File photos – Jon Nchekwube pulled down 25 rebounds in his final game for CR on Saturday night.

By Ray Hamill — The most successful team in College of the Redwoods basketball history almost pulled off what would have been a stunning upset in the NorCal playoffs on Saturday night, while earning the admiration and respect of the head coach.

The Corsairs saw their season end in a 58-49 loss at College of the Sequoias, but the No. 6 seeded CR men gave the high-flying No. 3 seeds all they could handle and were in the game for much of the night.

“This was a valiant effort by our guys which made true believers of everyone who saw them,” said head coach Ryan Bisio, who has led the Corsairs to three successive conference championships in his three full seasons in charge, as well as three successive playoff appearances. “We took a great team to the brink and were just a few plays away from getting over the hump.”

CR’s Trey Neff and Jon Nchekwube each had a double double in the loss.

Neff, an all-state selection this season, scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Nchekwube dominated in the paint and finished with a remarkable 25 boards and 11 points.

Neff was 7-of-14 from 3-point range.

“We had about a three-minute stretch in the second half where we turned it over and it’s probably what sealed our fate,” Bisio said. “On the road in a game of this size, 40 minutes is what’s required. We were so close.”

The loss ended an historic season for the Corsairs, who close out 26-4 and had more wins than any team in program history.

But that’s not the only thing the head coach will remember about this group of players.

“I’ll be forever grateful to coach this team,” Bisio said. “Not only are they the most impressive team in school history, but they grew as people to a degree I’ve never witnessed before. This was a transformational experience for all of us.”

CR head coach Ryan Bisio reacts during a recent game.