LONG BEACH, Calif. (Interstat) — The Citrus College men’s basketball team delivered a performance of overwhelming efficiency Tuesday night, dismantling Long Beach City College 101-61 in a non-conference junior college game that was decided almost from the opening tip.

The most important part of the game was its explosive and decisive start. The visiting Owls (8-1) opened the contest on a staggering 22-0 run, capitalizing on a series of Long Beach miscues and cold shooting. The Vikings (2-8) committed turnovers on their first two possessions and missed their first 11 field goal attempts before Zakai Hunter’s layup with 15:23 left in the first quarter finally got them on the board. By that point, Citrus had already built an insurmountable lead, shooting a blistering 14 of 27 from three-point range for the game and forcing 15 Long Beach turnovers, which they converted into easy transition opportunities.

Leo Ricketts, Citrus’s top star, rebounded from a quiet scoring performance in his previous game to lead all scorers with 27 points. He did so in just 21 minutes of action, hitting five three-pointers and going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. His backcourt mate, Amiri Meadows, added 11 points, six rebounds and six assists, directing an offense that posted an offensive rating of 121.0 points per 100 possessions.

For Long Beach, Lawrence Brown provided a bright spot with a game-high 25 points, but it came on inefficient shooting as the Vikings managed an offensive rating of just 71.9. The team failed to connect on any of its six three-point attempts and shot a dismal 48% from the free throw line. Kamron Fontenot added 12 points and nine rebounds in the loss.

The victory extends Citrus’s winning streak to three games following their only loss of the season in double-overtime to Fullerton on Nov. 21. The Owls have now scored over 100 points in five of their nine games this season. Long Beach, meanwhile, has lost eight of its last ten contests.

Citrus dominated nearly every statistical category, outshooting Long Beach 52.9% to 35.8% from the field, outrebounding the Vikings 47-41, and recording more assists (14-11), steals (14-11), and blocks (6-4). The Owls’ depth was also on display, with JJ Sanchez scoring 15 points and Rockwell Reynolds contributing eight points, nine rebounds and three blocks off the bench.

The result was a stark contrast to the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 100-100 tie. The Owls’ ELO probability to win was listed at 98.2%.

Citrus next travels to face East Los Angeles College on Friday. Long Beach City College is scheduled to host Cuyamaca on Wednesday.