TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (November 21, 2018) - The holidays are about enjoying the warmth and comfort of one's home, sharing good times and memories with friends and family while fondly looking forward to future opportunities.

The No. 8 Salt Lake Community College men's basketball program feels the exact same way, making this weekend's annual Thankgiving tourney inside the Lifetime Activities Center one of the program's favorite traditions. The Bruins will play Northeastern Junior College and Laramie County Community College in the four-team tournament, which will also include Scenic West Athletic Conference foe Snow College.

Salt Lake coach Todd Phillips said the annual tournament is a highlight of the Bruins' schedule.

"We're excited for the home stand this weekend," he said. "We host two strong Region 9 teams, which is good for our schedule."

The Bruins have been on a tear as of late, scoring over 80 points in each of their first five games. Two SLCC players also committed to major NCAA Division-I programs in the last week, adding to the momentum the program has going.

Both opponents coming into Salt Lake for the weekend tournament will have interesting storylines. The Northeastern Plainsmen will enter with a 6-3 record, with a recent win over Iowa Western. The Plainsmen have also defeated Scenic West member Colorado Northwestern and Laramie County to start the season. In contrast, Laramie County will bring a 3-4 record into the Lifetime Activities Center. The Golden Eagles lost three-in-a-row earlier this season and fell in their most recent game to Trinidad State.

Salt Lake will play Northeastern Junior College at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and Laramie County at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both games will feature live stats on www.slccbruins.com.

Phillips said his team has developed a style of play that needs to continue to be refined this weekend.

"We hope to continue pushing the ball and scoring at a high clip," he said. "The key for this team is strong defense and taking good shots. When we take good shots and make them, we are really tough."