Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Ty Neff in action for CR on Friday.

By Ray Hamill — In the end it wasn’t particularly close.

College of the Redwoods completed a dominating run through the Golden Valley Conference with an 86-81 win over Feather River on Friday night, capping a third straight conference championship with a seventh straight win.

The CR men closed out conference play with a record of 9-1, three wins ahead of their closest challengers, Butte, which finished 6-4.

The victory also lifted the Corsairs to 25-3 on the season and set a record for most wins by the program in a single season.

“This was in some ways the most honest performance we could have had on sophomore day,” head coach Ryan Bisio said. “So much credit to our team for sending these sophomores out with a win.”

Having already secured the conference championship outright last weekend, there was little more than pride at stake on Friday, although the Corsairs certainly wanted to beat the only team to have gotten the better of them in conference play.

They had to battle for it, with the visitors threatening late and cutting what had been a 17-point deficit to just four down the stretch.

But in the true spirit of champions, the Corsairs held on for the win.

“We displayed high level basketball,” Bisio said. “We were seduced again into lapses in focus and we proved once more that we have big moment players.

“This game was a microcosm of what our true identity is as we head into the playoffs.”

Kai Purcell was instrumental in the win and scored a team-high 20 points, while Trey Neff finished with 19 and Jon Nchekwube had 14 points.

Nchekwube, an all-state selection a year ago, was one of three sophomores playing their final regular-season game for the program, along with former Arcata Tigers Aidan Atkins-Salazar and Niko Zambas.

All three had a say in the win.

Zambas finished with 12 points, while Ty Neff chipped in 11.

“Niko Zambas had a fabulous floor game offensively tonight,” the head coach said. “He also made some very timely shots. I’m so proud of him. He’s always ready.”

Purcell also had a big night.

“Kai was settled in as a scorer tonight,” Bisio added. “He played with great focus and balance. He sure felt like a menace out there offensively and his confidence is ripening.”

The Corsairs will find out their playoff seed and opponent on Sunday and will likely get a home playoff game next week.