TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (December 29, 2019) - The No. 23 Salt Lake Community College men's basketball team fell in its final preseason game of the season, losing in the championship game of the 2019 'Fiesta Bowl Junior College Shootout'.

The Bruins fell in a 72-65 contest with longtime national power South Plains, losing in the finale of the tournament. The loss drops SLCC to 14-4 overall entering Scenic West Athletic Conference play this upcoming Saturday.

Salt Lake trailed 33-27 at halftime, shooting just 32.8 percent in the game and making just 7-of-29 attempts from three-point range in the game. SLCC's performance at the free-throw line did little to help the cause, with the team making 20-of-31 attempts. 

In spite of the offensive struggles, SLCC coach Kyle Taylor said he was impressed with the effort his team gave.

"We battled all night, and I'm really proud of our guys effort and heart," he said. "We couldn't make shots and did not defensively rebound the ball well; South Plains had a lot to do with that. Their length, physicality and size really bothered us. Tough one for us, but overall a good tournament."

Justice Hill had an outstanding individual performance for Salt Lake, finishing with 20 points. Spencer Johnson posted 14 points and Asa McCord finished with 13 points. 

Salt Lake will host Colorado Northwestern on Saturday in the Scenic West Athletic Conference opener for both programs. The game is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. tip inside the Lifetime Activities Center.