TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (December 4, 2019) - The No. 24 Salt Lake Community College men's basketball team is riding high on momentum, thanks to a five-game winning streak and national recognition.

The Bruins were recognized on Tuesday as the 'Team-of-the-Week' in the NJCAA by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, adding to individual honors that Justice Hill earned from the Scenic West Athletic Conference. Sitting with an 8-2 record, SLCC is pushing into a Florida tournament that promises to be full of sun, sand and high-quality basketball action. The three-game tourney is scheduled to be played in Melbourne, Fla., with games beginning on Thursday.

Salt Lake's recent run of success has seen the Bruins return to the NJCAA Top-25 after falling out due to a few preseason losses. SLCC is the highest-ranked team in the Scenic West.

"It definitely feels good to be back in the Top-25 but our players realize it will be a short stay if we're not ready to play this weekend," said SLCC coach Kyle Taylor. "At this point in the season, I think we've earned the opportunity to be where we are but every single week we have to go out and prove ourselves."

Taylor said the success over the past weekend has given his team confidence pushing forward.

"We had a really good weekend at home and I am proud of our effort," he said. "We competed for 80 minutes straight, which was great to see. Now we head back on the road with a big weekend down in Florida."

The tournament is certainly important, with Salt Lake facing off against three Florida-based programs. Salt Lake's first opponent is Florida State College at Jacksonville - a game that is scheduled for Thursday evening. The Blue Wave are 4-5 overall, coming off a win over DME Academy last weekend. Friday's opponent will be Eastern Florida State College, the host school for the tournament. The Titans have started the season with a record of 7-5 and, like Salt Lake, enter the tournament on a five-game winning streak. The final matchup of the tourney is scheduled for Saturday against Pensacola State College.

Taylor said the Florida competition will be a strong test for the Bruins.

"We play three good teams, so we've got our work cut out for us," he said.  "It should be fun."

Salt Lake will play in the Florida tourney and then return home for two games on Dec. 13-14 before taking its annual holiday break.