Box Score TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (December 28, 2018) - Opportunities come and go through a basketball season, but even falling short in some situations can show noted growth.

That would be an accurate way to describe the Friday evening for the No. 5 Salt Lake Community College men's basketball team, playing No. 1 South Plains in the Fiesta Bowl Junior College Shootout tourney in Arizona. In a down-to-the-wire contest, South Plains prevailed late over SLCC, picking up an 89-85 victory. The loss drops Salt Lake's overall record to 12-3.

"We had a chance late," Salt Lake coach Todd Phillips said. "We didn't shoot it that well but we played hard and had a chance. I'm really proud of our guys."

The Bruins trailed slightly at halftime, 40-39, before South Plains went on a run in the second half to stretch their lead to 13 points with 5:50 remaining in the game. From there, Salt Lake clawed back into the contest, with a few late free-throw misses dooming their quest to upset the NJCAA's top-ranked team. 

St. John's commit Cameron Mack showcased his abilities in the loss, finishing with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Asa McCord also had a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds. Josh Colon had 13 points, while Hunter Schofield had 12 points.

SLCC will play one more game in the tourney, with a matchup against a yet-to-be-revealed opponent Saturday. The Bruins will play their Scenic West Athletic Conference opener against NJCAA runner-up Southern Idaho on January 5.