TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (February 18, 2021) - A strong second-half surge boosted the No. 11 Salt Lake Community College men's basketball team to an impressive Scenic West Athletic Conference victory Thursday.

SLCC earned a 76-59 victory over USU Eastern, utilizing a 44-31 scoring performance in the second half to earn the victory. The win lifts Salt Lake to 10-1 overall and 3-1 in Scenic West play.

Bruins coach Kyle Taylor said the team continues to benefit from consistent play.

"We had another great second half performance tonight," he said. "Max Watson hit five three-point shots in a six-minute span and was outstanding; he changed the game. Felix Lemetti took at least two big charges in that run, while Quincy McGriff, Samuel Keita and Jackson Last were all on the floor during that big run. It's fun having different guys contribute each night."

After holding a narrow 32-28 lead over the in-state rival Eagles after the first half, Salt Lake went on a tear in the second half, making more free throw's (9) than USU Eastern attempted (6). Additionally, the Bruins were actively defensively and scored 15 points off turnovers, stretching their lead to as many as 25 points late in the second half.

Max Watson led SLCC with 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting from three-point range, while Jay Allen-Tovar posted 11 points off the bench. Marvin Price posted double figures with 10 points, and Felix Lemetti scored 9 points.

Salt Lake will travel to play at No. 19 Snow College on Saturday, facing off against another in-state rival. The road game will start at 3:00 p.m. in Ephraim.