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College of the Redwoods kept the pressure on conference leaders Feather River with an 81-75 win at Butte in men’s basketball on Thursday night.

With the win, which was their third straight, the CR men improved to 6-1 in the Golden Valley Conference and 17-8 overall and they remain one win behind Feather River (7-0, 18-7).

Both teams have three conference games remaining each.

A win for CR at Siskiyous on Saturday would set up a probable championship showdown against Feather River at CR on Wednesday night.

The Golden Eagles won the first matchup between the two teams in Quincy two weeks ago, 78-65.

Thursday’s game at Butte was a physical one, but the Redwoods players adjusted. 

“Because of that, we had to find different ways to score and dig into a deeper level of toughness to fight through contact and finish at the rim,” CR head coach Justin Claus said.

Adding to the challenge for the visitors was the fact starting point guard Marcos Rosales found himself in foul trouble for the first time this season, which limited his playing time, while the team offense struggled from the perimeter.

“With all of those factors in play, I’m extremely proud of our group for finding a way to win,” Claus added. “Good teams have to be able to win games in different ways and push through adversity, and tonight was a great example of that for our team.”

Former McKinleyville Panther Jack Clancy enjoyed one of his best games for the visitors and “stepped up in a big way,” according to Claus.

Nate Sweet also impressed on the defensive end, while Luka Radovanovic “gave us stability as a distributor while also scoring some key baskets when we needed them the most,” the coach added.

The win lifted Redwoods three wins clear of third-placed Butte (3-4) in what has become a two-horse race for this year’s championship.

The CR men will now turn their attention to Siskiyous (2-5, 7-18), with Saturday’s tip off set for 3 p.m.

That will likely be another must-win game for the Redwoods men if they are to remain in the chase for a fifth conference title in six years.

“That is our full attention right now,” Claus said. “If we can take care of business and compete at a high level, it gives us an opportunity to set up a major matchup with Feather River on Wednesday.

“But we understand that opportunity only comes if we handle Saturday the right way.”

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The Feather River men, who have won seven straight games, host Shasta on Saturday, before closing out their campaign with road games at CR and Siskiyous.

Redwoods’ final two games are at home.

In addition to the potentially pivotal showdown against Feather River, CR will host Lassen the following Monday.

The CR women also played at Butte on Thursday and won 72-68 to move into a tie atop the standings with the Roadrunners.

The Redwoods women will also play at Siskiyous on Saturday, before returning home to host Feather River on Wednesday.

Saturday’s game is set to tip off at 1 p.m.