OKLAHOMA CITY — Big brother made a visit to the Big House on Friday.
Before Fort Cobb guard Kellen Hines — one of the newest members of the 2,000-point club — erupted for 35 points in the Mustangs’ 54-40 Class A state tournament semifinal win over Glencoe, the senior and his teammates were paid a visit from Kellen’s big brother, Cameron Hines.
The USAO Drovers point guard, who averaged 14.5 points and 4.4 assists per game this season and was selected to the All-SAC 3rd Team this week, made sure to hype up the top-seeded Mustangs, who are now won win away from a fifth straight state championship.
“It’s really fun with my brother coming into the locker room before the game to get us hyped up,” Kellen Hines said. “It’s definitely special.”
With his game-high 35 points on 12 of 23 shooting, Kellen wound up passing Cameron on the state’s all-time scoring list, checking in at No. 49 with 2,266 points and counting. Cameron, also a 2,000-point member, has 2,251 career points. The little brother, Kellen, is also now the top scorer in Fort Cobb-Broxton program history.
Another Hines kid having another big game in the Big House comes as no surprise to their mentor and role model.
“Kellen and Cameron grew up here in this arena since they were little bitty guys and dribbling, doing their pregame routine, dressing up like the boys,” their father, Fort Cobb coach Scott Hines said. “It’s a second home for them, and that makes them feel comfortable.”
It was Kellen Hines’ game from the get-go as he scored Fort Cobb’s first points and wound up scoring an absurd five and-1s as he got shots to somehow fall every time he absorbed contact near the rim.
Tyson Eastwood, who notched a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, blocked a Glencoe 3-pointer on the wing which turned into a run-out and a Hines’ and-1 left-handed layup to break an 18-18 tie late in the second quarter.
One of Hines’ most impressive plays of the victory came just 0.4 seconds before halftime as his high kiss off the glass while drawing the foul sent the Fort Cobb crowd into a resounding uproar with the Mustangs taking a 24-20 lead into the break.
“I definitely felt that bucket gave us a push. It’s a boost of energy and I just roll with it,” Hines said. “When I feel that boost, I can get to the rim easier and that opens up my jumper and gets me better shots.”
It was the Kellen Hines show the rest of the way.
Hines scored Fort Cobb’s first 12 points of the third quarter and swished his lone 3-pointer of the game during that stretch as the Mustangs built a 36-25 lead and seized control for good.
During that third quarter spurt, Hines flew into a table on press row off an Eastwood miss. Hines threw the ball off a Glencoe player to earn the possession back.
It was an offensive rebound that won’t be counted on the stat sheet, but the pure hustle play exemplified the Mustangs’ dynastic run of four straight titles and counting.
“You see somebody else put in that hard work, and it makes you want to do the same,” Kellen Hines said. “It makes a big difference.”
Later in the second half, Hines slapped the ball away from a Glencoe player and took his steal coast-to-coast for a layup before following up with a savvy pull-up mid-range jumper to reach 31 points.
Hines had 33 in the state championship game a season ago and surpassed that mark later in the fourth quarter, finishing with 35 thanks to his fifth and final and-1 to build a 46-27 lead. It came on an underhand scoop followed by a whistle. As the referee screamed out “block” for a blocking foul, Hines looked over and pointed his finger down repeatedly, asking if it would count.
It did.
Hines outscored the entire Glencoe team until the final minutes as he and the sophomore combined for 51 of Fort Cobb’s 54 points.
After scoring 33 in last year’s title game, there’s no telling how many Hines could drop in today’s championship — his final game as a Mustang.
FORT COBB 54, GLENCOE 40
Boys
FORT COBB — Kellen Hines 12-10-35, Tyson Eastwood 8-0-16, Denton 1-0-2, Phy 0-1-1. Totals 21-11-54.
GLENCOE — Cale Lazenby 8-1-17, Carpenter 1-2-5, Braiden Clark 7-1-18. Totals 16-4-40.
3-point goals: Fort Cobb — Hines. Glencoe — Clark 3, Carpenter.
FCB;12;12;15;15;—;54
Glen;11;9;7;13;—;40