Blake Hinson tied a franchise record with 10 made 3-pointers and scored a season-high 44 points Friday night to lead the Santa Cruz Warriors to a 150-105 win over Rip City Remix, clinching a spot in the NBA G League playoffs.
It was a career night for Hinson, who has emerged as a key contributor in his first season with Santa Cruz. The 6-foot-7 forward said his recent success results from long-term development efforts under the Warriors’ coaching staff, crediting the program’s balance between player growth and competitiveness.
“They do a good job of mixing player development with winning,” Hinson told RG in a recent interview. “They’ll sacrifice a little bit of winning to get your player development correct — but they’re not gonna do it for long.”
Hinson, who went undrafted in 2024 after stints at Ole Miss, Iowa State, and Pittsburgh, joined Santa Cruz in October after a brief stint with the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-way contract. He’s appeared in 50 games this season, averaging 17.7 points and 4.9 rebounds. That number has jumped to 20.1 points per game since the start of the regular season, shooting 45.8% from the floor and 34.8% from beyond the arc.
Hinson said the most significant growth area has come from learning to read the game after going from college to the pros.
“Just thinking — like that’s the biggest thing,” Hinson told RG. “That’s the biggest jump from college to now. Offensively and defensively, it’s just thinking. I’m a professional athlete — but where you can go wrong is if you don’t think properly or put yourself in the right place, you’ll still lose.”
Hinson also pointed to Santa Cruz head coach Nicholas Kerr’s hands-on approach in shaping his development.
“Nick is hands-on with somebody like me who’s not even on a contract, and that means a lot to me,” Hinson told RG.
In Friday’s win, Hinson added four dunks to his 10 threes, helping Santa Cruz build a 47-point lead — its most significant of the season. The Warriors shot 53.3% from the field and 43.5% from beyond the arc. Hinson exited the game with under seven minutes remaining, falling five points short of the franchise’s single-game scoring record.
With five games remaining in the regular season, Santa Cruz (19–14) remains in contention to host a first-round playoff matchup. The team will face Rip City again Saturday at KP Arena.
