The SDCC men's basketball team continued its hot start to the 2016-17 campaign with a 77-58 win over Grossmont on Sunday afternoon to claim the 45th Annual Grossmont College Invitational championship.
It is the Knights' second straight tournament championship after winning last week's Palomar tournament.
City's Darien McClain was named tournament Most Valuable Player after hitting 6-of-10 from three-point territory on his way to a game-high 26 points in Sunday's championship game. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists.
Wonder Smith had nine points, seven rebounds, and three steals against Grossmont and was selected to the all-tournament team just as he was at the Palomar tournament.
Robert McCoy added 12 points off the bench for City.
The Knights started the Grossmont tournament with a hard-fought 81-75 victory over Santa Monica in which McClain led with 16 points and eight assists. City was down 69-67 with 6:14 remaining, but the Knights responded with a 9-0 run, seven of which came from McClain, to regain the lead for good.
In Saturday's semifinal game against Moorpark, Smith set the tone early by making 5-of-9 three-pointers in the first half on his way to 17 points. The Knights held a 41-29 halftime lead and never looked back. They would go ahead by as many as 26 points late in the second half and went on to win, 81-56.
The Knights are 12-3 so far this season and have won seven consecutive games.
They will have a week off before playing in Saddleback College's Bill Brummel Classic beginning on Thursday, December 15. City is scheduled to play Irvine Valley at 3:00 p.m. in the opening round.
