SLCC held its first three victims — Vincennes University, Southeastern Illinois and Three Rivers Community College — to a measly 31 percent shooting and 52 points a game. Even in the championship loss, the Bruins held the Texans 22 points under their scoring average and to just 42 percent shooting.

For the tournament, SLCC's swarming and physical defense pressured opponents into shooting only 33.8 percent overall and 27.5 percent from 3-point land. They also only let their four foes score 55.8 an outing, which was a point below their NJCAA-best points-allowed mark coming in.

"Our team all year has fed intensity off of our defense," Parrish said.

An offensive slump — created in part because speedy South Plains gave the Bruins a taste of their own defensive medicine — really dashed SLCC's title hopes. They missed 19 of 21 3-pointers and a slew of seemingly easy inside buckets en route to a 36.5-percent shooting night.

"Sometimes you just need the gates to open," Parrish said.

Unfortunately for the Bruins, they remained tightly shut on this important night. DaVell Jackson had 19 points, but he didn't get much help. Green, who had averaged 19 points, only hit 3 of 13 shots for seven points.

"We're a 51 percent shooting team and (Saturday) we shot 30 something," Parrish said. "Give them credit."

He certainly will give his Bruins credit, too.

SMASHMOUTH SQUAD: This would have been a good year for SLCC to start a football program, and the Bruins could've started the squad with the physical basketball team. Several bulky players — namely Yahosh Bonner and Dan Stafford — look like muscular linebackers. Starting point guard DaVell Jackson was even going to play football at UNLV before academic issues forced him to take a different route.

SLCC's football-like hard-nosed play showed up in games and in punishing practices.

The Bruins embraced the football theme, even getting pigskin jerseys with their numbers and names on them. The cheerleaders joined in the fun Saturday, wearing football shirts instead of their cheer outfits.

Jackson said they liked the pigskin comparison because the Bruins are "a bunch of rough-necked kids who play very hard, just like a football team. ... Everybody plays with a high intensity and we're all tough."

Center Kael Pope, who yells during games and then gets really loud when something happens, started it. Coach Norm Parrish said he loved that the team took on the intense personality of Pope, Bonner and Brian Green, their defensive sparkplugs.