The Knights won all three games over the weekend, including two over top-10 teams, at the inaugural Home Motors Invitational, held at Allan Hancock College. The Knights clinched the championship by defeating Napa, 80-56, on Sunday afternoon.
Sophomore guard Taylor Nelson was named Most Valuable Player during the three-day event and freshman center Leonard Allen was selected to the all-tournament team.
Allen led the Knights in Sunday's win with 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting, six rebounds and three blocks. He had 12 points and seven rebounds in Friday's 82-69 win over No. 6 Yuba, and had nine points to go with seven rebounds and two blocks in Saturday's 68-58 overtime victory over No. 8 Marin.
Nelson had 14 points and four assists in the win over Napa, but his best performance of the weekend came in Saturday's win over Marin. He poured in 29 points on 12-of-26 shooting, including 4-of-8 from three-point territory. Nelson scored 15 points and grabbed three rebounds in the win over Yuba.
This is the fourth consecutive season that the Knights have won at least one tournament championship. They won the Knights Invitational in 2014, the Citrus tournament in 2013, and the Saddleback tournament in 2012.
They will now turn their attention to Citrus' Neil Edwards Classic beginning Friday, Nov. 27. The Knights' first round opponent will be Moorpark with tip set for 5:00 p.m.
Nov. 23 Update:
The Knights have cracked the top 20 according to the most recent California Community Colleges Men's Basketball Coaches Association Poll released on November 23, 2015. They are currently ranked No. 15 in the state and No. 7 in Southern California.
