The men’s basketball team took down San Joaquin Delta College in a dominant fashion, redeeming an early season loss to the Mustangs.

In a game where they never trailed, Cosumnes River College displayed stout defense in the first half, ending 39-17. They never let go of the reins ending the game 89-43.

“We were dictating,” said sophomore guard Kason Johnson. “We influenced what they wanted to do, we played hard, and we had heart and we just wanted it more.”

Johnson scored the first points of the game off a mid-range shot, which he said is an important skill.

The first half was all-efficient scoring from CRC with separate 7-0 and 11-0 runs in the half, each having a three-pointer from freshman guard K.J. Ramey Jr.

“Once I see the first one fall, I feel like I’m not going to miss the rest of the game,” Ramey said.

Ramey ended up scoring his season high with 14 points, 12 of which came off three pointers.

CRC ended the half 39-17 off the back of a separate 9-2 run.

The Hawks never took their foot off the gas with a 22-4 run in the middle of the second half capped off by a hustle steal into a reverse slam dunk by freshman wing Mason Marsh.

Marsh said the team “always starts on defense.”

The Hawks, with only eight players healthy for the game, held Delta College to a season low in points. The win made up for the team’s previous loss to Delta 59-66.

“We knew that was a game we could have won and we should have won,” said head coach Jonathan James. “We came into tonight with that mindset and the result was a 46-point win.”

The Hawks play their next game away against the Santa Rosa Junior College Bear Cubs on Friday at 7:30 p.m.