File photo – Jett Cheong

The College of the Redwoods men’s basketball team got the playoffs off to a winning start on Wednesday night.

The Corsairs traveled to Merced and knocked off the higher seeds 85-81 in a closely-fought showdown.

The win sets up a second round game at No. 6 Chabot.

The CR women, meanwhile, also opened the 2024 postseason on Wednesday but lost 85-51 to Sierra in Rocklin to end their season.

It was a close finish for the CR men, but they held the higher seeds at bay down the stretch thanks to some clutch free throw shooting.

The Corsairs led by six with four minutes remaining, but the host school would battle back to tie the game at 81-81 with just 41 seconds on the game clock.

Sophomore Jett Cheong, however, would help seal the win by going 4-for-4 at the free throw line in the final 17 seconds to lead his team to victory.

The Corsairs are seeded No. 22 in the 24-team NorCal playoff bracket, while Merced was seeded No. 11.

The CR men, who improved to 18-11, will play at Chabot on Saturday.

We’ll have more to come on CR’s big victory.

File photo