SEASIDE, Calif. -- Starting for the first time this season, Ronnie Harris scored a team-high 12 points and the number one defense in all of Division II played superb, powering the Sonoma State men's basketball team past Cal State Monterey Bay on the road Saturday night for a dominant 52-39 win.

With their sixth-straight win and their 11th win in the last 12 games, the Seawolves (17-5 overall) have clinched one of the top four seeds in the CCAA Tournament with four regular season games remaining on the schedule, and they have earned the right to host the First Round of the CCAA Playoffs on February 28th in The Wolves' Den.  Sonoma remains in a tie for second place in the CCAA standings with San Francisco State sporting a 13-3 record in conference play.  The Otters fall to 3-20 overall and 1-16 in league action.
 
Sonoma established control early on in the ballgame, starting out on an 11-3 run over the first nine minutes of the game. The Seawolves were able to stretch their lead to as many as 14-points in the half after Jimmy Golden split a pair of free throws to make the score 21-7 with 5:54 to go in the half. However, Cal State Monterey Bay was determined to chip away at the lead, and ended the half on a 14-6 run, cutting the Seawolves' lead down to 27-21.
 
It was a slow start in the second half for the SSU, allowing CSUMB to open up on an 8-2 run, tying the game at 29 apiece with 13:53 remaining. Then, a three-pointer by Jackson Gion ignited the offense, which fueled a 15-1 run for the Seawolves, giving the team a 44-30 lead with 5:26 to go in the game. From there, Sonoma had full momentum the rest of the way, stretching their lead to as many as 16, before ultimately coming out victorious 52-39.
 
Defense was a prominent factor yet again for the Seawolves, as the number one defense in the nation held their opponent below 40 points for the second time this season, with the other coming on December 31st, when they held Cal State East Bay to 38 points. The defense also held the Otters to 28.9 percent shooting from the floor, only connecting on 13 of their 45 shots, including 4 of 18 from three-point range. This was the second consecutive night, and fourth time this season, that SSU has held an opponent below 30 percent shooting. Sonoma was also able to force 13 turnovers, while only committing 10 of their own.  Nathan Molony-Benjamin was a large part of the defense's success, blocking three shots, and gathering two steals.
 
As a team, the Seawolves were able to go 16 for 46 from the floor (34.8 percent), and connected on 17 of their 24 free throws (70.8 percent). In addition to Harris' 12 points, Gion was second on the team with nine points, and Luke Cochran added eight points, and grabbed five rebounds.
 
The Seawolves will be back on The Wolves' Den hardwood for their final two regular season home games starting on Friday February 17th at 7:30 PM against Cal State LA. Then, the homestand will conclude on Saturday night against Cal State Dominguez Hills at 7:30 PM. 
 
More information regarding the CCAA Tournament and the First Round playoff game in The Wolves' Den on February 28th will be released in the coming weeks.