TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (February 6, 2018) - The No. 7 Salt Lake Community College Bruins have been able to manage the ebbs and flows of a grinding NJCAA schedule.

The Bruins made an impressive mark in their preseason schedule, earning wins against national powers that added to their prestige as the hope of a long March draws nearer. Additionally, Salt Lake has successfully managed the tide of the Scenic West Athletic Conference, going 6-1 in league play after picking up a road sweep of Southern Idaho and Snow College last weekend.

Still, the prospects that lie ahead as SLCC closes out the second part of SWAC play and enter the final stretch are close to the minds and hearts of the Bruins, especially that of SLCC coach Betsy Specketer.

"We've been really happy with how the team has played the past couple weeks, especially on the defensive end," she said. "We've stayed focused and dialed in and been able to steal some wins on the road."

Salt Lake has another two-game stretch in league play, beginning Thursday with a road game against Colorado Northwestern. Saturday will mark a long-awaited return to the friendly confines of the Lifetime Activities Center for Salt Lake, as the Bruins host in-state rival Snow College. 

Thursday's road game at Colorado Northwestern will prove to be a challenge for Salt Lake, as travel always is to Rangely. The Bruins earned a 90-49 home win over the Spartans on January 18 in Taylorsville, controlling throughout the game. CNCC sits at 2-22 and 0-7 in league play, falling most recently to Snow College, 69-44.

While the Bruins will be expected to have a sizable advantage over Colorado Northwestern, the prospects of playing an in-state league foe are always tough, especially when it is against Snow College. While Salt Lake has gone 2-0 against the Badgers, the narrow margins of victory (62-52 and 57-53) leave the Bruins with much to be concerned about. The Badgers are 18-6 overall and 5-2 in league play.

Specketer said the prospect of playing a road game followed by a home game, especially against an in-state foe, will present a challenge for Salt Lake.

"We're going to take one game at a time and hopefully continue to build some momentum for the region tournament at the end of the month," she said. 

The Bruins sit at the top of the league standings with a record of 6-1 and 20-4 overall - the first league program to reach 20 wins on the season. Salt Lake's national ranking is also the highest of any league team. Of note, Salt Lake is a perfect 8-0 on the road and 4-3 in home games.

Thursday's road game at Colorado Northwestern is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff, while Saturday's home game against in-state rival Snow College will tip off at 3:00 p.m. inside the Lifetime Activities Center. Live stats for the Snow College game will be available at slccbruins.com, with live streaming available at live.ksl.com.