Box Score TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (November 9, 2021) - It's rare for a team to open conference play just five days into the season, but so was the circumstances for the No. 1 Salt Lake Community College Men's Basketball program.

The Bruins opened Scenic West Athletic Conference play on the road Tuesday, earning an impressive 79-71 win at in-state rival USU Eastern. Salt Lake is now 3-0 overall with the win, along with a mark of 1-0 in Scenic West play.

"Price is a very tough place to play, and USU Eastern does a nice job in their zone and they make it hard on you," said Bruins coach Kyle Taylor. "I was very proud of our guys for finding a way to get the win. We didn't play well for long stretches, but made enough plays on defense to pull it out."

Salt Lake took control early in the win, leading 50-34 at halftime. SLCC never trailed in the game, leading by as many as 17 points early in the second half. Offense told the story in the game, with the Bruins shooting 60.6 percent from the field in the opening period (20-of-33). 

Max Watson finished with 16 points to lead SLCC, while Doctor Bradley scored 11 points on perfect 5-of-5 shooting. Jaquan Scott had 10 points for Salt Lake in the win. 

"(Watson) really shot the ball well," he said. "We needed him to make shots and he stepped up and hit several three-point shots in the first half. I thought Jordan Brinson and Jackson Last played great defense and had some big defensive plays late. Doctor Bradley and Jaquan Scott were good around the basket and dominated the interior. Another good team win with lots of contributions."

The Bruins will return home this weekend for a tournament, playing in the 'Bruin Classic'. Salt Lake will host a game on Friday with Eastern Wyoming, with a scheduled start of 7:00 p.m. SLCC will close the weekend schedule with a 1:00 p.m. matchup on Saturday with Laramie County Community College.