The Corsairs capped an undefeated run through their opening tournament of the season with a 75-66 win over Monterey Peninsula at the San Jose Tip Off tournament on Saturday.

The College of the Redwoods men closed out the tournament as the only unbeaten team out of six.

Former Arcata High standout Thomas Nelson led the way for the second time in three games for the 3-0 Corsairs, finishing with 36 points.

“What a spectacular display of basketball from him,” CR head coach Ryan Bisio said.

Nelson had 25 points in the first half alone, and the Corsairs led 38-33 at the break.

Former Fortuna teammates Drew Gillette, Donald Willis and Zac Claus each also had a big say in the win.

Gillette finished with 10 points, while Willis, who is off to a flying start at CR, added nine points.

Claus nailed two big 3-pointers late in the game.

According to Bisio, this is a group that is not yet playing the sort of offense it’s capable of, but a group of players that have been playing with a lot of determination through the early going.

“I just think our grit, our guts, our focus, our attention to detail is just staggeringly impressive to me,” said the first-year head coach, who took over a program that was winless last winter.

The coach has also been impressed with his players adaptability on the court, showcasing their basketball IQ.

Defensively, they have been making “adjustments on the fly work immediately,” Bisio said. “And that’s not easy to do for a young team, and in the first week of the season.”