ROHNERT PARK -- Nathan Molony-Benjamin was able to provide a spark off the bench on both ends of the court Saturday night, tallying 11 points, six rebounds, and three blocks to help lead the Sonoma State men's basketball team to a 56-47 win over the Warriors of Stanislaus State. 

The Seawolves (15-5) have won four straight games to jump into a tie for second place in the CCAA standings with San Francisco State at 11-3, one-half game behind UC San Diego for the top spot.  With the 15-5 overall record, it is SSU's best 20-game start to a season since 1998-99 when that squad started 17-3 and qualified for the NCAA tournament.  Meanwhile, the Warriors fall to 6-16 overall, and 3-12 in conference play.
 
Both conference opponents opened up the contest trading baskets, and Sonoma found themselves trailing 6-5 in the early going. This would mark the only time the Seawolves trailed in the ball game, and quickly found themselves in the lead after Jackson Gion hit a three on the ensuing possession, making the score 8-6. That shot sparked a 14-4 Seawolf run, capped off by a Khalid Johnson layup, increasing their lead to 19-10 with 6:38 remaining in the half. Then, the Warriors went on a 6-0 run of their own and suddenly Sonoma's lead dwindled down to 19-16 with 3:42 left. However, the Seawolves remained calm, ending the half on a 10-4 run and in possession of a 29-20 lead heading into the break. Gion was a prominent factor in the half, shooting a perfect three for three from beyond the arc.
 
The second half started off slow for the Seawolves, as the Warriors were able to outscore them 11-4 in the first four minutes, cutting the lead to two at 33-31. That would be the closest Sonoma would allow Stanislaus to get, however, and the Seawolves were able to take control over the next several minutes, converting that two-point lead into a ten-point 46-36 lead with 8:11 to go. It only went up from there for the Seawolves, increasing their lead to a game-high 16 points after a pair of Molony-Benjamin free throws put the squad up 55-39 with 3:50 to go in the game. This prompted the Seawolves to unload the bench, and the Seawolves finished the game with a 56-47 win, their fourth in a row.
 
The nation's number one ranked defense played a crucial role, holding the Warriors to 35.4 percent on 17 of 48 shooting from the floor, including 5 of 18 from distance, only 27.8 percent. Another impressive stat was the defense's ability to force 12 turnovers, while the offense only committed eight.
 
On the offensive end, Sonoma shot 19 for 44 from the floor, 43.2 percent overall and went 13 for 20 from the free throw line (65 percent). Gion's stellar night from three-point range gave him a game-high 12 points on 4-5 shooting from deep. Molony-Benjamin was the only other Seawolf in double-figures with his 11 points, and Johnson led the team with three assists.
 
Sonoma State is back in action on Friday February 10th when it hits the road to face the Pioneers of Cal State East Bay at 7:30 PM. It will mark the beginning of a two game road trip, which will conclude on Saturday February 11th against Cal State Monterey Bay at 7:30 PM.