HICKORY, N.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College men's basketball team sent its five sophomores out in style on Saturday with a 93-66 victory against visiting Fayetteville Tech during "Sophomore Day" at the Tarlton Complex.

With the win, the Red Hawks improve to 21-8 overall and 13-7 in Region X play. The 21 wins by the CVCC men's basketball team this winter are tied for the second-most in a season in program history.

Cole Johnson paced the Red Hawks with a team-high 18 points, including four 3-pointers. As a team, CVCC made 11 3-pointers in Saturday's contest, including three by Everett Palmer and Zach De La Cruz.

Behind tenacious defense and fast-paced scoring offense, Catawba Valley took a 48-21 halftime lead. Johnson led the first-half scoring outburst with 15 of his 18 points.

The Red Hawks started off slow early in the second half, allowing the Trojans (14-15, 7-13) to pull back within 16 points, but Catawba Valley powered back to score 45 second-half points and go on to win by 27 points.

CVCC sophomore forward Jordan Powell scored all 10 of his points during the second half. Powell and Johnson were two of four Red Hawks who reached double figures in scoring on Saturday, including Palmer (13 points) and Dezure Moulden (10 points).

The Red Hawks now await play in the Region X/District O tournament. CVCC will likely host a play-in game on Monday, March 4. The opponent and game time have not been announced.