![SBVC's Tournament Ends With a Classic](/sports/mbkb/2024-25/photos/BIL3774.jpg)
The San Bernardino Valley College Alvin Hunter Classic men's basketball tournament is always a great early-season tune-up for some of the best teams in the state.
With seven of the eight teams participating ranked in their regional preseason top 20 coaches poll, the 2024 edition was no different.
And for the SBVC men's basketball team – ranked No. 2 in Southern California - the results of the tournament should prove beneficial down the line, after finishing second in the event after a heartbreaking overtime loss in the championship game.
SBVC opened the tournament with a 102-91 victory over Compton College. The Wolverines never trailed in the game, and led by 24 points at half, and had extended the lead to as many as 34 with 11 minutes remaining.
Darius Carr led the way against the Tartars, pouring in 29 points, while Andre Speight added 26 off the bench. Khemanni Davis had 14 points in the win.
On Saturday, the Wolverines dismantled West Los Angeles 90-56. SBVC trailed by six early, but picked up the pressure against the Wildcats, forcing 27 West LA turnovers – good for 31 points – in the game.
SBVC finished the game with five players scoring in double figures, once again led by Carr, who scored a game-high 18 points. Jason Hilliard had 16, while Speight had 13 off the bench. Davis added 12 points, and Shadale Knight had 11 points and nine assists.
Sunday's final featured a matchup of two of the top teams in the state, as SBVC took on Northern California's preseason No. 1, City College of San Francisco, and the game lived up to the billing, as the Rams came away with a 81-78 overtime win.
The two teams pressed each other up and down the court, with neither team shooting better than 40 percent for the game – the Rams finished right at 40 percent, while SBVC hit on 36.4 percent of its chances. Each team committed 13 turnovers, and neither team could go on a run to overwhelm the other. SBVC's biggest lead of the game was six points 6:52 into the game, while San Francisco's biggest lead was five points, reached in overtime.
In the extra session, Knight hit a runner in the lane with 14 seconds remaining to tie the game. San Francisco brought the ball up court and took a timeout with 8 seconds remaining to draw up a play. The ball ended up in the hands of Ray-John Spears, who sank a 3-pointer from the corner with 2.9 seconds remaining to win the game. It was Spears' only basket of the game.
SBVC's Knight led all scorers in the game, scoring 31 points, including going 17-for-19 from the free throw line. Carr ended up with 11 points, while Davis added another 10. Jason Lee ended the game with 10 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.