March 10, 2015

ST. LOUIS – League single-game scoring and shooting records have earned Tarvin Gaines of the Gateway Steam the Midwest Professional Basketball Association Player of the Week award for the week ending March 8, 2015.

                    On Sunday, March 8 against the Windy City Groove, Gaines scored a league single-game record 48 points on a league-record 20-of-22 overall shooting performance.   Gaines was 18-of-18 from two-point range and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, in addition to going 6-for-7 from the free throw line in a tight 129-121 come-from-behind win over the Groove.

                    “We had to double check the stat line,” said Craig Fata, MPBA vice president.  “We thought it was an error.  But we verified it with the stat crew, and we’re still amazed.  It’s a well-deserved honor.”

                    Gaines, since arriving at Gateway on February 25, has averaged 34.7 points per game, but because he has not yet played in 70% of his team’s games, does not qualify among the league leaders.  He has helped spark the Steam in their four-game win streak.

                    Bloomington’s Anthony Slack earns special mention for his performance in two games last week.  Slack put up 14 points and 15 rebounds on Friday against the Chicago Force in Bloomington, and then, in a return engagement Sunday in Chicago, “Beast Mode” scored 17 and pulled down 23 boards, in a comeback win, his second 20-plus-rebounding performance this season.  Slack has taken over the MPBA rebounding lead, with an 11.4 per-game average.

                    Slack’s teammate, MPBA scoring leader Justin Bocot, scored 30 and 34 points respectively, in the two wins over the Force, to earn honorable mention this week, as well.   Complete statistics can be found at the league website, www.theMPBA.com.