2013 marked the year when SLCC won the SWAC conference championship and advanced to the second round of the NJCAA National Tournament.
The season proved to be one of SLCC brightest, due to the strong camaraderie and unique individual talent that spread from the coaching staff down to the players.
“This year’s team has been something really special, I really enjoyed playing with each one of our guys because they each offered a different talent,” said BYU bound Skyler Halford.
The Bruins have made three appearances at nationals in the last twenty years, one of which resulted in a first place finish.
This year’s appearance followed an amazing season led by head coach Todd Phillips
Phillips started his head position in 2012 and it did not take him long to leave a lasting impression on the school’s basketball program.
“We had excellent team chemistry, and the players came in and competed and played hard; it showed on the court,” said Phillips.
Although the Bruins achieved many of their goals, there was one obstacle that stood in their path like a stump that they could not dig up – now-rival Central Arizona.
After dominating the entire season, the Bruins secured a bid in the National Junior College Tournament
They had yet to play for the District Championship, where for the first time SLCC matched up with Central Arizona and ended up falling victim.
Following the loss, the Bruins entered nationals, only to compete with Central Arizona once again in the second round after a first round victory over Eastern Oklahoma State.
Defeating EOS was not an easy task. They put up an aggressive fight against the Bruins from start to finish.
“They came out launching threes, and they hit everything. I mean we had hands up in their faces, and they were still hittin’,” says Halford.
SLCC ended up making the necessary free-throws and eliminated Eastern Oklahoma State in an intense battle
Following the strong win over EOS, the Bruins would once again play Central Arizona, which offered a potential for revenge and a chance to reclaim their status as the best team in the nation.
The game was similar to the last time they had met; however, some of the circumstances had changed.
“We came out with a pretty good game plan, but the refs called the game tight,, and we found ourselves in foul trouble which hurt us a little bit,” said Phillips. “Overall, we had a chance to knock down some big shots that we usually hit, and we didn’t. In a tournament like this, you got to knock those types of shots down, or you don’t win.”
Falling victim to Central Arizona did have a large effect on the players and coaches due to the fact that they knew they were capable winning
“We took it very hard simply because we are a very special team, and you never know when something like this could happen again,” said point guard Morgan Hesleph, who is planning to return next year.
“Accomplishments and talent, all that doesn’t mean anything when you don’t win,” said small forward JuWan Buccanan.
Overall, the men’s basketball team had an outstanding year with only five losses and showed fans and students why they should be proud to be a part of the Bruin Nation.
“It’s been an awesome experience, one that I’ll never forget that’s for sure,” said Halford.
