Sophomore guard Darien McClain's scoop shot in the lane as time expired gave the San Diego City College Knights a 53-51 victory over Fullerton College and their first ever CCCAA state championship on Sunday afternoon.
Freshman guard Robert Taylor tied the game at 51-51 with 10 seconds remaining and the Knights forced a Fullerton (26-7) turnover on the other end with 4.1 seconds left. After a San Diego time out, McClain took the inbounds pass and raced down the middle of the court towards the free throw line where he threw up an off-balance scoop that banked in as the buzzer sounded.
"They let me through," said McClain. "They should've picked me up. Yes, I was touched on the layup, but I'm glad I made it so I didn't have to put it in the hands of the refs."
McClain, who was named Pacific Coast Athletic Conference-South Player of the Year last month, was named tournament MVP. He had 11 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in Sunday's championship game.
Robert McCoy finished with eight points, six rebounds, and three blocks. Alex Wilbourn led the Knights with 13 points and eight rebounds.
McCoy and Wilbourn were both selected to the all-tournament team along with McClain.
The Knights (31-5) finished the 2016-17 season on a team-best 17-game win streak and with the most wins in school history.
