TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (Tuesday, March 26, 2024)— The No. 3 Salt Lake Bruins were victims of March's madness, falling 67-61 to No. 19 Connors St. in the second round of the 2024 NJCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Championships.

CJ Luster made 3-6 threes for 17 points to lead a Bruins team that struggled uncharacteristically from the perimeter. Michael Folarin finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. 

SLCC shot 21-of-51 (41.2 percent) for the game and made just 4-of-21 (19 percent) from deep.

First Half
Salt Lake jumped out to an 8-0 lead, but any rust from the double-bye showed up as No. 19 Connors State fought back to take a 29-22 halftime lead. 

The Bruins were 1-of-11 from three in the half, with Michael Folarin (4-4 FG, 8 pts) and Xavier Edmonds (2-2 FG, 5 pts) the only offensive bright spots. 

SLCC shot 30.8 percent from the field but limited the Cowboys to 13-of-33 (39.4 percent). Salt Lake committed nine first-half turnovers, leading to nine Connors State points. 

Second Half
CJ Luster's first three of the night gave the Bruins momentum. Moments later, Zaon Collins slithered his way to the hoop for a lay-in, giving SLCC a 39-38 lead with 11:16 left.

The lead expanded to five when Luster hit two more quick threes. 

Connors St. stayed within striking distance until a driving layup with nearly three minutes left gave them a 57-56 advantage.

Edmonds fouled out on a late, controversial charge call with one minute left, trailing by three. 

The Bruins never led again, falling 67-61.

Up Next
No. 3 Salt Lake finishes the season 30-4 overall. 

You can find tickets for all Salt Lake Community College events here. 

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