PORTSMOUTH, VA – UNC Greensboro's Kyle Hines finished the championship game with 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting to give him a tournament record for field goal percentage, but his Portsmouth Sports Club team lost in the title game, 103-80, to the Tidewater Sealants.
Tidewater Sealants jumped out early and never looked back, putting up 61 first-half points and holding a 21-point lead at the break. Hines shot 8-for-9 from the floor for the night before fouling out late in the game. Teammate Reggie Williams, who played his last four seasons at VMI, was 9-for-15 to finish with a game-high 22 points for Portsmouth Sports Club. However, the rest of the PSC club was limited to just 14-of-44 shooting from the floor.
Jamar Butler and Shaun Pruitt led the way for Tidewater Sealants with 18 points. Pruitt had a double-double, adding 12 rebounds.
Hines finished the three-day tournament shooting 22-of-28 from the floor for 78.6 percent, the best shooting percentage in the history of the 56-year tournament. He eclipsed the previous mark of 76.5 percent in 2004 by Xavier's Justin Cage (13-for-17).
Hines' 17.3 ppg scoring average was best on his team and fourth overall among the 64 players at the PIT. His 10 blocked shots was tied for the most at the tournament this season, equaling the total of Drexel's Frank Elegar, and just one shy of the tournament record. He also averaged 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals, which was tied for third-best during the three-days.
This year is the 56th annual tournament, which serves as a showcase for outstanding basketball players in their senior year of college. The P.I.T. is the nation's oldest amateur basketball tournament. It is recognized by NBA and European scouts as the premier showcase for future professional players. In fact, it is the only tournament for college seniors to participate in and be evaluated by NBA personnel prior to the league's pre-draft camp in Orlando.
The tournament's history goes all the way back to the days of Rick Barry, playing in the tournament in 1965 following his senior year at Miami (FL). Each year for 55 years the P.I.T has invited 64 of the best college senior basketball players from across the nation to participate in a four-day, twelve game tournament in front of representatives from every NBA team. The tournament drew the attention of NBA Scouts and General Managers in the mid-70's when players like Dave Cowens, John Lucas, Walt Szczerbiak and Bobby Cremins came to Portsmouth to play. Soon the word spread and approximately 200 Scouts, General Managers and Representatives of all 30 NBA teams began to come to see players like John Stockton, Dennis Rodman, Tim Hardaway, Scottie Pippen and others. Today, scouts from numerous international leagues have joined in on the annual April pilgrimage to Portsmouth. Over the years the P.I.T. has been a showcase for five of the 50 greatest players in NBA History (Barry, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, Dave Cowens, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen) and for many others who have gone on to NBA stardom.
Hines is slated to play later this month as part of the 30th Annual ACC All-Star Barnstorming Tour. Playing alongside Duke's DeMarcus Nelson, North Carolina's Quentin Thomas, Clemson's James Mays and North Carolina State's Gavin Gray, the team will begin its eight-game tour on Monday night at Surry Central HS against a team of Surry County All-Stars. Monday's game tips off at 7:30 pm.
Other stops on the ACC All-Star Barnstorming Tour include Cary (April 15), Monroe (April 16), Smithfield (Feb. 19), Fayetteville (April 21), Wilmington (April 23), Fort Mill, SC (April 24) and Anderson, SC (April 25).
Complete tournament coverage for the PIT is available at http://www.portsmouthinvitational.com and http://www.hoopsworld.com.
- UNCG -
