Knights Start Season With Blowout Win; Mitch Charlens Reaches 350 Wins

The Knights opened the 2023-24 season with an emphatic 104-75 victory over Rio Hondo in the first game of Santa Monica College's O'Fallon and Singui Classic with five Knights scoring in double figures, including freshman Dillon Cubit who led the team with 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting.

The win was also a milestone for Head Coach Mitch Charlens who reached his 350th victory with San Diego City. He has averaged over 20 wins in the 17 seasons prior to the start of the 2023-24 campaign, but has won an average of 25 games in the last five seasons and led the Knights to a state championship in 2017. 

With San Diego City currently ranked No. 4 in the state, Charlens and his Knights have their eyes set on winning another state title and they are off to a promising start after Thursday's victory.

In the win over Rio Hondo, freshman Dexter Stratton recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

San Diego City scored the first eight points of the game and never looked back. They grabbed a 23-9 lead seven minutes into the game and closed the first half with a 10-2 spurt to take a 54-34 halftime lead.

The Knights essentially put the game away in the first three minutes of the second half by scoring 13 unanswered points to go ahead by 33. City's lead grew to as many as 42 midway through the second half.

Sophomore Al Green scored 15 points to go with seven rebounds, while another sophomore KJay Bradley added 14 points and three assists. 

Sophomore Keavie Love put in 10 points with nine rebounds off the bench. 

The Knights have Friday off before playing host Santa Monica at 6 p.m. on Saturday.