SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The College of Southern Idaho Men's Basketball Team led for just 40 seconds Friday night in the Region 18 Tournament semifinal but it was the most important 40 seconds, as the Golden Eagles beat USU Eastern 79-78.
CSI trailed the entire game but took the two-point lead on a Jaylon Johnson 3-pointer with 40 seconds to play. USU Eastern made just 1-of-4 free throws down the stretch and missed a shot at the buzzer to give the Golden Eagles a berth in the Region 18 Championship game Saturday at 3 p.m. against Salt Lake CC.
The Golden Eagles were led in the scoring column by Johnson with 23 points. He also had nine steals, five rebounds and four assists. Hamilton added 15 points and six rebounds and Jakari Livingston had 12 points and five rebounds. Shahid Muhammad was a big presence inside, leading CSI with seven rebounds and three blocks. Kasen Carpenter added eight points.
CSI is now 23-8 overall.