweight fights with league title implications on the line."

Thursday's game at Southern Idaho will have several interesting storylines. Revenge will be one of the plot lines to follow, as Salt Lake had a resounding 84-64 victory over CSI in the first round of SWAC play. The Golden Eagles have gone 5-1 in league play, a half-game ahead of Salt Lake's 4-1, with revenge certainly on their mind. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Twin Falls.

SLCC has learned the challenges of playing in-state rivals the hard way, and they will have yet another in-state throwdown Saturday as they travel to Ephraim to play Snow College. The Badgers have had a tough go during the first round of SWAC play, going just 1-4 in a run that includes an 83-77 SLCC win in Ephraim a few weeks ago. Saturday's game is scheduled for a 5:00 p.m. tip.

After the slow start in the USU Eastern loss, Phillips said his team will be alert.

"Our guys are going to be ready to go," he said, emphatically. 

The Bruins will have their next home game on February 10, as they host the College of Southern Idaho to open the third round of SWAC play.