Like His Brother, Gaines Shines for RiverHawks

By Nick Eatman
 
BARTLESVILLE, Okla.  ---  Northeastern State head coach Larry Gipson said there aren't many players he has coached that compare to former NSU great Darnell Hinson, the school's all-time leading scorer, an All-American in 2004 and the Most Outstanding Player during NSU's 2003 run to the Division II national title.

From a competitive standpoint, Gipson said he can put current junior guard Dominique Gaines in that group.

And that only makes sense, considering Gaines and Hinson are brothers.

"They're both as competitive as any players I've ever been around," Gipson said following NSU's 66-58 win over Angelo State in the LSC Championship quarterfinal round in Bartlesville on Wednesday.  "They compete their tails off every night. Now I had Darnell for four years and we've only had Dominique for the one semester. But he's working hard and getting better and thinking the game much better. He's much more explosive than Darnell. But they're both very fine players and I'm glad for the opportunity to coach them."

Gipson knows the biggest reason his RiverHawks are headed to the semifinals to face defending-champion and top seeded Midwestern State is because of the gritty play of Gaines, who used his strength to take over NSU's hard-fought win over the Rams.

Gaines had an all-around performance, which included 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. While the junior guard played the entire 40 minutes of action, the most impressive part of his game might have been on the defensive end. Gaines had the assignment of guard LSC South Player of the Year LaMarshall Corbett, who led the entire conference in scoring at 24 points a game.

Corbett was held to a season-low seven points on 2-of-18 shooting and didn't record his first point until the final four minutes of the game.

"I had a lot to prove going into the game," said Gaines, who was named All-LSC North first-team at the awards banquet on Tuesday. "But (Corbett) was the leading scorer in the conference and a real good scorer. I just took it as a challenge to man up and play some good defense on him. He didn't really do a lot on us, so that was a biggest part of the game to me. That was our game plan - try to shut him down - and we did a good job of that."

Gaines averaged 18.4 points per game this season, his first with the RiverHawks after a two-year stint at NEO Junior College. But the route from Miami to Tahlequah is a familiar one, especially for Gipson, who coached nine years at NEO, winning a JUCO national championship in 1989.

However, while Gipson inherited Gaines midway through his collegiate career, it was a different story for Hinson, a former walk-on and redshirt, before enjoying a stellar four-year career at NSU from 2001-04.

In fact, Hinson might just be the most decorated player in NSU history, having earned All-American honors as a senior and leading Northeastern to the national title in 2003. As a senior, Hinson averaged 23.6 points per game, earning 2004 LSC Player of the Year honors. Hinson was recently named to the LSC 75th anniversary team.

Whether or not Hinson is the best player in Northeastern history, it's safe to say he's the best Gaines has played with.

"Everything I know about basketball is from my brother," Gaines said. "He was a great player here. And he's probably the smartest player I've ever seen. I was in high school when they won the championship and I couldn't go because I was playing baseball. But I was on the radio listening, and it was one of the best times of my life, following his career and when they won the championship."

Hinson has played professionally overseas in places such as the Netherlands, Holland and Germany and Gaines said his older brother couldn't make this year's tournament because he's playing currently in Puerto Rico.

"He couldn't make it but he calls and gives me tips whenever he can," said Gaines, who admits he might be more athletic than Hinson, but doesn't put himself at the same level just yet. "I don't know about that. He is a really good player. I don't know if I'm that good."

While Gaines may never reach the level of Hinson, he made a good impression of his older brother the way he put the team on his back for a huge win in the post season.