Northwest College’s start to the men’s basketball season was unconventional, to say the least. 

Just days before the Trappers’ season opener against Colorado Northwestern, their opponent had to bow out, due to positive COVID-19 cases. NWC had to scramble to find a new opponent. 

But that didn’t slow the Trappers down. Northwest coasted to a 99-60 win over Layton Christian Academy’s post-grad team on Thursday for a season-opening victory. 

“It’s always good to start with a big win,” NWC head coach Jay Collins said. 

In the victory, nine of the 10 Trappers on hand showed up on the score sheet, with six reaching double figures. NWC also excelled defensively, forcing Layton Christian to commit 30 turnovers. 

The next day, Northwest faced one of the premier teams in NJCAA Division I: fifth-ranked Salt Lake Community College.

For much of the game, the Trappers were competitive. They held the Bruins to 40 points in the first half, trailing by just 10 at the break. 

In the second half, NWC got within single digits before the team suffered a major loss: an injury to starting point guard Alan Swenson. In his absence, the Trappers’ performance deteriorated, and SLCC pulled away to a 99-53 final score.

Despite the wide margin, Collins thought his team played well overall.

“The final score says something else, but I’m really proud of my guys,” Collins said. “They battled, and things kind of went downhill when Alan got hurt.”

The Trappers ended the weekend on a high note on Saturday, once again earning a lopsided victory. Every player on the roster scored in a 112-67 win over Ignite, with the team shooting at a stellar 52.4% clip from the field.

Collins singled out Swenson as someone who performed exceptionally on both ends of the court before his injury. The sophomore averaged five assists, two steals and two rebounds per game before exiting in the Trappers’ second game.

In addition to Swenson, Jaren Fritz was a key offensive contributor, coach Collins said. The Sheridan transfer averaged 16.7 points per game while shooting almost 50% from the field. And the coach said Jerome Mabry “really brought it, keeping much taller guys off the glass.” 

The Trappers next take to the hardwood on Feb. 4, when they head to Twin Falls, Idaho, for a tournament at College of Southern Idaho. Having two weeks to regroup will be vital for the team, Collins said. 

“It will be great for us,” he said. “We didn’t have the full team this weekend, and it will give us more time to work.”